How to Keep Ticks Out of Your Yard

Plenty of tick encounters happen right at home. A few landscaping habits can make your yard far less hospitable to ticks — here's where to focus.

Mow and clear

• Keep grass short. Ticks need tall grass and moisture; a mowed lawn dries out and offers little cover.
• Clear leaf litter, brush, and tall weeds, especially along fences and edges.
• Trim back shrubs to let in sunlight, which ticks avoid.

Create a buffer

Ticks come from the wild edges. Lay a 3-foot band of wood chips or gravel between your lawn and any woods or tall grass. This dry barrier discourages ticks from crossing into the play area.

Rethink the layout

• Put patios, play sets, and seating in sunny spots, away from the yard's edges and trees.
• Keep the lawn and garden tidy where kids and pets spend the most time.
• Discourage deer and rodents (which carry ticks) by managing bird feeders and securing trash.

Personal protection still matters

Even a well-kept yard isn't tick-free. For gardening or backyard play in tick season, keep up the basics — and a drug-free clip like Roam Repel is an easy layer for time outside. Learn where ticks hide in our tick habitat guide.

This article is for general information and isn't medical advice.

Source: CDC — Preventing Tick Bites