Are your dogs constantly bringing in ticks from outside? Do you use flea and tick medicine on your dogs but it feels like the ticks don't get the message? Although flea and tick medicine is very good at killing off fleas or ticks that do happen to come into contact with your dog, the results are not instantaneous. It can take several days for a tick to die, depending on exactly what you're using. It also does not prevent your yard from being full of ticks that have arrived from outside of your yard. In order to reduce the tick population to a reasonable level, here are some things that you should do.
Trim trees and bushes: Ticks do not live in trees or bushes; they prefer to stay on the ground and to climb tall grasses when they need to find a host. However, animals that might carry ticks may live in or like to eat the trees and bushes around your home. Squirrels like to live in trees. Deer will nibble on low branches and eat delicious-looking bushes. Raccoons and mice will hide in trees or bushes. Because all of these animals can bring ticks to your property, one of the first steps toward tick control will be to trim your trees and bushes to make your yard less inviting to wild animals.
Mow grass: The shorter your grass is, the less likely it is that ticks will live there. This generally doesn't mean that you need to keep your grass trimmed to the point where you can actually see the soil, but it does mean that you cannot let your lawn go unmowed. If you hope to have any semblance of tick control, your lawn needs to be cut on a regular basis. If you are unable to mow your lawn at least weekly, it's important that you hire someone who is able to do this for you.
Clean up debris: Ticks like to live under and in a variety of things. Another essential aspect of tick control is to clean up these things around your home. Fallen leaves and mulch need to be raked up and either thrown away or composted as far away from your home as possible. If you have a woodpile for your fireplace or woodburning stove, this is another place that ticks may like to hide. The fewer hiding places there are, the fewer ticks will be able to live around your home.
To learn more about methods for tick control, contact a pest control service.