Gardening and landscaping in the spring is one of the chores that requires getting a little sweaty and dirty if you really want to make your landscape look nice. In the spring, the warming of weather also comes with the emergence of insects—especially, ticks, which typically emerge just as outdoor activities hit full swing.
Here are some tips on how to manage ticks and make sure you spot them:
Understand Their Territories
Deer ticks (which cause Lyme disease) are most often found in wooded or grassy areas. They live in humid environments, and they tend to gravitate to natural fixtures like leaves, bushes, trees, and gardens. To avoid ticks, it’s beneficial to steer clear of tall bushes or similar-sized vegetation, and garden or walk along areas with a clearly defined trail.
Invest in Insecticides
This may be obvious to some of you, but a number of insecticides have been proven to effectively eliminate ticks without posing a threat to humans. Permethrin, for example, kills ticks in both their adult and larval stage, which is the likeliest time they will harbor Lyme disease. You can also purchase permethrin-treated clothing, socks, and shoes, which has proven to be more effective than chemical bug spray in repelling ticks.
Change the Landscape
Ticks tend to linger in the space between lawns and wooded areas. To manage their populations, it’s helpful to incorporate landscaping that deters deer, mice, groundhogs and other animals that may carry ticks. Similarly, you should make a point of quickly removing any leaf piles or brush left over from gardening, as these popular tick habitats.
Stay in the Sun
Did you know tick nymphs can’t survive for longer than eight hours in environments with lower than 80 percent humidity? They have leaky cuticles that rapidly lose moisture, and as a result, they typically steer clear of sunny environments that may dry them out. What does that mean for you? Keep some sunscreen close at hand and avoid damp, dark environments.
At Suburban Lawn Sprinkler, we specialize in lawn irrigation and landscape lighting. If you are in need of a proper irrigation system, contact us at 508-872-2727 today or visit us online for more information!
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