Can You Spray Your Yard for Mosquitoes and Ticks?

Yes. Spraying yards for mosquitoes and ticks has become a common practice for many homeowners.

There are a couple of reasons to deploy mosquito and tick control. These pests are bothersome, but can also be dangerous. Both mosquitoes and ticks are vectors of insect-borne illnesses. These include Lyme disease, West Nile virus, babesiosis, and dreaded heartworm disease in pets.

ticks and mosquitoes can be sprayed for
Can you spray for ticks and mosquitoes?

How long does tick and mosquito spray last?

While spraying can effectively reduce mosquito and tick populations in treated areas, its efficacy may vary depending on factors such as application technique, weather conditions, and the specific species present. If you enlist the help of professionals to help shield your yard against mosquitoes and ticks, the treatment can last up to three weeks. Other purported mosquito and tick control sprays claim to offer protection for up to 12 weeks.

How do you keep mosquitoes and ticks away?

There are quite a few ways you can augment the efficacy of your mosquito and tick control spray. Simple yard maintenance and landscaping techniques can make your property less pest-friendly.

Do these things in addition to your professional mosquito and tick control services.

  1. Create a cedar mulch border around your yard from wooded areas
  2. Plant lavender, eucalyptus, or garlic
  3. Keep areas that collect standing water free of water (toys, flower pots, pool paraphernalia)
  4. Add an agitator to bird baths or water barrels
  5. Keep your lawn cut and dispose of grass clippings
  6. Encourage your neighbors to keep their property maintained and treated for mosquitoes and ticks

How can you keep pests away when you are away from home?

DEET-based products are the most effective broad spectrum pest repellents. These products can help you repel mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, and more when out in nature. It is very important that you use DEET repellent as directed on the label. Never spray your pets with insect repellents, no matter what. If you are using DEET products on children, make sure you use a concentration that is safe for them.

If you are spending a lot of time hiking or camping, it is recommended to wear long sleeves, tuck your pants into your socks, and reveal as little skin as possible. In these scenarios, you can additionally wear permethrin treated clothing.

Professional pest control in Framingham is recommended.

You can attempt to protect your yard on your own from the threats of ticks and mosquitoes. However, professional pest control companies will be better able to ensure that your yard is properly treated. Not only that, but they will find trouble areas and break them up, and treat them accordingly. In Framingham and Central Mass, tick and mosquito control are recommended from April through October. However, an early spring or late fall might mean that you need to treat for longer.

 

Ticks vs. Mosquitoes: Which is worse?

Like Mosquitoes, Ticks Are At The Top Of The List For The Most Dangerous Animals On Earth

When asked to think about deadly animals, it is easy to conjure images of large predators and sharp teeth. We can thank the movies for that. But the deadliest animals that can cause the most long-term harm and havoc are actually much smaller. Vector pests, such as ticks and mosquitoes, are way up on the list due to their ability to vector disease.

ticks vs. mosquitoes
Ticks vs. mosquitoes: Mosquitoes are the most dangerous animal on Earth. Ticks can be considered the most dangerous arthropod.

With the ability to vector diseases such as Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, the backyard tick can be considered the most dangerous arthropod in the United States.

Which Ticks Are The Most Dangerous From An Illness Perspective?

black-legged tick
Black-legged ticks are vectors of Lyme disease, the most common tick-borne illness

The most common ticks of medical significance include the black-legged tick (or deer tick), brown dog tick, American dog tick, and the lone star tick.

Exactly What Are Ticks?

Contrary to what you may have thought, ticks are arthropods. They are not insects. Ticks are in the arachnid family, making them more closely related to spiders and mites. Insects are commonly defined by having one pair of antennae, three body segments, and six legs.

Ticks do not have antennae and have two body segments instead of three. One of the easiest ways to distinguish ticks from insects is to count the legs. Adult and nymph ticks have eight legs, while insects have six legs. Tick larvae throw that rule out the window by only having six legs but can still be distinguished from insects by examining the body segments.

Also read: Are drought conditions conducive to tick and mosquito control?

Where Do Ticks Live?

Throughout your backyard and often found in parks and camping grounds, ticks are commonly found in tall grasses, woody/brushy areas, and leaf litter.

What else can be found in these areas? Rodents and other animals can be found there, too. All ticks feed on blood from vertebrate hosts. Mice are a good example of an extremely common host (especially for tick larvae).

Ticks cannot fly or jump, so they will not wander too far away from areas where their hosts may be found. They need carriers – think Uber for the animal world.

They wait for their host to pick them up and grasp on, a process called questing. If you find a tick well outside their typical nesting places, there is a good chance that it hitched a ride from its host.

How Can I Prevent Tick Bites?

Randolph tick control
Choose professional Randolph tick control for optimum protection at home.

Tick prevention is the smartest route for ongoing tick management. Take control of tick infestations by understanding where ticks are commonly found, then modify those areas to make them less appealing to ticks and their hosts.

Be familiar with tick species and their preferred hosts in your area to better target your approach. Like other pests, ticks have crawled the earth for many years and have become relatively well-known in communities across the country.

While their populations are widespread, public knowledge and awareness of the threats they pose to our health and well-being are unfortunately not as commonplace. Rather than just a nuisance or warm weather inconvenience, ticks are dangerous pests capable of transmitting debilitating diseases at increasingly alarming rates.

tick tubes for tick bite prevention
Embolden your tick control efforts with tick tubes.

For this reason, proven, trustworthy tick control is an excellent idea. With a combination of a tick control barrier spray and the placement of tick tubes, this one/two powerful punch will serve you well.

For dependable, proven tick control, contact your local tick control specialist. And again, be sure that your Randolph tick control service sprays your yard and surrounds your property with tick tubes.

Also read: Do I need Randolph tick and mosquito control spray?