Preventing Ticks in the Yard
Create a Tick-Safe Zone Through Landscaping
You can make your yard less attractive to ticks depending on how you landscape. Here are some simple landscaping techniques that can help reduce tick populations:
- Clear tall grasses and brush around homes and at the edge of lawns.
- Place a 3-ft wide barrier of wood chips or gravel between lawns and wooded areas and around patios and play equipment. This will restrict tick migration into recreational areas.
- Mow the lawn frequently and keep leaves raked.
- Stack wood neatly and in a dry area (discourages rodents that ticks feed on).
- Keep playground equipment, decks, and patios away from yard edges and trees and place them in a sunny location, if possible.
- Remove any old furniture, mattresses, or trash from the yard that may give ticks a place to hide.
Refer to the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station's Tick Management Handbook [PDF - 8.53 MB] for a comprehensive guide to preventing ticks and their bites through landscaping.
Apply Pesticides Outdoors to Control Ticks
A single springtime application of an acaracide (tick pesticide), such as bifenthin, can greatly reduce the number of ticks in your yard.
If you have concerns about applying acaricides:
- Check with local health officials about the best time to apply acaricide in your area.
- Identify rules and regulations related to pesticide application on residential properties (Environmental Protection Agency and your state determine the availability of pesticides).
- Consider using a professional pesticide company to apply pesticides at your home.
Contact Us:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Bacterial Diseases Branch
Foothills Campus
Fort Collins, CO 80521 - 800-CDC-INFO
(800-232-4636)
TTY: (888) 232-6348 - New Hours of Operation
8am-8pm ET/Monday-Friday
Closed Holidays - cdcinfo@cdc.gov