Ticks and mosquitos can spread diseases to humans such as West Nile virus (WNV) and Lyme disease.
Take Steps In Your Yard
Create a tick-safe zone around your home and prevent standing water which mosquitos need to breath.
- Mow the lawn frequently.Â
- Clear tall grasses and brush around homes and at the edges of lawns.Â
- Place a 3ft wide barrier of wood chips or gravel between lawns and wooded areas to prevent ticks coming into your yard.Â
- Keep the ground under bird feeders clean.Â
- Keep gutters clear of debris that can trap water.
- Remove leaves, old tires, furniture, mattresses, or trash from the yard that may give ticks a place to hide and mosquitoes a place to lay their eggs.
- Keep playground equipment, decks and patios away from yard edges and trees.Â
- Stack wood neatly and in dry areas
- Every week, dump any water from items like bird baths, buckets, wheelbarrows, flower pots, and other containers are dumped
- Cover unused swimming pools and turn over kiddie pools when not in use. Be sure to keep swimming pool covers clear of leaves and water.
- Discourage unwelcome animals (such as deer, raccoons, and stray dogs) from entering your yard by constructing fences.
Even limited applications of a tick chemical control agent can greatly reduce the number of ticks. These products are available for use by the homeowners or can be applied by professional pest control experts
Keep Out Of Your Home
- Use tight-fitting screens on doors and windows to prevent mosquitoes from getting inside. Repair or replace screens with tears or other openings.
- Try to keep doors and windows shut, especially at night.
Keep OFF Of You
- When outdoors, wear shoes and socks, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt.
- Avoid wooded areas or areas with tall grass and weeds.
- If you are in these areas, stay on the paths in the center of the trails and wear light-colored, protective clothing.
- Apply insect repellant
- For adults use repellant containing 25-30% DEET, Apply sparingly to exposed skin or clothing, as indicated on the repellant label.
- For ticks prevention, use repellents containing permethrin to treat clothes (especially pants, socks and shoes)—but not skin. Always follow label directions; do not misuse or overuse insect repellents.
- For children, use repellants containing 10% or less of DEET. Do not let children apply repellant to themselves.
- Consult a physician before using repellants on infants.
- For adults use repellant containing 25-30% DEET, Apply sparingly to exposed skin or clothing, as indicated on the repellant label.
- Check for ticks on your body every two to three hours
- Most ticks seldom attach quickly and rarely transmit a tickborne disease until they have been attached for four or more hours.
- If your pets spend time outdoors, regularly check them for ticks, too.Â
Report Areas of Standing Water and Dead Birds.
- Click here to report an area of standing water
- Click here to report dead birds or call 815-720-4100
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