Ticks are among the deadliest parasites globally and have become a menace and a nuisance to families throughout New York. Many homeowners find themselves asking ‘where do ticks live around my yard and home’. While these pesky creatures inflict scary bites that are painful, the bites are harmless. These parasites, however, can transmit various diseases that can affect your well-being. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that ticks can transmit up to sixteen different diseases, including Spotted Fever, Rocky Mountain, and Lyme disease.
One question that lingers in many homeowners’ minds is ‘how these creatures get into your yard or home, considering that they can’t fly or jump?’ Let’s take a look at the possible tick habitats and try to help you understand how these creatures get there.
Where Do Ticks Live In The Yard?
Knowing the kinds of environments that ticks love and how they get there can help you limit exposure and how to control them. Typically ticks live in moist and humid areas. They tend to reside close to their hosts. While there is a misconception that ticks live on their host, this is not true at all. These creatures take refuge in the nearby areas and only attach to the host when they want to feed. Once they get their rightful share of blood, they detach and find a new spot to lay eggs or hide until they find a new host.
It’s not common to see an entire tick species inside a house, but the brown dog tick is known to reproduce indoors.
Here are the places you’re likely to find ticks outdoor
- Naturalized or unmown yards with tall grasses and weeds
- Low-lying and over-grown shrubs that cast extensive shades
- Foundation plants that are unkept
- Long grass or lawns left unattended allow ticks great hiding spots.
- Ticks can also hide under piles of wood in the compound
- They may also live in highly vegetative areas such as forests and bushes near a home
If you discover that you have a tick inside your house, on your skin, or a pet, there is a high chance that it latched on the fur, skin, or clothing when you were relaxing in the yard.
Yes, indeed, the warmth, humidity, and shade provided by piles of wood, unmown grass or low-hanging branches, and sagging branches offer an ideal habitat for ticks, but where do these parasites come from in the first place?
Essentially, ticks don’t just appear from nowhere. They are brought to your compound or lawn by various hosts. As mentioned earlier, these pests don’t live on their hosts; they latch onto them, feed, and then detach. So, if your compound or the surroundings are readily accessible to various animals and other creatures, they might be the ones bringing ticks into your yard.
Contrary to the belief of many, hosts don’t drop many ticks to cause widespread infestation. Once a single tick falls in your yard and finds excellent conditions (shade, warmth, and moisture), it can lay its eggs bringing forth new parasites that will need blood to grow. Here are some of the animals common to upstate New York (from Niagara Falls to Albany) that may bring ticks into your compound or yard:
- Deer – Considered to be the primary source of pests in the yard
- Stray dogs
- Raccoons
- Cats
- Rodents such as mice
- Birds
- Livestock
Finding or eliminating these wildlife from your yard can get rid of some of the factors when assessing “where do ticks live?”
During what Period are Ticks More Active?
In some areas, ticks may stay active throughout the year. They tend, however, to be highly functional between March and November and lay low in the other months. Therefore, if your yard looks more of a tick habitat during this period, you must start being vigilant. Check for ticks in your kids’ clothing or under the pets’ fur once they play in the yard. Also, check your clothes for ticks once you’re done gardening or after spending time in the nearby bushes.
How To Prevent and Get Rid of Ticks in Your Outdoor Space and Yard
Now that you understand how ticks land into your yard, where they usually hide, and when they are active, the remaining part is to know how to control and get rid of them once and for all. Here some of the tricks you can use to exterminate ticks from your yard.
1. Erect a Fence
The first thing you should do to keep away ticks from your property is to construct a fence. This barrier will help keep out deer, raccoons, stray dogs, cats, and your neighbors’ livestock. A wall will prevent the parasites from entering your compound in the first place.
2. Tidy up Your Lawn
Overgrown grass has proven to offer a conducive environment for ticks to hide and reproduce. Destroying the tick’s habitat can drive them away, thereby minimizing exposure. Cut your grass short, rake it, and compost it with leaf litter.
3. Get Rid of Rotten Piles of Wood
Since piles of wood are considered a conducive environment for ticks, you must keep wood in a dry and covered area. If not possible, keep the piles of timber far away from your house.
4. Trim overgrown Shrubs and Prune Low-hanging Branches
Overgrown shrubs and trees with low-hanging branches can create an ample environment where these pesky parasites can hide. Pruning and trimming these areas can help destroy the tick’s habitat.
5. Fill your Garden or Lawn with Plants That Repel Ticks
Several plants act as tick repellents. If you want ticks to avoid your compound, plants have these plants in your garden or along the peripheral of your yard. These include:
- Chrysanthemum cineraria folium
- Garlic
- Lavender
- Sage
- Eucalyptus
- Geranium
- Pennyroyal
- Catnip
To Find Out More Of Where Do Ticks Live: Call a Professional Tick Exterminator Near You
Suppose the ticks prove to be a hard nut to crack; you’ve got to involve the professionals. Exterminators will help you identify locations where chemicals or other tick control products should be applied. They will then provide insights on how you can protect your yard from these parasites. With the help of a professional exterminator, you can be sure that no tick will be left in your yard.
