As of: February 27, 2024, 1:24 p.m
By: Andrea Stettner
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Ticks are considered nasty bloodsuckers that transmit dangerous diseases with their saliva.
But there are simple ways to keep parasites out of your garden.
Ticks are one of those animals that no one wants in their garden.
The small parasites not only bite into the skin of humans and animals and feed on their blood.
At the same time, they also transmit serious diseases such as Lyme disease or the so-called tick-borne encephalitis (TBE),
which can be really dangerous for people.
Ticks like to hide in tall grass.
But there are ways and means to drive them out of the garden.
© blickwinkel/Imago
How do I recognize ticks?
Ticks, like mites or spiders, are arachnids, which can be easily recognized by their eight legs.
Their bodies can be colored very differently - from brown, reddish-brown, yellow, black, gray to white or almost transparent.
Their bodies are usually oval and flat in shape and around
two to four millimeters in size
, but they swell enormously during the course of a blood meal and then resemble a large kernel of corn up to 12 mm in size.
The young ticks, also called nymphs, are responsible for the
most common tick bites
and reach their peak phase
from May to July
.
Since ticks need a lot of blood to feed, they often hang on to their host for days.
To do this, they look for a warm place, such as the human armpit.
Where do ticks sit in the garden?
The rumor still persists that ticks drop from trees.
In fact, ticks prefer to sit in moist, tall grass, bushes or other vegetation close to the ground
at a height of 30 to 60 centimeters.
Anyone who wanders through meadows and unmown lawns with bare legs will quickly catch a tick.
How do I find out if I have ticks in my yard?
Cat or dog owners notice very quickly whether they have ticks in their garden.
All you have to do is regularly check your four-legged friend's fur and remove the ticks.
Everyone else can use this trick: Take a
white sheet or towel
and walk around your garden with it.
Then spread out the cloth - the ticks will quickly become visible as dark dots on the light fabric.
Home remedies for ticks in the garden – this is how you get rid of the parasites
Diatomaceous earth:
One of the most effective methods of biological pest control - and safe for children, adults and pets.
Diatomaceous earth is made from fossilized diatoms.
Upon contact with the powder, ticks dry out and die within a few hours.
Simply apply the diatomaceous earth powder (promotional link) wherever you find it, ideally every few weeks or after heavy rain showers.
When applying, you should wear a mask to avoid inhaling the powder and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.
Lemon decoction:
Ticks hate the smell of citrus fruits, so a decoction of them is ideal for driving ticks out of the garden.
To do this, boil
two sliced lemons in half a liter of water
and let the whole thing simmer for an hour.
Then pour into a sieve and let cool.
Then fill the tick repellent into a flower sprayer and spray the appropriate corners of your garden with your anti-tick solution.
Cedar oil:
Fragrances have also proven to be effective as home remedies for repelling ticks, such as cedar oil.
To prevent tick bites, rub a few drops of the oil on your ankles, wrists and neck.
Even better for prevention: Wear long pants and long-sleeved tops when walking through tall grass or trimming your bushes.
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Ants also don't like certain scents at all.
Cinnamon, for example, can be used wonderfully to combat ants in raised beds.
Tips for repelling ticks: Keep lawns as short as possible
To prevent ticks from spreading in your lawn, you should
mow it regularly
.
This means that the moisture dries out more quickly in the morning and the ticks can no longer find water to survive.
If you mow your lawn regularly, you still can't be safe from ticks - then the parasites settle in the edge areas such as bushes or between ground cover plants such as ivy or thickets.
You should therefore avoid overgrowing wild growth if possible and
cut back your bushes regularly
to provide fewer nesting places for ticks.
Damp leaves can also be hiding places for ticks, which is why it is better to pile piles of leaves in areas where you and your family spend less time.
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