How To Tick Proof Your Outdoor Oasis

The summer of COVID-19 has brought guests from all over the world to our gorgeous home known as the Hamptons. While it’s nice to have somewhere to escape to, it’s important to remember ticks have also made their way onto your lawn and they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Ticks are being found just about everywhere, including the dune grasses at our local beaches, the grass at the park, the local wooded trails, the grass along the side of the road, and of course your own backyard.

If you and your family are on the East End this summer, we highly recommend getting your yard sprayed monthly and if you are a landlord looking to rent your property, we recommend spraying your lawn monthly from March through December to ease any worries. Tick infested deer, rabbits, rodents, birds and other creatures are visiting your property often and leaving ticks behind when they do. Spray applications are scheduled every 30 days (April through November) and each spray is effective for approximately four weeks.

This past winter was VERY mild, which is one of the reasons ticks are in abundance this year and if you’ve never sprayed your yard before, now is the time to start. Most people believe that the cold winter kills ticks, but adult blacklegged ticks (aka deer ticks) are NOT killed by freezing temperatures. When temperatures are above 32 degrees Fahrenheit, deer ticks are active, moving and searching for blood and if you get bit, you’re at risk of catching Lyme disease, babesiosis, anaplasmosis, relapsing fever or even catching the new Powassan virus.

This past winter almost every day was above freezing, which has resulted in a growth in the tick population on Long Island. A tick population boom can happen quickly and without any obvious notice. Tick infestations are difficult to spot, as ticks are very small – especially in the nymph stage of their life cycle.

If you haven’t had your yard sprayed yet this year, it’s never too late to start! July and August are known as “high risk” months and this is a threatening time for ticks as they become very aggressive and are hungrily questing for blood. Effective spraying is absolutely critical to keep dangerous tick populations as low as possible.

Ticks will remain active in September and continue to feed on any warm-blooded person or animal that they can attach themselves to, so it’s critical that you continue to spray after Labor Day. The spray targets ticks that have dropped off host animals throughout the year, but are still dangerous and searching for blood. In the fall, ticks are actively looking to feed because winter is near and they will need that to survive. It’s important to spray in October and November, as these sprays will help reduce next year’s tick population.

Ticks do not die off in the winter months, believe us, it’s true! Our granular, winter tick control treatment, Tick Shield provides the ultimate year-round tick protection. The granular winter tick control treatment is spread along the perimeter of your property, in garden beds and under shrubs and bushes throughout your property to control the adult deer ticks that are active and emerging on those warm winter days.

East End Tick & Mosquito uses a low-toxicity acaricide to combat the tick population and offers monthly applications to ensure that the tick population on your property never has the chance to mature.

“This will not be a normal summer, but while we’re all out practicing our social distancing guidelines, ticks will NOT be adhering to the rules. Look out for each other and remember to check yourself and family members often this season – even if you haven’t been outdoors that day,” Brian Kelly, owner of East End Tick & Mosquito Control, stated.

If you’re in need of tick control for your property, look no further than the trusted experience of East End Tick & Mosquito Control. Call today for a free estimate!

Southampton: 631-287-9700
East Hampton: 631-324-9700
Southold: 631-765-9700