Permethrin and Talstar are the two most common chemicals used in tick and buy sprays. Permethrin tends to be cheaper than Talstar and kills pests quicker after the initial application. Talstar lasts longer, killing ticks and other pests over a longer period.
Submerging a tick in original Listerine or rubbing alcohol will kill it instantly. However, while applying these substances may kill the tick, it will stay attached to your dog's skin unless you remove it with tweezers.
Cedar Oil. Cedar oil kills and repels ticks by causing dehydration, inhibiting breathing, disrupting pheromones, and emulsifying body fats. You can find cedar oil spray at most garden stores, or you can also make it yourself. In a spray bottle, mix 1–2 teaspoons of cedarwood essential oil with 1 cup of water.
Products containing permethrin may be used in public health mosquito control programs. They may be used on food and feed crops, on ornamental lawns, on livestock and pets, in structures and buildings, and on clothing.
Permethrin SFR Termiticide / Insecticide Concentrate is a broad spectrum insecticide that offers a quick knockdown of target pests as well as a long lasting residual that lasts for about 90 days indoors and 30 days outdoors.
When lawns are nearby, ticks move into mowed areas, too. But more than 80% stay in the lawn's outer 9 feet. Low-lying ground covers and low-hanging shrubs in gardens or foundation plantings are also prime spots for ticks. Ticks typically move onto humans or animals that brush against grasses or weeds when passing by.
Garlic, sage, mint, lavender, beautyberry, rosemary and marigolds are some of the most familiar and effective tick-repelling plants, and they are great to use in landscaping borders around decks, walkways, pet runs, patios and other areas to keep ticks away.
While most people think of deer as the main source of disease-carrying ticks, small rodents are often a big contributor. And while high fences can sometimes keep deer out of your yard, whether you have tall grass or a perfectly maintained yard, squirrels and mice can always find a way to get onto your property.
It is important to wait until the snow has melted and the ground is dried-out, usually making May the ideal time. Tick treatment in your yard is most effective when continued into summer and fall to help kill ticks at all stages of their lives, and before reproduction begins.
Mow Regularly
The most important step you can take to rid your yard of ticks is destroying their preferred habitats. This can be as simple as mowing your lawn regularly and trimming weeds or overgrown brush. Shaggy foliage creates shadowed, cooler areas for ticks to hide in.
There's no question that bleach is a powerful thing. If it can stain your clothes with just a drop, it can definitely kill a tick. Make sure you're careful with placing the tick in a small container with bleach. The chemicals will take care of that unwanted critter in moments.
Chuck Lubelczyk, a Vector Anthropologist, offered his own body to test a homemade vinegar and water solution that would supposedly repel ticks. When the solution was applied to his wrist, and a tick placed on his arm – the tick actually made a run for the vinegar solution!
A rag soaked with hydrogen peroxide and held on the area for a few minutes will make the tick uncomfortable causing it to release. This way you can grab it and dispose of it without yanking. If your pet is on preventive medication and has been bitten by a tick and that tick died, removal can be a little more difficult.
Rubbing alcohol: Rubbing alcohol can kill ticks for good. Once you remove the tick, put it in a cup of alcohol and cover it up with a lid to prevent the tick from escaping. Water and mow your lawn: Ticks flourish in warm, dry environments, which is why they can be found in thick grasses and wooded regions.
What animals carry ticks? Ticks can attach themselves to nearly any animal, making them a carrier. Wild animals that commonly have ticks include deer, opossums, raccoons, squirrels, birds, and lizards.
Surprisingly, opossums eat a high number of ticks compared to other animals that prey on them. So much so that the grooming habits of opossums acts like a vacuum cleaner for the ticks that latch onto them. These marsupials groom themselves regularly, much like a cat. And it helps feed them.
Ticks can be active year round
The time of day when ticks are most active can also vary from species to species, as some prefer to hunt during the cooler and more humid hours of the early morning and evenings, while others are more active at midday, when it is hotter and dryer.
Apply the spray all over the potential tick habitat, focusing on the border areas. Especially if you're using synthetic chemicals, avoid widespread application across your entire lawn. Keep children and pets out of the location until the spray dries or for however long the safety label recommends.
Targeted biocontrol: Though pesticide-free gardening should always be the goal, people with serious tick problems may want to consider limited use of the new biopesticide Met52. Containing live spores of the native fungus Metarhizium anisopliae, it is lethal to ticks but nontoxic to bees and birds.
Mulch is your best friend in the fight against ticks. It doesn't just look nice; ticks won't cross a mulch border. They can still be carried into your yard by animals or people, but a strip of mulch 4 to 6 feet wide will definitely lower the chances of ticks making their way into your living area.