A Year-Round Approach To Tick Control

Ticks are a year-round problem. This is because ticks take warm-blooded creatures as hosts. If a warm-blood creature decides to chew its way into your home this winter, you could find yourself with a tick issue in the dead of winter, especially if you have pets. If a dog or cat comes in contact with ticks left behind by rodents, they can bring those ticks right into your lap. Here is a seasonal look at tick control that will help to protect you and your pets in winter, spring, summer, and fall.

Winter Tick Control

A single field mouse can have as many as 100 ticks on it. So, as you can probably imagine, the control tips for winter have everything to do with detecting and resisting rodents.

• If you hear bumping or scratching in your walls, notice droppings in the backs of your cabinet or drawers, smell a foul odor in your attic, see holes chewed in food products, or find holes chewed through sheetrock and other building materials, you have rodents.
• Rodents are skittish creatures that keep one side against the wall as they explore your home. In rooms with clutter on the floor, they will feel safe to come away from the wall and leave ticks, fleas, mites, and other parasites within that clutter. Keep rooms clean to resist secondary pests.
• Rodents go where the food is. If you keep your pantry and kitchen food items that come in cardboard, plastic, or paper, in sealed plastic containers, you'll keep the smells in and the rodents out. This may cause those rodents to seek meals outside of your home.
• Make sure your pets have veterinarian-prescribed tick products.

Spring Tick Control

This is the time of year when we have a lot of moisture issues. All of that snow turns into dampness, and ticks require that moisture to survive. Tick control in the spring centers around moisture control.

• Trim trees and bushes to allow the sunlight into shaded areas. This will dry the moisture up faster.
• Check your gutters to make sure the ice hasn't caused a break. It is vital that rainwater is channeled away from your foundation perimeter.
• Clean leaves out of gutters and rake them up off your grass. Leaves cause obstructions in gutters and patches of moisture in your yard. Both will lead to moist conditions that are favorable for ticks.
• A damp foundation perimeter will promote a tick population. If you have dogs, consider creating a fenced-in area to prevent them from roaming into moist, shaded locations around your foundation perimeter where ticks are likely to be.

Summer Tick Control

In summer, creatures are going to be most active. The focus of tick prevention in the summer will lean toward the control of wildlife, especially rodents.

• Keep exterior trash in sealed containers.
• Keep grass trimmed and vegetation neat.
• Protect food sources in your yard. Put fencing around gardens, fruit trees, and berry bushes.
• Make sure the fencing goes a foot below the ground, to prevent tunneling animals.
• Store yard clutter that animals use as harborage.
• Keep firewood away from your foundation walls and elevated from the ground.
• If you have pets that go out into the yard, consider investing in a veterinarian-prescribed mosquito repellent. This will help to protect your pets from mosquitoes and ticks.

Fall Tick Control

When the temperatures drop, wildlife may try to get into your home. For tick prevention in the fall, we'll focus on exclusion.

Do a detailed inspection of your exterior walls and fill in any holes, gaps, or cracks you find. You may have to get dirty. Animals, and rodent especially, will attempt to enter your home from locations that are secluded and dark. That means you may have to squeeze into a crawl space or pull up a couple of boards on your deck to get the job done.

In every season, it is best to have ongoing pest control services from a professional to keep ticks, rodents, and other pests out of your home. Animals and bugs are a health threat no family needs. With year-round pest control, you can keep your pets and your family protected.