Ticks and the illnesses they cause have been on the rise in recent years, with some species spreading rapidly into new areas. While it’s important to cover up and use insect repellent when you’re in the woods, what about when you’re in your own backyard? Consumer Reports offers easy tips to help keep you and your family safe.
Those shaded areas in our yards are a welcome break from summer sun, but they’re also the spots that ticks like to hide out, says Consumer Reports’ Paul Hope.
“Ticks carry a lot of illnesses, including Lyme disease, so it’s important to keep them out of your yard. They tend to like cool, shady areas under tall grass, so don’t let your grass grow too tall. Cutting to a height of 3 inches ensures that ticks won’t like it, but it also isn’t so short that it will harm your grass.”
Paul Hope, Consumer Reports
CR typically recommends mulching your grass clippings to add extra nutrients to your lawn. But if you live in an area with a high tick population or you miss a week of mowing and the grass gets tall, consider bagging those clippings instead; that eliminates some hiding spots for ticks.
Trim tall grasses and weeds, especially around walkways and other high-traffic areas. Get rid of leaves, brush, and other debris in your yard and lawn that ticks can use for shade.
If your yard butts up against wooded areas, create a three-foot barrier with dry wood chips or gravel to deter ticks from entering.
Discourage animals that transmit ticks, such as deer and mice.
“Ticks travel on other animals like mice and deer, so if you want to get rid of ticks, try to keep those other animals out of your yard. For deer, a high fence can deter them from coming in. For mice, bait boxes can kill the ticks they carry without harming the mice themselves.”
Paul Hope, Consumer Reports
Getting rid of areas that can harbor ticks also exposes you to them, so always check yourself after doing yard cleanup and maintenance.