While living closer to nature on a plot of rural land has many advantages, it also comes with the drawback of having a higher number of resident biting insects. Of all of the biting and stinging pests, fleas and ticks are two of the hardest to control and eliminate from your yard, especially if you have pets that spend a significant amount of time outdoors.
Both ticks and fleas are very hardy insects that have adapted well to living long lives in the brush and other landscaping on your property. The good news is that there are some things you can do to help control the flea and tick population on your land, such as the following:
Eliminate Favorable Habitat for Fleas and Ticks
To prevent the need for toxic pesticide sprays, you can greatly increase your chances of winning the battle against fleas and ticks by removing their favorable habitats from your yard. Start by removing all trash, lawn clippings, and excess building materials that you have lying around on your land. Insects like to hide in these types of materials, where they are safe from birds and their other natural predators.
Once you have removed any debris, then you should trim back any overgrown brush, bushes, and trees. Insects live on the vegetation and overgrown landscaping and use it to lay their eggs. Overgrown trees cause your yard to have a lot of shade that pests like to reproduce in. In fact, direct sunlight can be deadly to ticks and fleas if they do not have enough moisture present to stay hydrated.
Additionally, you need to mow your lawn each week to keep the grass blades short. This is important because both ticks and fleas like to hide on long blades of grass and also use them to lay their eggs on.
Don't Over-Water Your Property and Fix Drainage Issues
Since ticks and fleas thrive in environments with a lot of moisture, over-watering your property can give these pests a favorable environment to breed and multiply. Using a drip irrigation system, and remediating poorly draining areas, can help keep excess moisture off of your land.
Prevent Infestations by Using Repellent Building and Landscaping Materials
Finally, cedar wood products and diatomaceous earth are both natural flea and tick repellents. By considering pest management when choosing your building and landscaping materials, you can help your fight against future infestations of harmful insects.
For professional help with tick and flea infestations in trees and other plants, contact a service such as Greenwood Tree Experts.
Share27 October 2015
After we moved into our house, we knew that something had to be done about our trees. The branches looked off-kilter, and we could tell that someone had pruned them incorrectly at one time or another. Unfortunately, we weren't really sure how to repair the damage. A family friend talked with us about hiring a professional tree trimmer, and so we called them the next day. The difference that they made was astounding. They removed dead branches, trimmed up the shape, and let more sunlight through. My blog is all about improving the look of your trees by hiring a professional.