It depends on what your yard looks like. Ticks, in general, need shade and moisture, brushy or wooded edges, and leaf litter to survive when it is hot and dry. And they also need deer and rodents to carry them there in the first place.
Chicago, thankfully, doesn’t have issues with Lyme disease to the degree you’d see in the Northeast. That doesn’t mean it’s not an issue. The truth is, risk varies yard to yard. And when you go outside, you can’t tell which tick is infected and which is not. So your best option is to reduce their population.
First things first, understand the tick habitat. Ticks will dry out in the heat of the day, especially when it’s sunny. They need shade and humidity to survive, and they seek that out in places like leaf litter, dense vegetation, and tall grass. Mowing and landscaping work go a long way here.
Stone walls and woodpiles shelter the mice and chipmunks that host the immature ticks, which is how the cycle gets seeded in a yard in the first place. And wildlife traffic is a clear signal: regular deer visits are a red flag, since deer carry adult ticks and drop them as they go. If you see rodents or deer, you probably also have ticks.
If you have more ticks in your yard, then there’s a higher risk for Lyme disease. Luckily, there is a way you can do a quick “census” for ticks. Pull a light-colored cloth slowly over the grass and the brushy edges and see whether ticks latch on. This is called a “tick drag” and it’s a good way of seeing if you have a problem.
If you're tired of wondering whether your own yard is the problem, Mosquito Squad of Chicago can help. Mosquito Squad treats the shaded, brushy edges where ticks gather, helping protect your family with up to 90% reduction in pest activity on a recurring 21-day cycle.
