Ticks need cool, shaded, humid cover and animal hosts. Yards with a lot of vegetation and wildlife passing through will likely see more ticks than open, sunny, well-maintained ones.
If your yard has a lot of ticks, something is drawing them in. Most of the time, it is because of your yard's hiding spots and the animals passing through.
Ticks cannot fly or jump. What they do instead, simply, is wait, either for you or another host to pass by. They climb up tall grass or bushes and hold out their legs to catch a ride on a passing person or animal.
Ticks do not do well in dry, open spaces. They need wet, shady places to stay alive. That is why you will mostly find them in the cool, damp parts of your yard that have lots of plants, tall grass, and dead leaves.
Ticks are brought into a yard by the animals they feed on and ride, deer, rabbits, mice and other rodents, and birds. If wildlife regularly moves through your property, it's probably dropping off ticks along the way.
If you want to lower your odds of being bitten, one of the best ways you can do that is by reducing the presence of ticks on your property. You can do this by denying them resting places. Keep grass short and clear leaf litter and brush. If you have dense vegetation, thin it out and open it up to more airflow. Beyond that, do what you can to discourage wildlife from lingering.
If you're tired of finding ticks in your own yard, Mosquito Squad of Fort Collins can help. Mosquito Squad treats the brushy, shaded zones where ticks wait. This can help protect your family with up to 90% reduction in pest activity on a recurring 21-day cycle.
