Reduce your risk of backyard ticks

A family shared this story: Their beloved dog was growing stiff and lethargic, which they thought due to advancing age.

Turns out, it had a serious case of Lyme disease, discovered during an annual vet exam. The dog had been bitten by an infected black-legged tick and became ill, despite the application of monthly topical treatments, despite going nowhere but the backyard and on neighbourhood walks.

The family was shocked. After a few rounds of antibiotics, the dog got better. But they worried about getting sick, themselves.

It’s a valid concern. Lyme disease has sickened nearly 20,000 Canadians since 2009. And that number is likely underreported.

Unfortunately, you don’t need to spend time in the woods to be exposed to ticks. Your own yard may be a haven for the pests, say experts at Pest HQ, Ontario’s leading source for DIY pest control supplies.

5 ways to reduce your risk of backyard ticks

To protect your family and pets from backyard ticks, do the following this spring, say Pest HQ experts:

1. Reduce tick habitat around your home. Mow the lawn, cut back branches and ornamental grasses that hang over walkways. Remove leaf litter.

2. Control mice and rats. Ticks get infected with bacteria that causes Lyme disease when they feed on infected mice. Make your yard less hospitable to rodents. Use snap traps to reduce rodent populations.

3. Deter wild animals, which carry ticks onto the property. Install fencing and eliminate the food and water that draw them to your yard. Live trap and relocate wildlife as needed.

4. Some insecticides are approved to control specific tick species. Apply insecticides where ticks live, like to leaf litter and yard edges where lawn and woodland meet. ALWAYS follow label instructions.

5. Take preventive measures while walking in the neighbourhood and natural areas.