Keeping ticks and pests out of your yard is important at this time of year. The warm months are here, and along with balmy breezes and spring flowers, insects and other wildlife are stirring again. These pests thrive in warm, moist weather, so you are probably already seeing them. Start preparing your yard to keep these nuisances away because they will make you uncomfortable when you are outside, and can even be a risk to your health.
Cut Your Grass
One of the easiest and least expensive ways to keep insects, ticks and pests out of your yard is to groom your lawn. If you cut your grass at least every two weeks, ticks and other bugs will be less likely to invade.
Keep Wildlife Out
Different wild animals, including rabbits and deer, carry ticks and other vermin as hitchhikers. They munch on your shrubs and garden, but they also can bring pests along with them. A fence that deters their passage can help to keep them out but a determined bunny may just go under it and deer can jump. So be sure your fence goes both below the surface of the ground and quite high up. Outdoor dogs are also a reliable way to keep wild animals, and the insects that come with them, off your land.
Clean Up Your Yard
After winter winds and storms it is time to pick up all of the fallen sticks and leaves and put them in the trash. Accumulated debris harbors fleas and ticks, so it is important to remove it. Also, be sure to dispose of any standing water because that is where mosquitoes breed.
Choose Plants that Pests Avoid
Pennyroyal belongs to the mint family, and fleas and ticks avoid it. Pennyroyal plants are fairly inexpensive to purchase and easy to take care of, so planting a few around your yard will help you to keep the pests away.
Spray Your Yard with Flea and Tick Spray
Fido keeps wildlife out of the yard and loves to play with the kids, but is the first member of the family to be troubled by fleas and ticks. Flea collars will help keep him healthy and happy, but it is also a good idea to spray the yard. Even if you have no pets, these pests are hazardous to people and spraying will get rid of them. They carry serious diseases like Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
Spray the product around the border of your home and areas where your pets play, and make sure the pesticide dries completely before you allow your pets or children back outside. Also, make sure to treat your pets for ticks and fleas so that they do not spread them throughout your home. Wash them with flea and tick shampoo, use protective collars, or give them oral tablets that will kill any parasites that are living on their bodies.
If you follow these helpful tips, you should be able to keep the ticks and pests away from your yard and your home.
