Could my chickens be making my tick problem worse?

[cmom]

Luckily we don't have a tick problem here. There are some but far and few between.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Luckily we don't have a tick problem here. There are some but far and few between.

Never had them in New Mexico either. Here they are a plague, IMO.

 

[Sono]

Plant aeromatic plants ( peppermints, Marigolds, Lavender, Lemon grass around your perimeter... it will keep most pests at bay.

 

[svh]

As @Isadora, and one other mentioned, tick tubes work wonders for keeping the population in check ..... Been using them for years, and have really noticed a difference on my pack of K-9s, and myself.

They work by killing ticks in their first stages of life, and require a population of mice to do the job. Google tick tubes for a complete understanding of their VERY simple operation.

I put out 15 or 20 tubes around the house, coop and barn, spaced about 50 feet apart, the average mouse foraging distance from the nest. Do this in early spring, and again mid tick season.

I like to "roll my own" tubes (4 - 5 inches long, and 1 inch in diameter) with printer paper and tape to secure. I find toilet paper tubes too fat, and require too many cotton balls to fill properly.

I have had great success with this from the start, and highly recommend this proven method. YMMV

 

[StinkyAcres]

As @Isadora, and one other mentioned, tick tubes work wonders for keeping the population in check ..... Been using them for years, and have really noticed a difference on my pack of K-9s, and myself.

They work by killing ticks in their first stages of life, and require a population of mice to do the job. Google tick tubes for a complete understanding of their VERY simple operation.

I put out 15 or 20 tubes around the house, coop and barn, spaced about 50 feet apart, the average mouse foraging distance from the nest. Do this in early spring, and again mid tick season.

I like to "roll my own" tubes (4 - 5 inches long, and 1 inch in diameter) with printer paper and tape to secure. I find toilet paper tubes too fat, and require too many cotton balls to fill properly.

I have had great success with this from the start, and highly recommend this proven method. YMMV

Thanks, I'd never heard of tick tubes. It seems like a good idea to treat the mice. Hopefully they are right that there is not enough permethrin in them to be dangerous to wildlife and other animals that come in contact with the mice.

 

[Krugerrand]

I'm in SW PA, also on a 1/2 acre suburban lot. We also have lots of tick issues. We bought tick tubes and have placed them around. Our tick numbers drop significantly when we remember to get them out. The directions on the box suggested placing them in the Fall and Spring.

The key is getting the ticks at the mice. While there's really no stopping the deer, I did adjust some perimeter fencing to try and discourage them meandering through regularly.

I'll have to try the DIY approach in the Spring.

Thanks for the link, @Isadora !

My mom gave me this idea when we first moved here, before the guineas were free ranging. I haven't tried it myself, so can't speak to its effectiveness, but it's something you can try!
https://www.myfrugalhome.com/how-to-make-tick-tubes/