How to Get Rid of Ticks in the Garden: Home Remedies That Work Immediately, Including Simple Recipes
Here are some natural and eco-friendly ways to get rid of ticks in the garden. To keep your outdoor space tick-free this season, try these repellents!
In addition to being unpleasant to look at, ticks also transmit a variety of diseases, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, and others. The pests are very dangerous not only for animals, but also for humans. Do you want to get rid of ticks in your garden without resorting to chemicals? Here are some natural and eco-friendly ways to get rid of ticks in the garden. To keep your outdoor space tick-free this season, try these repellents!
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How to Recognize Ticks?
As larvae, ticks are about the size of a grain of sand, but when they take a blood meal, their bodies swell and become round, like a kernel of corn. There are different types of ticks and they can be grey, white, brown, black, reddish-brown or yellow in color. Adult ticks have six legs and flat, oval, wingless bodies.
Also read: Tick Bite Treatment – What To Do, First Aid, Home Remedies and Care, Natural Repellents
Where Do Ticks Sit in the Garden?
As a rule, ticks hide in areas with tall grass, damp soil and shade. All tick species love darkness and moisture. They usually get into your yard from deer or small rodents like mice and rats. Once in your yard, ticks will find an ideal habitat to settle in. They can bite humans and animals at all stages of their life cycle.
What to Do Against Ticks in the Garden: Take Natural Measures
What can you do against ticks in the garden? You can easily and simply get rid of ticks in the garden by using some simple natural tick repellents. We will show you all the helpful methods and tips for tick protection in the garden.
Eliminate Other Pests
Pests like raccoons, rats, mice, squirrels and other rodents can introduce ticks into your garden. In order to get rid of ticks, it is important to combat these pests as well.
Mow the Lawn, Remove Weeds, Keep Good Garden Hygiene
Mow your lawn regularly and collect the grass clippings immediately. Remove weeds to help control ticks in the garden, as tall grass and dense weeds are the perfect environment for ticks, providing shelter and shade. If you use firewood for heating, stack it neatly in a dry place. Dispose of any yard waste. If you rake up leaves in fall, you should not just leave them lying around, but pack them in leaf bags and dispose of them properly. This will keep rodents away and prevent them from carrying ticks into your garden. Remove anything from your yard that can provide a hiding place for ticks.
Create a Barrier Against the Pests
Ticks prefer to roam in cool, moist areas with plenty of cover. If you make a three-foot-wide barrier of wood chips or gravel around your garden, you can keep the pests away because they will avoid crossing your barrier. You can build this barrier along walls or fences in your yard or around patios and recreation areas.
Keep all playground and patio equipment at least three feet from the edge of your lawn. Use high fences to deter deer, raccoons, and stray dogs from entering your yard and bringing ticks with them.
If Possible, Reduce Shaded Areas
If you have more sun and light in your garden, you can reduce the tick population by creating a less favorable environment for the pests. Trim shrubs, trees and bushes to allow more direct sunlight into your garden.
Grow Tick-Repelling Plants
You can grow tick-repelling plants and it is an easy and natural way to repel them. For best results, plant these plants in beds, patios, pet runs, and anywhere you want to keep ticks away. Which plants repel ticks in the garden? Here are some common plants that can kill or repel ticks in your yard:
Get Rid of Ticks in the Garden With Home Remedies + Simple Recipes
You can destroy ticks in the garden by using home remedies. We shall give you the most effective natural remedies against ticks in the garden.
Use Neem Oil Against Ticks
Neem oil is one of the most effective natural tick repellents. After ingesting neem oil, ticks lose their appetite, become sterile, and starve. If neem oil is applied directly to the tick’s body, it clogs the respiratory tract and causes suffocation. Here is a simple recipe with neem oil:
- To protect your garden from ticks, add 2 teaspoons of neem oil to 4 cups of purified water in a spray bottle.
- Shake well and spray anywhere you want to kill ticks, especially in shady areas with lots of grass and weeds.
Kill Ticks in the Garden with Cedar Oil
Cedar oil is a natural, non-toxic, effective tick repellent. How does cedar oil work against tick outdoors? Cedar oil repels and kills ticks by drying them out, blocking respiration, disrupting pheromones and emulsifying body fats. You can make it yourself.
A quick recipe with cedar oil against ticks:
- In a spray bottle, mix 1-2 teaspoons of Cedarwood essential oil with 1 cup of water. Shake the mixture well and spray anywhere you’ve noticed tick activity.
- Apply the homemade mixture around your property every few weeks (or as needed) to keep ticks at bay. It is safe for use on humans and pets.
How to Get Rid of Ticks in the Garden with Garlic Oil?
Garlic oil acts as a tick repellent due to its pungent odor that discourages ticks from feeding and laying eggs.
It’s so easy to make your own garlic spray:
- Crush 2-4 garlic bulbs and soak in 1 cup of water overnight.
- The next day, put the mixture in a spray bottle and mist your garden or lawn. This is how quickly and easily you can destroy ticks.
Peppermint Oil Drives Away Insects
Peppermint oil is also very effective against ticks and is used by homeowners to repel them. Here’s how you can to prepare a homemade tick repellent:
Get rid of ticks in the garden with peppermint oil:
- In a spray bottle, mix 8 drops of peppermint oil with 1 cup of water. Spray the mixture around your yard and in areas where you have spotted ticks.
- Reapply when the smell starts to fade, which usually happens after 1-2 weeks.
Diatomaceous Earth Is an Effective Remedy Against Pests
What kills ticks in the garden naturally? Diatomaceous earth is a powder made from fossilized diatoms and is one of the most effective ways to get rid of pests organically. You can use diatomaceous earth to kill a variety of pests, including ticks. It destroys the waxy outer layer of their exoskeleton, so they dry out and die from dehydration.
You can simply sprinkle diatomaceous earth around your home and garden to keep ticks away. Scatter diatomaceous earth wherever you have spotted ticks in your garden. You can also use it to create a barrier between wooded and grassy areas. Place a line about 1 to 2 inches thick around the property line to kill any ticks that try to get through. Reapply every few weeks or after heavy rain. While it is completely safe for children, pets and people, diatomaceous earth is dangerous to pests.
