Ticks and their primary hosts - mice, chipmunks and other small mammals - need moisture, a place away from direct sunlight and a place to hide.
The cleaner you keep the area around the house, the less likely your chances of being bitten by a tick.
Although it may not be possible to create a totally tick-free zone, taking the following precautions will greatly reduce the tick population in your yard.
■Keep grass mowed.
■Remove leaf litter, brush and weeds at the edge of the lawn.
■Restrict the use of groundcover, such as pachysandra in areas frequented by family and roaming pets.
■Remove brush and leaves around stonewalls and wood piles.
■Discourage rodent activity. Clean up and seal stonewalls and small openings around the home.
■Move firewood piles and bird feeders away from the house.
■Manage pet activity; keep dogs and cats out of the woods to reduce ticks brought into the home.
■Use plantings that do not attract deer (contact Cornell Cooperative Extension of Albany County at 518-765-3500 or your local garden center for suggestions) or exclude deer through various types of fencing.
■Move children's swing sets and sand boxes away from the woodland edge and place them on a wood chip or mulch type foundation.
■Trim tree branches and shrubs around the lawn edge to let in more sunlight.
■Adopt hardscape and xeriscape (dryer or less water demanding) landscaping techniques with gravel pathways and mulches. Create a 3-foot or wider wood chip, mulch, or gravel border between lawn and woods or stonewalls. Consider areas with decking, tile, gravel and border or container plantings in areas by the house or frequently traveled.
■Widen woodland trails.
■Consider a pesticide application as a targeted barrier treatment. Do not use any pesticide near streams or any body of water as it may kill aquatic life or pollute the water itself. Always read and follow pesticide label directions and precautions.
-------------------- "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalms 73:26
bit 4/09, diagnosed 1/10 Posts: 3043 | From PA | Registered: Dec 2009
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17hens
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posted
Tick and Flea Repellents"
For yourself: Start wearing a couple for drops of either Geranium oil, Citronella, Cinnamon Leaf and/or Peppermint oil behind each ear on your wrists, ankles etc..
For the house: mix about 5 drops of each {which ever combination of oils you choose}with water and soap in a 10oz spray bottle and use it to clean counters, floors etc.. Mix with just water to spray furniture, clothing, blankets etc. like you would with frebreeze.....
For Dogs only: Break one 500 mg Garlic supplement pill open or use some garlic powder and lightly sprinkle it over and mix it with their food once every couple days and adding about one teaspoon- 2 teaspoons of Apple Cider vinegar to their water daily. For smaller dogs use only 250mg of Garlic supplement or half the pill.{PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT AN OVERDOSE OF GARLIC CAN CAUSE AN EXTREME FORM OF ANEMIA IN DOGS SO DO NOT EXCEED THE MAXIUM SUGGESTED AMOUNT OF 10MG/10LBS DAILY}
For Cats only: Do not use the Garlic just Vinegar --------------------------------------------- ** Lavender, lemongrass and geranium repel ticks.
***Cedar, Neem, Cinnamon Leaf and Eucalyptus are pretty much universal insect repellents..
However, when used should always be used in conjunction with at least one of the other oils named above to increase effectiveness...
-------------------- "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalms 73:26
bit 4/09, diagnosed 1/10 Posts: 3043 | From PA | Registered: Dec 2009
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17hens
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posted
How to Keep Bugs Away Naturally with Neem Oil.
Neem oil is one of the most powerful insect repellent and insecticide, and it's natural. It has been shown to be stronger than DEET, and obviously much safer also. . . Neem Oil can help you: -treat skin diseases and dandruff -repel mosquitoes, flies, fleas, ticks -repel plant eating insects such as white flies, aphids, spider mites, locusts, beetles, and more. . . *Neem is Non-Toxic! *Much Safer than chemicals from the store! *Safe for mammals, birds and even worms. *Biodegradable **Proven to Not harm the beneficial insects that don't eat your plants, such as the ladybug which eats aphids and other plant-eating insects. . . Other insect repellents that contain strong chemical attributes are dangerous and naturally absorbed into your plants, which is especially bad if you're consuming their fruits. .But Neem Oil is Non-Toxic and safe.
Step 1 Get Neem Oil. -I bought mine at essential7.com, where I went to 'Essential Oils N-Z' to find Neem Oil. (It's cheap, 15ml is only $1.50)
*This is by no means an advertisement, you can buy it anywhere you like, as long as it's 100% pure Neem Oil.
Step 2 Get a clean spray bottle and put in a Quart of warm water.
Then add 1/4 teaspoon of non-antibacterial dish soap.
Then add the 1 teaspoon of Pure Neem Oil.
Step 3 Shake it to mix up the oil into the water and soap.
Step 4 Spray it on plants to repel insects. Do this at night or morning, so the sun doesn't burn the oil onto the leaves.
Spray it around your home where you may have insect problems.
Step 5 Why it works.
-Due to its super bitter taste, insects will starve themselves instead of eating the oil. Contact with it also prevents insects from reproducing.
-------------------- "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalms 73:26
bit 4/09, diagnosed 1/10 Posts: 3043 | From PA | Registered: Dec 2009
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17hens
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Southeast Asia is known for its cinnamon. Back in the day the uses for Cinnamon were quite popular. From treating a variety of ailments like kidney, liver and hearing problems, to keeping meat from spoiling, and cinnamon aids in the keeping diseases from spreading due to its antibacterial properties.
Today Cinnamon is used for weight control and Type II diabetes. The Bellville Nutrition Center is under the auspices of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. Their 2003 study found that cinnamon lowered glucose, triglycerides and LDL cholosterol, and improved diabetes problems.
The department also found that it helped with insect problems. As an additional bonus the department found that even after the experiment was over, all the beneficial effects continued for 20 more days.
A professor of nutrition at the Public School of Nutrition at the Harvard school of Public Health was amazed at the long-lasting results. Dr. Anderson of the US Dept of Agriculture said, "Cinnamon makes cells more sensitive to insulin."
Cinnamon contains sulphur, the seventh mose prevalent substance in human's and dog's bodies. Dogs love cinnamon. Fleas, ticks, flies and mosquitoes hate sulphur.
In 2004, the people found that if they sprinkled cinnamon around the island, it killed mosquito larvae more effectively than DEET,(a common pesticide.)
On July, 2004 a recommendation was made by the Agriculture and Food Chemistry Dept. in Taiwan to use cinnamon to repel insects. Yet, if the dogs found the cinnamon and ate it, it wouldn't hurt them. Dogs love cinnamon.
-------------------- "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalms 73:26
bit 4/09, diagnosed 1/10 Posts: 3043 | From PA | Registered: Dec 2009
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17hens
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posted
And from my own personal experience, I have found that
guinea hens, ducks, and chickens
(in that order) have a remarkable effect in the reduction of ticks.
It's like having my own little tick killing army!!
-------------------- "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalms 73:26
bit 4/09, diagnosed 1/10 Posts: 3043 | From PA | Registered: Dec 2009
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17hens
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
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posted
Did you know opossums kill about 2000 ticks a day? They swallow them as they groom themselves. And their stomach acid is strong enough to kill even the toughest ticks!
-------------------- "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalms 73:26
bit 4/09, diagnosed 1/10 Posts: 3043 | From PA | Registered: Dec 2009
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Dekrator48
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Member # 18239
posted
Thanks for all the info, 17hens!!
Maybe I should adopt a yardfull of opossums!!
-------------------- The fibromyalgia I've had for 32 years was an undiagnosed Lyme symptom.
"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future". -Jeremiah 29:11 Posts: 6076 | From Pennsylvania, USA | Registered: Nov 2008
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posted
Oh, thank you for this! And I used to have chickens and turkeys....I remember how many bean beetles they could consume....so fat at the end of the summer days that they were sideways, basking in the sun, completely filled up...and we were the only ones in the area with beetle-free trees within about a week! Didn't realize they could do the same damage to a tick!
Posts: 283 | From where the ticks are! | Registered: Oct 2009
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2roads
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 4409
posted
17hens,
You are amazing. Thank you for all your writing info. I will go out and get my children these oils and get the dog garlic and get on with the furniture spraying.
I love that it is natural as well.
How do I go about getting a hen and what do I have to do to take care of it? Is it illegal in a neighborhood? My yard is fenced in......
Hugs,
2roads
Posts: 2214 | From West Chester, PA | Registered: Aug 2003
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17hens
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
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posted
First, you have to find out from your borough or township if you may have chickens.
If so, you'll need a coop with proper roost and nest, feed, and then the chicken herself (I'd keep 2 or 3 if possible).
You can raise them from chicks, get them as adults, buy them off craigslist, all kinds of options. They are a fun hobby and they're helping me out.
If you want them mostly for eating bugs as opposed to good egg suppliers, try getting bantams. They are half the size of a regular chicken and perfect for a small yard.
Chickens are quite easy keepers and quite fun to have around. They do scratch, so be prepared to lose some flowers. That used to bother me and then I decided it was a fair trade: ticks for flowers. I can always plant more flowers and put a fence around the garden.
If anyone is serious about chickens, I'm happy to talk turkey
Thanks for posting all this info in one spot. Something you may want to add. See page 78 of this 81 page document for an herbal Lyme Prevention Compound.
Bea Seibert
Posts: 7306 | From Martinsville,VA,USA | Registered: Oct 2004
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Silverwolf
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posted
Hi there <<<<< 17hens >>>>>,
Thanks for the helpful info',it's nice to know there are things we can do that are safe,non-toxic and not damaging to our pets and environment!!!
Jus' the Silverwolfi
-------------------- 2006,May-August2006 Dx w/ Lyme/Bartonella/White Matter Lesion Disease on Brain. [ Clinical Dx w/ two positives and several IND's on the tests from Igenex ], Prior Dx of CFIDS/CEBV 1992, and FMS '93-'94 Diabetes*2 Dx 10/'08 Posts: 3581 | From SE Idaho | Registered: May 2006
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17hens
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
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posted
Yes, Defending ourselves while not hurting the world we live in is very important!!
I heard someone say they spray their yard a few times a year with permethrin to kill ticks.
I don't know how many people are using this pesticide, but if you or someone you know is thinking about using permethrin against ticks, please read this link first!
-------------------- "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalms 73:26
bit 4/09, diagnosed 1/10 Posts: 3043 | From PA | Registered: Dec 2009
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17hens
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posted
I spent the whole night dreaming of ticks - not good. And at some point I thought about Diatomaceous Earth. We dust our chickens and their coop with it to kill mites.
So I looked it up this morning and found that basically it kills insects, good and bad, ticks included, by cutting them with its sharp edges and drying them out.
It is supposed to be environmentally safe and safe to humans and pets. You would dust it on the lawn periodically.
this is a good article about the safety of diatomaceous earth. it includes this paragraph...
"Diatomaceous Earth is a nontoxic pest control device that works on insects of all species.
Unlike pesticides which rely on hazardous poisons to chemically control insects, DE physically controls insects by scouring their exoskeleton through abrasive action.
Insects cannot become resistant to physical control, but they do become immune to insecticides.
Pesticides not only waste time and money, they also damage human health and environmental ecology."
Note: ``Both swimming pool grade and natural diatomaceous earth come from the same fossil sources but they are processed differently. The natural grades are mined, dried, ground, sled and bagged. The pool grade is chemically treated and partially melted and consequently contains crystalline silica which can be a respiratory hazard. Thus, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT ONLY NATURAL DIATOMACEOUS EARTH BE USED FOR INSECT CONTROL. This noncrystalline silica is not a hazard as the human body apparently can dissolve it. ``
-------------------- "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalms 73:26
bit 4/09, diagnosed 1/10 Posts: 3043 | From PA | Registered: Dec 2009
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daisyrlb
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
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posted
Thank you so much for all this valuable information. I have scanned it quickly.
Will go back and re-read it, take a few notes.
Hopefully, there is something here for termites, too. What the termite companies use is VERY toxic to humans! I canceled our contract with the termite/bug company.
Posts: 2188 | From Oklahoma | Registered: May 2008
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