Ways to Keep Ticks Off You and Your Property

Ticks can transmit numerous diseases, which is why it’s important to control them if you live in an area with high concentrations of the bug. Permethrin is a chemical that kills ticks on contact, and you can use it to treat your clothing and any outdoor gear you want. Permethrin-impregnated clothing kills ticks that crawl on you and can be effective for 50 or more washings. Permethrin-impregnated leg and arm gaiters slip over regular clothing and protect areas that are most vulnerable.

You can use some tick-repellent sprays on furniture and rugs as long as the labels clearly says it’s safe for people and pets. Outdoor sprays cover a wide area and will kill ticks without harming vegetation. Tick tubes contain soft permethrin-impregnated material that mice, which carry many ticks, find and use for bedding, thus killing the parasites. You can use DEET and picardin-based repellents on skin and clothing and both will repel ticks as well as other insects.

If you’re thinking about ways to safeguard your home from these nasty critters, here is a brief rundown of some of the best methods available today.

Ticks can transmit numerous diseases, which is why it’s important to control them if you live in an area with high concentrations of the bug. Permethrin is a chemical that kills ticks on contact, and you can use it to treat your clothing and any outdoor gear you want. Permethrin-impregnated clothing kills ticks that crawl on you and can be effective for 50 or more washings. Permethrin-impregnated leg and arm gaiters slip over regular clothing and protect areas that are most vulnerable.

You can use some tick-repellent sprays on furniture and rugs as long as the labels clearly says it’s safe for people and pets. Outdoor sprays cover a wide area and will kill ticks without harming vegetation. Tick tubes contain soft permethrin-impregnated material that mice, which carry many ticks, find and use for bedding, thus killing the parasites. You can use DEET and picardin-based repellents on skin and clothing and both will repel ticks as well as other insects.

If you’re thinking about ways to safeguard your home from these nasty critters, here is a brief rundown of some of the best methods available today.

1. Permethrin Spray

yellow and black spray bottle

Permethrin is a synthetic chemical that is highly toxic to ticks and other insects. Permethrin was invented in the 1970s for agricultural purposes but is an excellent tick repellent (it’s the same ingredient used in flea and tick applications for dogs). Permethrin should not be sprayed directly on skin, though it’s extremely effective at warding off ticks on outer clothing, hats, socks, and footwear, as long as you spray the garment and allow it to dry before wearing it into tick territory. You can also treat outdoor gear like tents and backpacks. One thorough treatment can last several washings. Spray Sawyer’s Premium repellent on clothes and outdoor gear to kill ticks that crawl on.

If you’ve ever dealt with pesky critters be it ants, rodents or any other kind of creepy crawlers you know it’s a pain. And fleas are just as maddening to getting rid of as other pests. But luckily, we’ve got all the info you need to get your household from scratchy to serene in (almost) no time at all.

What causes fleas?

Adult female fleas are capable of laying as many as 50 eggs per day (yes, per day!), and live up to 100 days in out-of-the-way places that skew the odds of survival in fleas’ favor. The most common source of fleas is animals. Keep an eye out on your own pets but also watch out for neighborhood dogs, strays, and feral animals who come by for a yard visit.

Fleas love warm, humid, climates that are out of direct sunlight and relatively undisturbed. Therefore, it’s crucial to pay special attention to shaded areas of the yard or house, crawl spaces, or dog houses and other animal enclosures—all the areas where fleas are at their happiest and most likely to reproduce.

How to spot fleas

If you’ve spotted one or two fleas, chances are there are more. (Statistics say that for every flea you lay eyes on, there could be 99 others lurking in the shadows. Yikes!) Look closely at pet bedding, carpets, furniture bases, and any dark, hidden low-traffic areas that may be often overlooked.

Keep your eyes peeled for small dark spots known as “flea dirt,” a mixture of blood and feces (yuck!) that is often more visible than the fleas themselves. Flea larvae actually use this “dirt” as a food source, so anything you spot should definitely cause concern. This likely sounds alarming, but in most cases, a thorough deep clean routine can eradicate the problem in anywhere from 10 days to one month.