No matter where you live, a tick infestation can occur. Ticks are different than pests such as termites.

Ticks can damage your home and even your family and pets. They carry diseases that can affect your health, even diseases as serious as Lyme disease.

And ticks are also extremely hard to get rid of. If you notice a tick infestation in your home, you may feel hopeless trying to remove all of those ticks.

Fortunately, there are ways to kill ticks off. While the work of a pest control company is most helpful, there are a few DIY methods you can try before calling the professionals.

If you’re wondering how to get rid of ticks, continue reading and keep your home tick-free!

Before You Do Anything, Cut Your Grass

Believe it or not, regularly maintaining your grass kills off ticks. Not only that, but regular grass maintenance helps keep ticks gone.

Ticks thrive in cold and wet environments. The easiest place to find the ideal habitat is in long grasses. Longer grass holds onto moisture such as rain and dew, which also keeps long grass cold.

When you cut the grass, the grass is exposed to sunlight. This means the grass is warmer and the sunlight dries off any leftover moisture. The ticks will run off your lawn and will hide somewhere else.

Lay Down Mulch

What if you need more lawn protection? Mulch is a good way to know how to get rid of ticks.

Mulch depletes the grass of moisture, creating a dry environment that ticks hate. But mulch is also larger than grass, which makes it difficult for ticks to move around.

You’ll be able to trap ticks in their place, making it ideal to spray the area or use other DIY tick control methods.

This also creates a visual for your family. Your children won’t play in the mulch area and your family will prevent a dog or cat from going in that area.

If you don’t have mulch, wood chippings also help. Just make sure you use dry wood chippings or bark.

Get Tickproof

While this won’t help you know how to get rid of ticks, it will help prevent a tick bite.

When you know you have a tick infestation, try and tick-proof yourself as good as possible.

Ticks love skin. They drink blood and thrive off of your sweat. This is why you need to stay covered: where a long-sleeved shirt, close-toed boots, long pants, and socks.

In addition, use bug spray.

Just one spray over the body should be enough for eight hours, plenty of time to prevent a tick bite. Avoid wearing perfume, deodorant, and go outside before you shower. Ticks are attracted to sweet fragrances.

This attire is uncomfortable, especially in the hot weather. You can always find fabric that’s thinner and breathable. If you’re not doing any sort of yard work, stay indoors as much as possible.

Use Tick Tubes

While it’s a funny name, these tubes can effectively kill off a tick infestation. Knowing how to make these tick tubes is a good way to know how to get rid of ticks.

Basically, you take tubes (such as empty paper towel tubes) and fill them with poison. You lay them throughout your yard, and the tick tubes do the work for you.

Fill the tick tubes with pesticide-spiked cotton. The ticks will try and eat the cotton but will ingest the poison and die off.

This method is also great when protecting your kids and other animals; as long as they don’t consume the cotton, they won’t feel the pesticide’s effects.

Use a Natural Tick Killer

If you would rather keep your family and pets safe from harmful chemicals, know how to get rid of ticks the natural way.

These products are safe for your family and pets, but can easily kill off ticks. These methods are also often cheaper than harsh pesticides.

Natural pesticide alternatives include:

Nematodes — these are microscopic worms that love making a meal out of ticks.

Essential oils — believe it or not, the oils that relieve your headache also kill off ticks. Use cedar oil, rosemary oil, and rose geranium oil for best results.

Certain plants — if you have a green thumb, take your talent to good use. Specific plants and flowers, such as chrysanthemum, lavender, peppermint plants, eucalyptus, sage, and garlic plants will all keep ticks away.

Use the Classic Spray Method

Did tick tubes and natural pesticides not work? You’ll have to spray your yard. This is when you take a pesticide and spray it throughout your yard. You can buy over-the-counter pesticides and use this method yourself.

Pesticides are the fastest and most effective way to kill off ticks.

You can easily spray over large distances, target smaller areas, and you can find speciality pesticides for specific areas. Be sure to target areas in the shade and areas that sustain moisture.

But keep yourself, your family, and your pets off of the yard.

Pesticides aren’t only harmful to ticks, they’re harmful to anyone. Fortunately, these pesticides aren’t harmful to plants — no worries if you have a flower garden or grow your own plants.

Hire a Pest Control Expert

Have all DIY methods failed? It’s time you call a pest control expert. These experts are trained to handle tick infestations and are the best to call when killing off ticks.

As much as we don’t like admitting to it, these infestations can be out of our control.

Ticks multiple at outstanding rates. Sometimes, the best way to protect your family and home is calling the experts when your tick situation becomes out of hand.

Now You Know How to Get Rid of Ticks

Discovering you have a tick infestation is scary. Ticks carry severe diseases such as Lyme disease, and you can easily get a tick bite. If you discover a tick infestation, you need to immediately act on tick control.

Fortunately, there are plenty of DIY methods you can try. Some are obvious, such as spraying pesticides. But even certain plants can kill off a tick horde. But if these fail, you must call a pest control expert.

Do you need to get rid of your tick infestation? If you’re in South Florida, schedule an appointment.