Controlling ticks in yard

[Mattemma]

What does everyone do to kill off/lessen ticks in their yard?

I just pulled a tick off my dogs ear for the first time.I have had a tick or 2 on the kids over the years. I put out pesticide granuals and cut down anything tall(except the bushes) last year.

My dogs are black,so I am worried about not finding the really little ticks on them.Worried about ticks getting on the kids.

Just wondering what more I can do.

Will ticks be an issue for the chickens too,or will they pick them off each other?

 

[annie3001]

no the chickens will eat all the ticks!

 

[Mattemma]

I would let them run the yard to eat those nasty things,but the hawks come down close even when I am there.Maybe once the bushes green up so they can hide.

 

[redux]

guineas will eat all of your ticks

 

[country freedom]

Guinea Fowl !!

Ticks are one reason why people have them - help control the tick population!

 

[dot n'dave]

I know its absolutely not the healthiest/most natural, but we use k9 Advantix.
We've never had any issues with the dog getting anything. She's NEVER had fleas, I've found a dead tick on her only once or twice and we live in quite a woodsy area. (which she runs into frequently!) In fact I wish we could put it on my DH, who gets ticks weekly during the warm seasons.

As for the yard I couldn't tell you because we're having a fun time trying to figure that one out too. Those buggers are out full force here!

 

[jerseygirl1]

That's why we have chickens
One bout of lyme disease was all it took to convince my DH to get chickens for pest control

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

We use frontline on our dog and he is outside all day during the summer running the property. That stuff is pretty amazing as we almost NEVER find any ticks on him. If you can get your hands on some, I would treat both your dogs. As for your kids, Off bugspray makes one for "deep woods" and its great for repelling ticks. I usually spray some on my shoes and pant bottoms and my arms and neck. That usually does the job to keep any ticks away. Sometimes I'll find them crawling, but they usually won't bite if you have Off on.

 

[duckluck]

Put some scented Bounce dryer sheets in your pockets. I am told that keeps the ticks off people...we had a huge tick problem here last year and every time I put the dryer sheets in my pockets, I did not pick up any ticks.

 

[Mattemma]

Thank you for the suggestions.Yesterday I found a tick on my head.Ewwwww.All I did that afternoon was cut the front lawn,and clean the leaves off my strawberry/currant patch.It must have crawled on me till I felt it get at my head.TG it did not bite me yet.

I told dh I was going to weed wack the yard down to dirt and shave my hair off. I'll take skeeters over ticks anyday and I really hate skeeters.