When should I stop treating my yard for ticks?

Posted by Mosquito Squad
When should I stop treating my yard for ticks?

December 20, 2023

Is there a timeline for treating your yard for ticks in Central Massachusetts? There is. And it might be longer than you think.

Here in Centra Massachusetts, you might be inclined to refer to summertime as tick season. In reality, ticks can remain active anytime temperatures are above freezing. However, ticks are most active from April through the end of October in our area. The end of summer is not the time to stop treating your yard for ticks.

Continue your tick treatment regimen into the fall.

The rule of thumb here in Central Massachusetts is to maintain your Mosquito Squad mosquito and tick treatments about a month into autumn. Autumn weather brings out nature seekers and finds us in our yards enjoying post-summertime temperatures. The fall season is more comfortable for our pets, as well. If you have a fenced yard, you might find Fido asking for additional time outdoors. Discontinuing your Central Massachusetts tick and mosquito control too soon could put you and your pets at a disadvantage. There are simply too many mosquito and tick-borne illnesses to take that chance. Whether you choose traditional barrier control mist or our natural treatment regimen, it is imperative that you keep treating even after the change of season.

Full-scale tick control does not have to stop in the fall, though.

Mosquito Squad of North Shore is pleased to offer not only two options for tick yard treatment from spring through fall, but also targeted tick control thereafter. Our tick tube program offers Central Massachusetts families the option to launch a year-round assault against ticks and the potentially harmful diseases they carry. What is a tick tube exactly? Tick tubes are small, cotton-filled tubes that are placed throughout your property to extend your tick control into the cold weather season. The cotton inside is treated with a special tick eliminator. The way they come in contact with that treated cotton is a bit of magic. As we know, one of the most common tick hosts in our area is the white-footed mouse. These mice find the tick tubes and scrounge up the cotton to carry back to their nests. In doing so, the pesticide gets onto the mouse. When a tick comes in contact with that mouse, it will also come in contact with the pesticide. If ticks are in and around the nest of cotton, those too, will be eliminated. The host that most rampantly infects ticks with the bacteria that cause Lyme disease thereby becomes a walking tick terminator, resulting in fewer ticks emerging in the springtime. As for the mice, they are not harmed one iota by the tick treatment – so tick tubes are truly a win-win!

If you are in search of effective year-round tick control in Central Massachusetts, call on Mosquito Squad of North Shore at (978) 597-7168.