Tips to Help Protect Children and Pets From Tick Exposure

Ticks are part of the warmer pest season in the Princeton, NJ area that can put everyone on edge. These pests can carry and transmit dangerous diseases like Lyme disease to people and pets, and can have lasting effects on one’s health. They are common in our area, which means homeowners and residents must be extra vigilant during the time when they emerge.

That time is usually around spring and early summer when the snow is completely gone, and the weather begins to warm. To help protect your children, we recommend keeping play equipment and high-use zones away from brushy and wooded edges (where practical) and using appropriate EPA-registered repellents according to label directions. You should also perform full-body tick checks after outdoor time on both people and pets.

If you have pets, talk to your veterinarian about recommended tick prevention. Remember that yard treatment is not a substitute for veterinary prevention, and pets need personal protection from ticks just like people.

Why Tick Pressure Is Concentrated in Certain Parts of the Yard

Ticks are associated much more with shaded, humid, brushy, or wooded edge habitats with frequent host movement than with the middle of a dry open lawn. The leaf litter, tall vegetation, stone walls, brush, ornamental groundcover, and wood lines can concentrate encounters for these moisture-loving pests, which dry out in direct sunlight.

Plus, these areas usually see lots of traffic from wildlife like deer, squirrels, and bunnies, which can carry ticks from yard to yard and deposit them. In each new area, the ticks will typically quest on low vegetation and contact a host that brushes past. That’s why you’re better off keeping kids’ play areas and spots for relaxation in areas of your yard with short grass and sun exposure. 

How to Reduce Tick Exposure Around the Property

Ticks can make anyone feel a bit anxious in their yard, especially if they have kids and pets. Reducing ticks wherever possible is the best way to help reduce exposure, and it’s not always as difficult as it may seem. 

Here are a few simple yard maintenance tips you can implement to help keep ticks at bay:

• Keep your grass maintained
• Remove unnecessary leaf litter/brush from high-use areas
• Keep play and patio zones away from dense wooded edges where practical
• Use EPA-registered repellent according to the label directions
• Perform tick checks after outdoor time
• Consult a veterinarian about pet tick prevention

When to Call for Professional Tick Control in East Windsor

Tired of dealing with anxiety from tick pressure around your home? Our professional tick control in East Windsor, NJ can help. We’ll always start by inspecting your yard for areas we can address during treatment. 

After spraying your yard with a core barrier solution made with EPA-registered products, we’ll return to reapply it every three weeks during the season. This helps reduce ticks by up to 90%, offering more protection for your family and more peace of mind for you.

Need help with tick control around your East Windsor property? Call Mosquito Squad of Princeton at (609) 778-1797 or request a free quote online.