Ticks can be found just about anywhere – the grass in your garden, your pet dog or cat, the rodents in your home and on your property, the birds, and larger mammals outside. Ticks are very small creatures, but the harm they can cause is huge. They are carriers of pathogenic organism deadly to humans, the likes of which could kill if the disease they caused is left untreated. It is for this reason that you have to protect your home against these deadly pests.
Here are ways to protect your home and your loved ones from these creatures.
Maintain a Clean Garden
Ticks live in places where there are bushes, trees, and tall grass. They hide in shaded places and where humidity is high. If your home is surrounded by trees or if you have a garden that’s unkempt, then there is a higher chance for these creatures to infest your home.
Avoid them by maintaining a clean garden. Mow the grass regularly and keep them short; trim the shrubberies and bushes and keep them from touching your home; prune tree branches and make sure they don’t touch the roof.
Take Care of Your Pets Properly
Ticks are also parasitic pests. They live on animals, feeding on the blood of their host and infecting them with pathogenic organisms. If you have pets such as dogs and cats, make sure that you are taking care of them properly. Do regular grooming and see to it that they are not carrying any parasitic organisms such as fleas, ticks, and worms. You also need to bring them to their vet for their regular checkup schedules.
Remember, pets are also susceptible to the pathogenic organisms that ticks carry. By protecting them against ticks, you will not only be protecting them against tick-borne diseases but you will also be protecting your home and your health as well.
Build Fences for Your Garden
Ticks can be found on other mammals as well. They can be found on rodents such as rats, mice, rabbits, groundhogs, skunks, squirrel, etc., and they can also be found on larger animals such as deer as well coyote. Rodents are known to invade gardens in search of food, and the larger animals won’t be shy, too, to approach your home if they are looking for food.
You can prevent them from entering your property by building fences around your garden or even around your property. These can keep rodents from doing harm to your garden or flower garden and, at the same time, minimize the risk for tick infestation. The fence could also keep the larger animals out.
Clean Bird Feeders
Birds can also carry ticks, so if you have bird feeders in your garden, then you have to clean it regularly. Ticks oftentimes nest under the bird feeders, and if they are left undisturbed, their population could easily flourish. To avoid tick infestation, regularly washing and cleaning the bird feeders is a good step.
If, on the other hand, your home is already infested with ticks, then there’s no other choice but to hire a pest control company to get rid of them for you. Ticks are small creatures, but the services of a pest control company can easily eliminate them.
License: Creative Commons image sourceJennifer Daleo writes for a number of pest control blogs, including http://rovepestcontrolreviews.com/ Ticks can be pretty dangerous, and if your home is tick infested, then hire a pest control company to get rid of them for you.