Natural Ways To Protect Your Yard And Home From Ticks
Posted on: 30 July 2017
Ticks are parasites that feed on the blood of any animal they attach themselves to. They inject a numbing toxin into the skin of the host to avoid being felt as they burrow under it. While feasting, they can also transmit a number of disease pathogens that will harm the host. Two of the common and dangerous pathogens they may carry include the ones for Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Unfortunately, many methods for keeping ticks from your yard, or killing them once they are there include toxic chemicals that are not good for other animals and vegetation you want in the area. Here are a few substances you can use to protect everything you want in the yard while discouraging ticks.
Cedar Oil
To ticks, mosquitoes, and fleas, cedar oil is poisonous. The aroma is also repelling to many other insects. However, it is perfectly safe for humans, pets, and other wildlife. In addition, it has a pleasant, woodsy aroma most people like. You may use a commercially prepared cedar oil spray or make one yourself using cedarwood essential oil and water. Spray the entire yard, any furniture or play structures at least to a height of five feet. You should also spray around doors and windows to keep pests from getting into the house.
Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous earth is the cast-off shells of one-celled algae from millions of years ago. They are comprised of a silica sand that has sharp edges. As the ticks walk through the diatoms you have spread on the yard they stick to the insects and cut through their shells, causing them to dry out so they die. Purchase a bag of diatomaceous earth and spread it over your yard. It will kill the ticks and other pests in the grass and earth but will not harm anything else.
In addition to using the above substances on your yard, you should avoid allowing it to stay wet and keep the grass trimmed short. In addition, if you or your pets leave the yard and travel through a meadow or forest, be sure to do a tick check when you get home, removing any you find. Wash your clothes and dry them in a hot dryer and use a cedar oil spray on your pets. If you notice a bulls-eye mark or a rash where you suspect a tick had been, you should seek medical attention. Do all that you can to repel or kill ticks so you and your loved ones do not become ill. You may want to hire a professional pest control company that uses natural methods to keep your home tick-free if you are not sure of how to take care of it yourself.
You can also talk with a company like Greenwood Tree Experts for more information.
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