How To Get Rid Of Ticks

This guide will discuss how to get rid of ticks in the house naturally and by using other extermination methods.

Ticks are bloodsuckers that have not only pets and animals on their radar but also humans.

While several medications help fight the problem, avoiding tick infestation is the best option.

We will be looking at fighting an existing infestation as well as ways to repel ticks.  When combined, you get the best strategy to keep your surroundings free of insects.

Do Ticks Transmit Diseases?

Ticks do harbor and transmit diseases. This makes them even riskier to have around.

Some of the diseases transmitted by these pests include Ehrlichiosis, Lyme, Anaplasmosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and Babesiosis.

Other diseases are Tick-borne relapsing fever, Powassan virus, Heartland virus, and Tularemia.

There has been a recent surge in tick-borne diseases. This increase can be attributed in part to the increased movement of people from country to country.

As a result, ticks as well as diseases they cause spread to newer locations. This is a worrying trend.

However, the good news is that it can be brought to a halt. This can be achieved through effective tick extermination strategies as listed below.

Ideal Conditions for Ticks to Thrive

Ticks thrive in certain conditions. Most times, people are ignorant of them. Thereby resulting in infestations as well as bites. You’d need to know these to fight back. Such conditions include dust buildup in rugs, carpets, and furniture.

Other tick-infested areas include exotic locations like zoos and wildlife parks. Not taking care (cleaning) of your pets is another factor.

Areas with little sunlight or heavily shaded areas are inviting to ticks. These are some of the most ideal conditions ticks thrive in.

You’d need to eliminate these to make your home less inviting.

So what can kill ticks instantly?

How to Get Rid of Ticks on Your Property

Getting rid of these pests becomes the next step after identification as there are some bugs that look like ticks.

We’ve included as many options to get the job done as necessary. These include natural, preventive as well as professional ways to handle the tick problem.

We are confident you’d find any or several of these tick extermination methods useful.

• More Natural Lighting

Ticks love shaded areas. This is very abundant in homes having a lot of trees. But you can reduce this by making it sunnier. One way to do this is by trimming extended tree branches. This helps create a clear path for sunlight.

As a result, there’s less moisture for ticks to hand around. Which leads to a retreat to more suitable locations.

• Treat Pets for Ticks

Pets are the easiest targets for ticks. Through pets, they spread to humans as too.

So, the best way to get rid of them is by treating your pets for ticks. It’s easy to notice a tick problem on pets. A common sign is restlessness and frequent scratching of their bodies.

Tick treatment for pets comes in various forms.

These include spray, use of tick collar, tick bath, and tick drops among others. Let’s briefly discuss each of the above methods;

i. Tick Spray for Pets

It does not matter what type of pet you keep. Tick spray for pets works on all. You’d find this product in either squirt bottles or aerosol cans. Tick insecticide sprays come in many brands. These are also formulated to be non-toxic to your pets.

You only need to apply (topical) as instructed. This spray treatment gives quick results but the problem is it won’t last for long.

FACT CHECK: Lime And Tick Control

In other words, it provides temporary relief until pets roam around infested areas again. So, when using this strategy, consider attacking tick infestation from all angles.

ii. Medicated Tick Collar

This method of tick extermination is used after applying other treatments. It helps guard against repeat infestation.

Plus, ticks move from one part of the pet’s body to another. The medicated collar helps get rid of them easily but you must use it as instructed for best results.

iii. Tick Bath

A tick bath includes the use of medicated shampoo. This is applied to pet skin and massaged into a lather. It is allowed for a few minutes before rinsing or washing off.

READ: Ticks and Lysol

Strict adherence to instructions is also necessary.

iv. Tick Drops

This is also a product that helps get rid of ticks fast! It is meant for topical application and is applied in a way that pets won’t lick or ingest.

Details for application are attached to this medication.

v. Oral Medication

The oral medication works effectively to rid pets of ticks. All you need to do is find or visit a vet doctor.

Oral medications make the pet’s skin and blood unfavorable and poisonous to ticks. You should notice improvements within a day of taking such medications.

• Clear All Debris

Are ticks drawn to debris? Not exactly! But other pests like rodents are.

These are rodent hosts that target all forms of dirt and debris. So, the focus should be on clearing all forms of debris from your backyard. Ensure piles of these don’t remain unattended.

By keeping your surroundings clean, you’d be saving yourself the stress of having to deal with an infestation.

• Hot Water Laundry

When ticks invade, clothing and other fabrics are hiding spots. These will require thorough cleaning.

While this is important, it won’t get the job done. You’d have to do some hot laundry to kill them off. First, soak your clothes in some hot water. This should be left for some time to kill all ticks before the laundry is proper.

But not every fabric will withstand heat without getting damaged. For these, your washer’s dryer may suffice. This can be kept for as long as 20 minutes to help get rid of them.

• Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth is handy for difficult tick problems. This should be sprinkled around infested areas like rugs and carpets. Your pet bedding area should also be targeted. There’s no need to clean up in a hurry after application. Leave for at least 24 hours for a thorough job.

Use a vacuum cleaner to suck up dead ticks as well as remnants of the product.

Diatomaceous earth is non-toxic but will help you get rid of the problem effectively. Reapply whenever you notice a resurgent tick problem. However, an alternative may be necessary if there are no results.

• Pesticide Dust

Ticks love to hide in tight spaces and cracks. If you are faced with such a condition, then some pesticide dust may be necessary. This dust is easy to apply to such areas. But the most efficient way to use it is by applying it around entrances.

This way, you are blocking them from moving out to feed. Insistence break such barriers leads to their death.

Tick pesticide dust contains a wide range of active ingredients. Some of them include silica gel, pyrethrins, butoxide, and piperonal.

Utmost care must be taken when using around kids and pets. This is because pesticide dust is toxic.

• Locate and Eliminate the Source

Every tick problem you encounter has its source. That is a specific habitation from which they launch out. You need to find it. But doing so won’t be easy without identifying certain favorable conditions.

Such conditions include overgrown weeds, bushy areas as well as untended shrubs around your yard.

Do any of these conditions exist in your surroundings? If yes, it may be time to go all out to rid your home of ticks.

The clearing of weed and bushy areas is very important. The same applies to untended shrubs.

• Repelling Plants

Do you have a recurring tick problem around your home? Or are you suspecting your location may be the problem?

If any of these answers are in the affirmative, then growing tick repelling plants should get you some relief. Yes! Tick repelling plants do exist and also add to the beauty of your surroundings.

Such plants include beautyberry, thyme, and eucalyptus.

Others are mint, lavender, citronella, sage, geranium, and pennyroyal. What more? These plants give out a lovely scent. This makes them even more appealing to humans while being unwelcoming to ticks.

• Essential Oils

Essential oils help rid your home of ticks. Especially when used well.

We recommend making a mixture of 2 essential oils; geranium and lemongrass oils. Using a can is a great way to apply it around your yard. Add a few drops of each (geranium oil and lemongrass oil) in a watering can. Mix and apply to infected areas.

While this will help kill ticks, it may also harm your pets. To prevent this, only a limited amount (fewer drops) of geranium oil should be added. This will reduce the chance of pet poisoning.

But if you don’t have a pet, consider adding an equal amount of it to the water as you would lemongrass oil.

• Keep Wildlife at Bay

Wildlife is a primary source of ticks. These are likely to roam into your yard when it is left open. So, to avoid dealing with this problem, consider fencing your yard. This keeps them off, thereby keeping your home free of ticks.

Also, remove anything that attracts them close to your home too.

• Rubbing Alcohol

Rubbing alcohol works effectively to exterminate ticks. But this isn’t applied directly to the skin. It requires a mixture of essential oils (such as lemon tree oil, eucalyptus, and lavender oils) as well as water. One part of alcohol is added to 2 parts of water.

This is followed by a few drops of these oils to form a mild solution.

These are creative ways to get rid of ticks fast. They are also cost-effective methods that help get the job done without incurring many expenses. You have the freedom to choose one or as many methods you so wish to use. All help gives you achieve the desired results.