How to Control Dog Ticks in Your Yard
Tick control on your dog and in your yard is essential for the health of your dogs and the community. Ticks feed on the blood of dogs and can transmit illnesses such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease and babeosis to dogs, cats and sometimes people. The most common species of ticks found on dogs include the America dog tick, Dermacentar variabilis; deer ticks such as the blacklegged tick, Ioxedes scapularis; and the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Lawn mower
- Gardening shears, electric or gas trimmer
- Flea and tick preventative medication
Instructions
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Mow grass, trim bushes and remove tall weedy plants from the yard. Ticks crawl up to the tops of plants and wait for passing dogs or other mammals to walk by. The tick then reaches out with its forelegs and grabs the body of the passing animal. Without long grasses, the ticks have less of a chance to grab onto a dog, cat or person. Use gardening shears or a trimmer to get to places a mower cannot reach.
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Treat dogs with tick preventative medication. These can be pills or spot-on treatments that are absorbed by the dog's skin. Most insecticides that will kill adult fleas will also kill adult ticks, but be sure to read the instructions to verify that the product kills ticks. For example, imidacloprid (brand name Advatange) does not kill ticks. Ask your veterinarian for the best preventative medications available to kill the particular tick species found in your area.
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Discourage any wild or stray animals coming onto your yard because they may carry ticks. Your dog's urine scent may be enough to keep some animals away. Do not leave garbage in unlocked containers that animals like raccoons or squirrels can get into. The garbage may attract wild animals. Move bird feeders as far from the house as possible because the bird food can attract rodents and other tick-carrying wild animals.
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Sprinkle pyrethrin powder in the lawn and yard or use a pyrethrin spray on the tops of any tall plants ticks may crawl on. The CDC recommends two coatings. Pyrethrins are one of the mildest insecticides available, but monitor pets and children for signs of pyrethrin poisoning. These signs include vomiting, drooling more than usual or seizures.
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Tips & Warnings
Flea and tick prevention medication for pets is best obtained from a veterinarian.
Never assume that flea and tick preventative medication alone will make a dog completely safe from ticks. Always check a dog for ticks after it plays in any area with overgrown grass and lots of vegetation.
Never flush a live tick down a toilet because ticks can survive the flush and crawl back out of the toilet.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Darryl Leniuk/Digital Vision/Getty Images
