Natural Tick Control

In the United States there are over 5 different diseases that can be transmitted from a tick bite, including: Aplasmosis, Babesiosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Tick Associated Rash Illness, and Monocytic Ehrlichoisis. Of all the diseases that can be transmitted from ticks to humans, Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever are the most damaging. Lyme Disease Symptoms Borrelia burgdorferi infection is usually first noticed when someone sees a ring-shaped rash around the point of infection where the tick was. After the initial infection, a fever, chills, muscle pain and joint pain may accompany the rash. Lyme Disease is treated with antibiotics.

 

To read more about Lyme Disease, Deer Ticks, see Deer Tick pictures go to this deer tick page http://www.deer-departed.com/deer-ticks.html

 

 

Ticks are divided into two groups: hard and soft. Hard ticks have a shield on their backs and are tapered at the head end; they are the most easily recognized by people. Soft ticks lack the shield-like plate, have a blunt head end and look like pieces of bark or debris. Both groups are important vectors of disease.

 

Tuck your pants into your socks when outside in grassy areas. Also wear long sleeve shirts when you are in tick prone areas.

 

Ticks prefer to bite your head or neck or shoulders. Light clothing will help you see any ticks crawling up your pants or shirt sleeves.

 

Remove fallen leaves. The Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP) reported in their winter of 1996 Journal of Pesticide Reform that nymphal ticks are reduced from 72.7 to 100 percent when dead leaves are removed from forest areas surrounding residential areas.

 

Mowing your lawn will help get rid of ticks. Keeping a lawn trimmed, removing weeds, brush, and tall grasses will help keep tick populations lower. Ticks require tall grasses to climb on top of to wait for an unsuspecting animal (like yourself) to walk by so that they can attach themselves.

 

Diatomaceous Earth (DE) is a mechanical all-natural tick killer made from tiny fossilized water plants. Insects cannot become immune to its action. When ticks come into contact with diatomaceous earth, the sharp edges lacerate the ticks’ exoskeleton and then the powdery DE absorbs their body fluids causing death from dehydration. Diatomaceous earth is so safe it may be rubbed right into your dog or cat’s fur. Also kills ants, fleas, aphids, silverfish, cockroaches, bed bugs, carpet beetles, slugs, snails, tomato hornworm, house flies, fruit flies, red spider mites, and earwigs.

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