Ticks typically live in moist and humid environments particularly in or near wooded or grassy areas. You may come into contact with ticks during outdoor activities around your home or when walking through vegetation such as leaf, shrubs and trees. To avoid ticks walk in the center of trails and avoid tall vegetation.

2) Use a bug repellent with DEET on skin and clothing.

Repellents containing 20% or more DEET can be applied to the skin and they can protect up to several hours. Remember to always follow product instructions!

3) Perform tick checks after being out doors.
Check your body for ticks every time you are outside, including in your own yard. Use a hand held or full length mirror to view all parts of your body and immediately remove any ticks you find. Take special care to check these parts of your body and your child’s body as well for ticks:
- Under arms
- In and around the ears
- Inside the belly button
- Back of the knees
- Around the whole head including scalp
- Body hair
- Between the legs
- Around the waist
- Clothing

4) Prevent Ticks on Animals.
Prevent pets from getting ticks by limiting their access to tick infested areas and by using veterinarian prescribed tick collars or monthly spot treatments. Also remember to check under there fur after being outdoors. Take special care to check these parts of your pets body:
- Around and in their ears
- Along their neck and back
- Belly

5) Create tick safe zones in your yard.
Modifying your landscaping to create tick safe zones is really simple:
- Keep patios play areas away from shrubs, bushes and other vegetation.
- Regularly remove dead leaves, clear tall grass and brush from around your home, and place wood chips or gravel between your lawn and wooded areas to keep ticks out of your lawn.
- Use a chemical control agent. Tick control chemicals can either be applied by the homeowner or you can call a professional pest control expert.
- Discourage deer from entering your yard as deer are the main food source for adult ticks. Keep deer away from your home by removing all plants that attract deer and by installing barriers that may discourage deer from entering your yard and bringing ticks with them. ​

6) Remove ticks.
Remove an attached tick using fine tipped tweezers as soon as you notice it. If a tick is attached to your skin for less than 24 hours your chance of getting Lyme disease is extremely small. However other diseases may be transmitted more quickly. Over the next few weeks watch for a fever or rash even if you don’t remember being bitten by a tick. See your health care provider if these symptoms develop.

Complete home services can assist you in all your landscaping needs to help make your yard tick free this season. Give us a call today!

VistaScapes is a Complete Home Services division providing Landscape Design, Installation, Maintenance, Fertilization, Sod Installation, Turf Seeding, Mulching, Lot Cleanup, Erosion Control and Retaining walls. Serving Union County Georgia, Fannin County Georgia and Towns County Georgia. For your landscaping needs visit our VistaScapes website at www.VistaScapesUSA.com