What are ticks and why are they a problem?
Ticks are small arachnids that feed on the blood of mammals, birds, and sometimes reptiles and amphibians. They are external parasites that live in fields, woods, and gardens where they wait for a host to brush up against the vegetation. Once on the host, they crawl upwards seeking exposed skin into which they can sink their mouthparts and feed.
There are several reasons ticks can be a major problem in and around the home:
- Ticks can transmit serious diseases – Ticks are known carriers of Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, babesiosis, and ehrlichiosis among others. A tick must be attached for 24-48 hours to transmit most of these diseases.
- Ticks can cause tick paralysis – Certain ticks secrete a toxin in their saliva that can cause ascending paralysis in humans and animals that can be fatal if not treated.
- Ticks are hard to spot – Ticks are quite small, with nymphs being about the size of a poppy seed. This makes them easy to miss on furniture, clothing, and pets.
- Ticks can live inside your home – If given the opportunity, ticks will crawl into any crack or crevice. Once inside, they can be very difficult to fully eradicate.
For these reasons, a tick infestation should be addressed swiftly and thoroughly. An integrated pest management (IPM) approach combines different techniques to reduce and eliminate ticks in and around the home.
How to clean your house when dealing with ticks
Cleaning your home thoroughly and consistently is a key part of any tick control program. Here are some tips on how to clean with ticks in mind:
Vacuum and steam clean
Vacuuming carpets, rugs, upholstered furniture, and other fabric items around the home helps remove ticks. Pay close attention to crevices and seams where ticks like to hide. Empty the vacuum contents in a tightly sealed bag after each use. Steam cleaning can also help kill ticks and their eggs on contact.
Wash items in hot water and dry on high heat
Any fabrics that can be laundered should be washed in hot water above 130°F and dried at high heat for at least 20 minutes. This includes bedding, curtains, throw rugs, pet bedding, and children’s stuffed animals. Be sure to thoroughly check pets who go outdoors for any ticks and remove them before allowing inside.
Disinfect hard surfaces
Use disinfectant wipes or a disinfectant cleaning spray labeled to kill infectious diseases to wipe down hard surfaces. Pay extra attention to prime tick areas:
- Along baseboards
- Under furniture and appliances
- Around pet bedding and toys
- Between floorboards
- On tile grout lines
- Inside closets
Look for EPA-registered products containing active ingredients like bleach, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, or quaternary ammonium compounds.
Use essential oils
Some essential oils like lavender, peppermint, tea tree, and eucalyptus have been found to repel ticks. Mix a few drops into a spray bottle with water and mist on exposed skin, pant cuffs, socks, shoes, and pet fur when going outside. Do not apply undiluted oils directly on pets.
Bring the outdoors in
After being outside in tick-prone areas, immediately dry clothing on the highest heat setting possible upon returning indoors. Shower as soon as possible, checking carefully for any ticks. Avoid sitting on upholstered furniture or lounging on beds with outdoor clothing on.
Inspect and isolate
Closely inspect pets, kids’ toys, and luggage after being outdoors. Isolate items in a sealed bag or container until they can be thoroughly cleaned. Items like tents, hammocks, and tarps should be set up outdoors and checked closely before bringing inside.
How to effectively treat your home and yard
In addition to vigorous cleaning, treatment of the home exterior and yard is also important. Here are some tips:
Treat the yard
Applying an EPA-registered pesticide labeled for tick control around the perimeter of your home creates a treated buffer zone. Follow product instructions carefully and reapply as directed. Keep pets and people away from the treated areas until dry.
Some options include:
- Pyrethrin based sprays
- Permethrin or bifenthrin liquid concentrates
- DeltaDust powder
- Granular tick pesticides like carbaryl
Mow areas near the home frequently and have any leaf litter removed. Ticks thrive in overgrown areas with lots of debris. Clear brush, grass, and weeds at least 10 feet away from the foundation.
Use bait boxes
Bait boxes like the Damminix Tick Tubes contain permethrin-treated cotton balls that mice grab for nesting material. This kills any ticks feeding on the mice, breaking the tick life cycle. Place these boxes around the yard about 20-30 feet apart.
Add a gravel border
Installing a 3-foot wide gravel border next to the home creates a dry barrier that ticks don’t like crossing. Keep the gravel border clear of debris and weeds. Diatomaceous earth sprinkled in the gravel can help kill any ticks that do attempt to cross.
Keep vegetation trimmed
Mow, trim, and rake any vegetation touching the exterior walls of the home. Ticks wait in these prime areas for hosts to brush up against them. Removing the vegetation removes that opportunity.
Tree removal
Large trees provide shade and ambush points for ticks questing for hosts below. Have any large trees touching or overhanging the home removed to eliminate prime tick habitat.
Proper tick removal
If you find a tick has latched onto you or a family member, proper removal is important. Here’s how to safely remove an attached tick:
- Use fine-tipped tweezers and grasp the tick close to the skin surface.
- Pull upward slowly and steadily without twisting until the tick lets go.
- Grab the tick as close to the head as possible and pull the whole tick out. Avoid crushing the body.
- After removal, wash the bite area with soap and water and apply antiseptic.
- Do not try to burn the tick off or use petroleum jelly or other methods – this can increase the chances of disease transmission from the tick.
Monitor the bite area closely for development of a rash or flu-like symptoms and see a doctor promptly if these occur. Place the tick in a sealed jar in case identification is needed later.
When to seek professional tick treatment
For moderate or heavy tick infestations, professional pest control may be warranted. Companies have access to stronger pesticides and growth regulators as well as tools like commercial steamers and foggers. They can also treat inside wall voids and cracks ticks use to gain entry.
Consider professional tick treatment help if you experience:
- Ticks frequently found on pets or family members
- Visible ticks in the home or yard
- Allergic reactions to tick bites
- Illness potentially related to tick-borne disease
Companies often provide free inspection and quotes and can design a custom treatment plan taking your home environment and needs into account.
Preventative measures to keep ticks away
The key to keeping ticks in check is taking preventative measures focused on making the home and yard an unfavorable environment for them. Here are some tips:
Keep vegetation cut back
As mentioned, keeping trees, shrubs, grasses, and weeds trimmed back from the home eliminates prime tick habitat. A vegetation-free 3-foot gravel border also discourages ticks.
Remove tick habitat
Get rid of old furniture, mattresses, or debris that can give ticks places to hide. Clean up any leaf litter, brush piles, or woodpiles far from the home. Discourage rodent infestations that also carry ticks.
Choose tick-repellent plants
Planting herb and flower gardens with plants containing oils repellent to ticks can make yards less hospitable environments. Plants to consider include lavender, sage, lemon thyme, garlic, and marigolds.
Keep playgrounds away from wooded edges
When possible, install swing sets, trampolines, play sets, and sandboxes far from the high grass and brush at the edge of woods where ticks thrive.
Use repellents
EPA approved repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus can be applied to exposed skin when venturing into tick-prone areas. Reapply as needed.
Do daily tick checks
Make tick checks part of your daily routine, especially during peak seasons. Carefully check hair, underarms, groin, and other warm areas ticks gravitate towards. Prompt removal is vital.
Shower and change clothes after being outdoors
Bathing and putting on fresh clothes after spending time outdoors removes any ticks crawling on you before they can attach and bite. Toss clothes directly into the washer and dry on hot.
Conclusion
A tick infestation in the home can be unnerving, but taking a systematic approach to cleaning, treating, and prevention can help protect your family. Thoroughly vacuuming, washing items in hot water, disinfecting surfaces, essential oil spraying, isolation, inspection, treatment of the yard perimeter, gravel borders, vegetation removal, proper tick removal techniques, and preventative measures like repellents, tick checks, prompt showering, and proper clothing storage when coming inside from tick-prone areas can help break the tick life cycle and keep these disease-carrying pests in check. Vigilance and persistence are key – with a comprehensive action plan, you can gain the upper hand against ticks on your property.