Yes, and by reducing the tick population in the areas of your yard where encounters happen most, you can reduce the number of tick bites you’ll have. Tick bites are the only way Lyme disease is transmitted.
You probably don’t want to catch Lyme disease. The headlines about it are scary, and it can make every tick encounter feel like a serious danger.
Lyme disease is transmitted by blacklegged ticks infected with the Borrelia burgdorferi bacterium. Ticks need to be attached for roughly 24 hours or more before the bacterium transfers, though shorter attachment times aren't entirely risk-free. In Southern Westchester, where tick-borne disease rates are among the highest in the country, the odds that any given blacklegged tick are carrying Lyme disease is high.
Professional barrier treatments target places where ticks live. That includes garden beds, ground cover, leaf litter, fence lines, and edges between lawn and wood. When ticks contact treated surfaces, they are knocked down, and they don’t have a chance to climb onto you, your family, or your pets. Ticks don’t have to be directly sprayed for this to work.
Treating outdoor areas is very different than using personal repellents. DEET and permethrin can protect you while it’s on your skin or clothes. But a barrier treatment can protect your entire property for weeks at a time, and is able to cut down on the tick population by as much as 90% for 21 days.
Removing ticks quickly is a good way to lower your odds of getting sick. If they’re not attached for long, your odds of falling ill are much lower. And if you’re looking for more tips, check out this video on the 6 C's of tick control for practical, evidence-backed tips you can follow.
If you’re a homeowner in Southern Westchester, Mosquito Squad of Southern Westchester can help. Tick control service is provided on a recurring schedule through the full tick season. A trained technician will walk your property to find out where ticks breed and hide. Then they’ll come up with a custom treatment plan around your yard's layout and risk areas.
