Natural Tick Control for the Yard

Place playground equipment away from wooded areas to prevent ticks.

A purely natural approach to outdoor tick control is difficult, although one of the best steps a person can take is to eliminate the areas where ticks frequently live. It is also important to keep deer out of the yard, because they often carry ticks.

Significance

Establishing a tick-control plan for the yard is important because ticks are known to carry many potentially dangerous diseases, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tick-borne relapsing fever, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Safe Zones

The best way to keep a yard tick free without the use of chemicals is to establish tick-free zones, recommends the CDC. Place playground equipment away from flower gardens, shrubs and other vegetation. Place gravel or wood chips between vegetation and areas where people frequent, as ticks do not readily cross over those materials.

Deer-free Gardening

It is also important to make the yard less attractive to deer, as these animals often carry ticks. Grow plants that deer rarely eat and fence off garden spaces.

Plant Pennyroyal

Pennyroyal, a plant in the mint family, is a natural flea and tick deterrent, according to the Daily Puppy. Planting pennyroyal as a border around the yard may help keep ticks at bay.

Warning

While these landscaping ideas may help reduce ticks, they also could very well not be enough to keep the yard tick free. Ticks reproduce quickly and can easily become a large-scale problem. If adult ticks are visible, you may need to treat the yard with a chemical spray.

References

• Centers for Disease Control: Stop Ticks
• The Daily Puppy: How to Control Fleas and Ticks in Your Yard