How to Prepare for a Potentially Bad Tick Season in Minneapolis

There has been a great deal of news in the last few weeks about the expectation of it being a bad year for ticks in Minnesota. An increase in mice is expected to create an increase in ticks which will increase our risk for Lyme disease. While each tick season is remarkably different than the year before, and we rarely know for sure until it arrives, we prefer to error on the side of precaution as it only takes one tick bite to inflict a battle with Lyme disease.

Discourage Ticks from Entering Your Yard

If your nearby woods have a substantial deer population, you may consider a deer fence, as deer are the prime suspect in bringing ticks into Minneapolis area yards.

For everyone else, strategic landscape design can deter deer from entering your yard. Start by planting barrier plants around the perimeter of your property avoiding those that deer like to eat, such as azalea, dogwood, roses, lilacs and rhododendron. Avoid fruit trees and vegetables that will provide a feast for hungry deer. Check with the local nursery for more about how to keep the deer out of your yard with proper plant and flower choices.

Make Your Yard Inhospitable for Ticks

You’ll also want to do everything you can to make your property less appealing to ticks themselves. Follow the 6 C’s of tick control to make sure you’re not inadvertently creating a haven for the tick population.

Get an Early Start on Tick Control Efforts

Call Mosquito Squad of the Twin Cities today. While we don’t treat for mosquitoes until May, tick control clients receive an April mist when tick tubes are placed. This April treatment eliminates 85-90% of the ticks that are out questing now and is essential to lowering the number of nymph ticks questing for a blood meal in early summer. With the added benefit of getting a jump start on mosquito season, signing up now is a great way to ensure you enjoy a mosquito-free and tick-free summer however early summer arrives. Call now for a FREE quote.