Keep Ticks at Bay with Smart Lawn Care
As tick populations rise and Lyme disease cases surge across the Ohio Valley, protecting your lawn isn’t just about curb appeal—it’s about keeping your family and pets safe.
Local health officials are reporting a significant increase in Lyme disease this year and are eurging residents to stay alert, especially during the warm, humid months when ticks are most active.
The good news? With the right lawn care strategy, you can dramatically reduce tick habitats and lower your risk of exposure.
1. Mow Regularly and Keep Grass Short
Ticks love tall grass and shady, humid environments. Routine mowing not only keeps your yard looking great—it removes the dense growth ticks use for cover.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), keeping your lawn short and trimming weeds around your property edge are essential steps in tick prevention.
2. Create a Tick-Safe Perimeter
One of the most effective landscape solutions is to establish a gravel or mulch barrier—3 to 4 feet wide—between wooded areas and your lawn.
3. Remove Leaf Litter and Yard Debris
Ticks often hide in moist, shady debris. Regularly clearing leaves, trimming shrubs, and removing brush piles eliminates their habitat and keeps your yard cleaner and safer.
The Harvard Lyme Disease Initiative stresses that eliminating cluttered areas—especially at the edges of your property—is a key step in reducing tick activity.
4. Use Targeted Tick Treatments
If your yard borders wooded areas, fences, or stone walls, consider targeted perimeter sprays to keep ticks at bay.
TickEncounter experts recommend applying treatments along common entry zones for maximum effectiveness.
What Are Tick Tubes—and Do They Work?
Tick tubes are a clever, low-impact way to reduce tick populations—especially the disease-carrying blacklegged (deer) ticks. These small cardboard tubes are filled with cotton treated with permethrin, a tick-killing insecticide. Mice collect the cotton to build their nests, and when ticks try to feed on the mice, they’re exposed to the treatment and die.
Because young ticks often feed on mice, breaking the life cycle at this stage can dramatically reduce the number of ticks in your yard. Studies show tick tubes can lower tick populations by up to 90% in treated areas over time.
They’re best used in wooded or brushy yards along property edges, and can be combined with barrier sprays and regular mowing for maximum impact.
5. Stay Vigilant with Tick Checks
Even with prevention in place, always:
Check yourself, kids, and pets after time outdoors
Shower within 2 hours of being outside
Use tick repellents on clothing and gear
The CDC notes that early detection of tick bites—and early treatment of symptoms like fever, rash, or joint pain—can prevent serious complications.
WTRF News also reports that Lyme disease is affecting more Ohio Valley residents each year, so awareness and proactive care are critical.
Protect Your Lawn—and Your Loved Ones
A healthy, well-maintained yard is one of the best defenses against ticks.
At Parsons Lawn Works, we go beyond mowing. Our tick-prevention services include:
Regular lawn maintenance
Perimeter trimming and debris removal
Optional tick barrier treatments for high-risk zones
Schedule Your Tick-Safe Lawn Assessment Today
Let’s work together to make your yard safer for your family, pets, and guests.
Call or message us today to schedule your personalized lawn care plan.
Serving Saint Clairsville, OH, and the surrounding Ohio Valley.
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