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Today we are sharing some natural ways to keep ticks out of yards.

Every spring, we like to share a post like this because we get so many questions about fleas, ticks, and insects around the house. Readers love science backed tips which are also more natural and easy to do.

We have shared ways to keep fleas out, keeping wild animals out of flower beds, and also natural ways to deter mosquitoes from the yard. Now, we are sharing tips about ticks. 

I have been gathering these tips for a few years, and have practiced them at our house.

Ruger has never had a tick nor have we had any on us.

Many of these tips you are probably already doing too!

9 Natural Ways To Keep Ticks Out Of Yards

Many of these tips are similar to the flea tips, but a few differences. Ticks are much different than fleas, but they are easier to control. In fact, my veterinarian doesn’t have us use tick prevention for our dog as long as he is home. We do a flea prevention monthly for him, but the vet said tick prevention is easier. 

Some of these tips are from them too! These natural ways to keep ticks out will help keep your yard safe for pets and kids too.

p.s – always ask your vet what is best for your animals as far as tick or flea prevention 🙂

Where Are Ticks Found In The Yard

To start this post, it is important to understand where ticks like to live. Depending on what area of the U.S you live, there are different types of ticks. The CDC has a good post to check out to determine what species of ticks you might have in your area.

Ticks have specific habitats they thrive in which is mostly cool, tree covered areas. They like overgrown fields, wood piles, and brush. They can get into your house from your pets, clothes, or even equipment you might be using to trim your grass, trees, or shrubs.

When I was growing up, anytime we went camping or where outside under trees, my parents always checked us for ticks because that is a very common place you find them.

It is easier to control your yard though, and this is what our post today will help you with!

1. Keep grass mowed

This first tip is the easiest and best way to keep ticks out of the yard.  Short, well-kept grass is always a good idea for insects including ticks. 

2. Rake leaves and piles of grass

Just like with tall grass, ticks can also hide in piles of leaves or grass. After you mow, much sure your rack up the area, and keep other parts of your yard free from large leave piles. Not only does this discourage ticks, but it will also discourage tick hosts like mice or other rodents (more about this further down).

3. Have a 3 foot area between lawns and wooded areas

I learned this in horticulture class in college, and it is also recommended by the CDC. We were designing yards towards the end of this class, and the experts always talk about using a rock or gravel barrier to separate your lawn from trees and wooded parts of your yard. This is why you might see mulch or rocks around trees in a yard. It looks nice, but it also serves a purpose. This discourages tick migration from the trees to other areas. If you have a wooded area in your yard like I do (we have an oak grove), you can lay down rocks, gravel, or something similar. It is best to be about 3 foot wide.

4. Utilize cedar to repel ticks

If you read our flea post, we mention cedar chips!

There are many ways to use cedar. You can buy cedar wood chips and put them all around your yard (some animal beds even contain cedar wood chips for this reason).

You can use a cedar wood oil to make a spray out of by diluting with some water. Then spray around your yard and those places ticks like to live. Don’t buy anything expensive, I use this one! Mix 4 cups of water with about 4-5 teaspoons of oil.

5. Spray a natural insecticide

If you have a larger surface area to cover, you can purchase a natural insecticide. This is a good one that utilizes the cedar oil like we mention above. It covers about 5,000 square feet.

6. Keep deer and other wildlife out of the yard

Wildlife can carry ticks into your yard, especially deer! You can check out this post about deterring wildlife from your yard. It has many great tips! Fencing is also important to keep deer out of your yard. When we first bought our house 6 years ago, it didn’t have a fence in the backyard. We always had deer roaming through our oak grove. After putting up the fence, we didn’t see anymore deer. This really helped with ticks!

7. Keep bug repellent plants around

Most plants that repel mosquitoes also repel ticks. You can check out this list in our mosquito post for some ideas. One of my favorites from this list is lavender. Lavender contains a chemical compounds called linalool. You can make a spray with it, but having the plant around is good for your yard. Having them in pots  is the best way to do it so you can move them around and keep them inside during the winter.

8. Be mindful of shady areas

Ticks don’t like sun, so you will always find them in shady areas. Like we mention above with the barrier, be mindful of shady areas. Many experts recommend keeping shady areas to a minimum in your backyard.  Make sure you don’t have kids equipment or dog houses directly under trees where ticks are. If you have a large treed area in your backyard like we do, just make sure you keep an eye on kids and dogs. When my dog roams around this area, I check him thoroughly before coming back into the yard. I do the same with Amelia.

9. Keep wood piles away from yard and in the sun

Lastly, another simple tip is to keep your wood piles away from the main area of the yard. Wherever you choose to relocate your wood pile, it is also a good idea to put it in the full sunlight. Like we mention above, ticks  don’t like sun. They like to lurk in wooded things like wood piles, but you won’t find them in really sunny spots. This post from Indiana Lyme Connect also explains by keeping wood piles away from your yard, you remove rodent hosts (like mice) from the area which can carry ticks. Since ticks can’t fly or leap (unlike fleas), they won’t be able to migrate without a host. 

Other Things To Keep In Mind Along With These Natural Ways to Keep Ticks Out 

Remember to continue checking your pets and kids before they come inside. If you live out in the country like I do, it is harder to control the environment. I always check Ruger especially for ticks everyday just to make sure.

Make sure you check with your vet about tick prevention too! 

You can also visit your local extension agency to see what types of ticks you have in your area plus anything they suggest for treatments to your yard and property.

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