Ticks never take permission before they show up on your lawn. They’re that invasive and can create a home right out on your grass. When you let the grass grow tall, and there are weeds all over the place, you’re inviting pests over. One such pest is the tick, leaving you searching for a remedy to eliminate them effectively.
Many homeowners have suggested different remedies for ticks, including pesticides and other chemicals. However, using a lawnmower might do the trick because of the blades involved and the grass trimming.
In this article, you will learn whether mowing kills ticks and whether it is the best way to eliminate ticks from the lawn.
Yes, ticks are dangerous, especially if you’re less aware of their presence in your yard. Ticks also feed on human and animal blood. As a result, they can transfer bacteria and other pathogens into their hosts when they feed, causing disease.
The most common tick-transmitted illnesses are Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and tularemia. When you spot them on your lawn, it’s best to eliminate them at least to a non-threatening level. They can lead to allergies for your pets and families, and when hooked to an individual or pet, ticks are tough to remove altogether.
The bottom line is that ticks may not immediately threaten the grass or lawn. However, for homeowners and their families, they’re a dangerous presence and should be eliminated.
Does Mowing Kill Lawn Ticks?
Yes, mowing the lawn kills ticks, thanks to the blades on the lawnmower that slices them, causing the ones that survive to find a new place to live. When you mow, ticks don’t have a place to hide and find it difficult to see humans or animals to attach to.
Regular lawn maintenance will save you a lot of stress and discomfort from having ticks around. That’s because mowing your grass short presents a harsh environment for them.
Ticks cannot hide long enough to cling to prey when the grass is no more than three to five inches tall.
Getting Rid of Ticks
Controlling ticks and getting rid of them from your yard takes some work. You’ll need a combination of prevention practices to keep your yard safe. The following should help:
Check if Ticks are Present
First, ensure you have more than a hunch about ticks being present in your hard. Check around and perform a simple test called a tick drag. Get little pixels of fabric about 5 inches on both sides and attach it to a long pole. Wear long pants and tall socks to protect your legs during the test.
Drag the fabric over tall grass and plants in your yard, especially those around the border of wooded areas. If ticks are present, a few will likely grab onto the fabric in search of a host.
Further, checking if your outdoor pets pass through these areas is essential. Check body parts like their groin, armpits, and ears because ticks prefer moist areas of the body to latch on.
Mow Regularly
Mowing kills ticks, so it is crucial to help you eliminate ticks in your yard. That will destroy their preferred habitat. Mow the lawn, and trim weeds and overgrown brush.
Shaggy foliage also creates shadowed, cooler areas perfect for ticks to thrive. When they reach about 4 to 5 inches long, mow it down to about three inches. It would help if you didn’t let the foliage grow more than 5.5 to six inches long.
If you need to meet up on your mowing schedule and have plenty of grass to cut, use a bag attachment on your mower. Grass clippings can indeed help your lawn, but in this case, leaving lawn clippings behind can create a favorable environment for ticks. Also, it would help if you bagged any leaf litter or other lawn debris for disposal.
Put Down Mulch
Suppose your yard is near an unkempt wooded area where ticks will likely thrive. Consider putting a border of mulch or grave around the edges. Use mulch made of dry wood chips rather than damp, shredded material. What you want to do is to create a hot, dry barrier that’s three feet wide, making it unappealing for ticks to cross.
Additionally, the mulch or gravel provides visual reminders to you, your family, and your pets that you need to take extra precautions when going beyond the barrier.
Tick Tubes Work
Tick tubes will help you get rid of ticks in your yard, but they’re most useful in areas with mice and ticks since they’re designed to kill ticks that live on mice.
The cardboard tubes contain cotton treated with permethrin, and mice take them back to their nests for bedding. When that happens, the permethrin on the cotton will kill any ticks living on the mice.
Let an Exterminator Help out
If your yard is experiencing a severe tick infestation or other suggestions don’t work, consider calling a professional pest control service. Most have what it takes to kill and permanently get ticks off your yard and lawn.
Further, such experts will have specific requirements and recommendations to fit your home and yard. This will help keep ticks at bay, protecting your grass, pets, and family from infestation.
Tick-repellent Plants
You can have other well-meaning plants alongside your green grass. Some of them will help you repel ticks and other pests. Plants like garlic, mint, save, lavender, rosemary, marigold, and beautyberry are effective for repelling ticks from your yard.
For best results, use any of these plants in landscaping borders, decks and pet runs, patios, and other areas where ticks are likely to be present. Additionally, you can plant these varieties in containers and place them near windows, open spaces, and more to discourage ticks from entering your home.
Why Mowing is Essential for Tick Control
The ticks on your lawn will not pick up their bags and go. Instead, they multiply very fast. They carry the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease and lay eggs in batches of 3,000 or more.
Some types of ticks lay up to 15,000 eggs before they die, so you can imagine leaving your lawn or yard untreated. Ticks will thrive for years and may even enter your living areas.
It’s hard to find a place that’s entirely free of ticks. However, mowing when you should and at the perfect height will effectively deal with ticks and provide a way to control their presence in your lawn.
Conclusion
Dealing with a tick infestation can provide all types of challenges. But it’s worth it, especially if you successfully get them off your yard. The measures to help you do that are outlined in this article alongside other information to eliminate ticks.
However, ticks largely remain in the environment. For this reason, using a lawnmower on your grass helps eliminate them. Remember to mow to a decent height, at least 3-4 inches. You wouldn’t want your grass too low and unattractive.
Keeping the grass at a decent height will also eliminate the breeding and hiding place for ticks. Now that you know this, use your lawnmower to trim the grass, and remove the grass clippings, so that ticks left behind don’t have a hiding place.
Alex is a skilled gardener and lawn care expert with over 5 years of experience in the field. He developed a passion for horticulture at a young age and has since dedicated his life to mastering the art of landscaping. When he's not tending to gardens and lawns, Alex enjoys hiking, camping, and spending time with his family.
