How to Use Lime to Kill Ticks

Ticks are small parasites commonly found on pets or people who have spent time in wooded areas. Some species of tick are as small as a freckle, making them difficult to spot on skin. If you find that ticks are in your area, you can dust your yard with a lime treatment to kill them. When combined with other methods of environment alteration, lime application can control a tick problem in your yard.

Things You'll Need

• Protective gloves
• Hat
• Tick repellent
• Lawn mower
• Garden shears
• Garden rake
• Trash bags
• Powdered lime

Instructions

1. Put on protective gloves and a hat to protect yourself from ticks while working in the yard. Wear long pants tucked into socks and a long-sleeved shirt, if the weather permits it. Spray yourself with a tick repellent before you go outside.

2. Mow your grass to a height of 2 to 3 inches, especially in shaded areas. Ticks suck moisture from the air and short grass exposes them to heat and sunlight, which will help kill them.

3. Use garden shears to trim any overgrown shrubs or bushes. Rake up leaf litter, grass clippings and any shrub clippings and dispose of them in garbage bags.

4. Dust the entire yard, including any flowerbeds and shrubs, with the powdered lime. The dusting should look like a very light snow. Use the garden rake to work the lime into the grass. Pay special attention to shaded areas.

5. Keep children and pets out of the yard.

Tips & Warnings

• Guinea hens are a natural predator of ticks, so keep a few in your yard if your community permits it.

References

• Safe Solutions: Intelligent Pest Management and Control of Ticks