What's new

Tick infestation. Need real world advice on how to eradicate.

Toothpick

Needs milk and a bidet!
Staff member
My new home has a problem...the yard is loaded with ticks. Right next door is a little unattended wooden patch, tall grass, trees, brush, etc, so I'm sure they are coming from there.

Had a little backyard BBQ yesterday which resulted in finding a tick on myself, my father, and 2 on my brothers dog. So I need something that will get rid of these little suckers.

I know you can buy granules to sprinkle around the yard. Anyone have luck with them? And what else works?

I know with the wooded lot next door the ticks will likely just come back over time, but if I can keep MOST of them out of my yard I will be happy.

So what ya got?

Thanks!
 
proxy.php
 
We have a "herd" of deer in our neighborhood. I've counted up to 30 in a single bunch AND we are in the center of town. I go hunting and maybe see one or two a week. I wake up and can count dozens next to the house.

We have a major tick problem.

I've fenced our yard to keep them outside but the ticks transfer to other warm blooded animals (squirrels, chipmunks, mice, etc) for the journey into our yard. We trap and eliminate all rodents on a daily basis.

The wife pulled 2 deer ticks off of her just yesterday.

I've found that it takes 3 applications spaced 7-10 days apart to get them under control.

Back in the "olden days" the choices of pesticides was good, now you are very limited with what you can purchase even with a state/federal pesticide applicators license.

I've had moderate success with a rotation of pesticides (each application a different insecticide).

There is no magic bullet outside of scorched earth and concrete. :sad:
 

Toothpick

Needs milk and a bidet!
Staff member
We have a "herd" of deer in our neighborhood. I've counted up to 30 in a single bunch AND we are in the center of town. I go hunting and maybe see one or two a week. I wake up and can count dozens next to the house.

We have a major tick problem.

I've fenced our yard to keep them outside but the ticks transfer to other warm blooded animals (squirrels, chipmunks, mice, etc) for the journey into our yard. We trap and eliminate all rodents on a daily basis.

The wife pulled 2 deer ticks off of her just yesterday.

I've found that it takes 3 applications spaced 7-10 days apart to get them under control.

Back in the "olden days" the choices of pesticides was good, now you are very limited with what you can purchase even with a state/federal pesticide applicators license.

I've had moderate success with a rotation of pesticides (each application a different insecticide).

There is no magic bullet outside of scorched earth and concrete. :sad:
Thanks Mick

Any particular brand of pesticide you would recommend?

A neighbor a couple blocks over has the right idea...his entire yard is landscaped with pea gravel. Front to back, no grass anywhere.
 
It's a shame if you can't keep guinea fowl. A few birds and some cracked corn to feed them and they will keep your yard tick free. Chickens work half as well but also lay eggs.
 
Ticks are nigh invulnerable.



make sure YOUR yard is well mowed. Tick check yourself every day. I've had Lyme twice. It feels lousy. Ticks are a filthy plague.
 

Toothpick

Needs milk and a bidet!
Staff member
hmmm Not sure on the guinea fowl. You just turn them loose? what keeps them in your yard or becoming a meal from a predator?
 

Toothpick

Needs milk and a bidet!
Staff member
Never mind on the guinea fowl. My city doesn't allow it. Unless the coop is 1,000 feet away from public roads and homes and I am zoned agricultural
Bummer
 
Spectracide and heavily spray once, wait a week, spray again if necessary. Anytime I use the spectracide bug killer spray, the next day everything is upside down dead. Lasts all year too!
 
I don't know about ticks, but you can contact the people at this site. They were extremely helpful in selling me something that got rid of my carpenter ants. It was a lot cheaper and far more effective than the $500 exterminator I used for a year.

http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/
 

Toothpick

Needs milk and a bidet!
Staff member
Spectracide and heavily spray once, wait a week, spray again if necessary. Anytime I use the spectracide bug killer spray, the next day everything is upside down dead. Lasts all year too!

I was checking this out at Lowes this morning. Seems like around 50 bucks I can do my whole yard. That includes buying the sprayer.

I don't know about ticks, but you can contact the people at this site. They were extremely helpful in selling me something that got rid of my carpenter ants. It was a lot cheaper and far more effective than the $500 exterminator I used for a year.

http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/

Thanks for the link, looks like a great resource!
 
Unless you can treat the wooded area next to you, you'll never get rid of them. The best you can do is control your own yard. The various insecticides mentioned are all a good idea.

You might also want to look into some personal repellants, similar to a dog's flea collar. There are plenty of bug sprays to put on your clothing, but I don't know of anything specifically made for ticks. Read the labels and see if they are listed.

One more thing that might work is a Citronella candle. These are generally put out to get rid of mosquitos, but it might work for ticks also.

Next time you have a backyard cook-out, let all the guests know in advance that there might be tick problem. That way, they can be on the lookout throughout the whole event, and not wait until they get home to discover the little buggers. And keep appropriate first-aid gear on hand, so that if someone does get bitten, you can treat it properly, right away.
 
Top Bottom