Fall here in Michigan is full of colorful leaves, apple cider, pumpkin pie, and ticks. Yes, ticks. If you haven’t seen the news lately, 2019 has been a busy year for disease-carrying pests like mosquitoes and ticks . Just because the temperatures are dropping, doesn’t mean the threat is over. In fact, fall is a very active time for adult ticks. Here are a few fall tick control tips to keep you safe from these dangerous pests.
The Dangers of Ticks
Ticks may be tiny, but they’re incredibly dangerous. They are responsible for 95 percent
of all diseases caused by pests here in the United States. Here in Michigan, we have five different ticks
, all of which are capable of spreading dangerous diseases.
Common Ticks in Michigan and the Diseases They Transmit:
- American Dog Tick: Rocky mountain spotted fever and tularemia .
- Blacklegged Tick (Deer Tick): Lyme Disease , anaplasmosis , babesiosis , and Powassan virus .
- Lone Star Tick: Ehrlichiosis and tularemia.
- Woodchuck Tick: Powassan encephalitis.
- Brown Dog Tick: Rocky mountain spotted fever, canine babesiosis , and canine ehrlichiosis .
Each year, the number of tick-borne disease infections continues to rise. More people are being infected, in more places, than ever before. New, potentially devastating, diseases are being discovered every year, making tick control essential.
Fall Tick Prevention
The best fall tick control comes down to tick prevention. We’ve put together a few pro-tips to help you turn your lawn into a tick-free zone to help keep you and your family safe.
Clean Up the Leaves
As the temperatures drop, ticks start looking for warm places to overwinter. One of the most common places to find ticks in the fall is in piles of leaves. This is just one reason why leaf clean up
is such an important fall lawn care job. Not only will you prevent lawn fungus from developing under the leaves, but you’ll also be eliminating prime tick habitats.
Keep Your Lawn Mowed
Ticks love tall grass. That’s where they hang out, waiting for their next meal to brush by. One way to reduce the population of ticks in and around your lawn is by keeping your lawn mowed. It’s also a good idea to clear out any thick brush around the edge of your lawn.
Trim Trees and Shrubs Away From Your Home
If you notice some of the branches of your trees and shrubs are close to or touching the side of your house, then it’s time to trim them. Ticks will often hang out in trees. If the branches are close to the side of your house, then they’ll travel down the branches to get closer to the heat of your home. The closer they are to your home, the worse the situation is. Trim your trees and shrubs back away from your house and you’ll prevent ticks and many other pests from finding a way into your home.
Move Play Structures
Keeping the kids safe should be priority number one. If you have play structures, swing sets, or toys in your backyard, then make sure they’re far from any tall brush or trees. Keeping these play areas away from the edge of your property is the best way to reduce the possibility of a potential run-in with a dangerous tick.
Prepare Yourself
If you’re working out in your yard or anywhere that ticks may be lurking, then it’s best to be overprepared. Wear light-colored clothing that covers as much of your body as possible. The light-color makes it easy to see any ticks that may be trying to hitch a ride. It’s also a good idea to tuck your pants into your socks. You won’t be setting any fashion trends, but you also won’t be getting bitten by ticks. Finally, wear bug spray, preferably something with 20-30% DEET, on any exposed skin.
Check Yourself and Remove Ticks Immediately
Any time you come in from a walk, hike, or from working outside, make sure you check yourself for ticks. If you do happen to find one has bitten you, remove it immediately. Use a pair of tweezers, or a tick remover, and grip the head of the tick as close to your skin as possible. Make sure you pull slowly. It takes at least 24 hours for a blacklegged tick to transmit Lyme disease, so if you remove the tick immediately, you are far less likely to contract this dangerous disease.
Never use a match. This old method of removing ticks is actually much worse for you. It causes the tick to regurgitate into you, which can spread any disease that they may be infected with.
Get Professional Tick Control Services
These fall tick control tips will help you make a tick-safe zone in your backyard, but the best way to eliminate ticks from your property is with tick control services. Here at Custom Personalized Lawn Care , we have a 5-step flea and tick control service designed to keep you and your family safe from these dangerous biting pests.
Give us a call at (800) 570-3313 or request a free estimate here . You can also check out our Facebook for news and deals.
