Mosquitoes, wasps and then those annoying ticks… Have you already discovered the latter in your garden? Now that it’s getting warmer, these parasites are of course becoming more active. But what can you do about it? What helps against ticks in the garden?
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Especially if you want to avoid chemical agents, you ask yourself: Are natural control agents sufficiently effective? And can you take preventative measures to make things as uncomfortable as possible for ticks? However!
Does the eight-legged friend you found really come from your garden?
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In pretty much every garden there is one or two corners where ticks feel right at home. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that the animal from the other day actually came from your garden. But you can do a test.
You will need a light-colored cloth and a stick or other stick to place the cloth over. Now you can use it to roam over taller grasses and branches. If these parasites have made themselves comfortable there, you will catch a few during your patrol. Because that’s exactly how they usually get to your body: by touching them. You grab hold of it and you’ve got the salad – at the latest when you’ve chosen a nice spot on your skin and taken a bite.
What helps against ticks in the garden – remedies for infestation and preventative measures
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Even if you didn’t find any tick infestation during your test, you should always keep the garden in a tick-repellent condition. You can now find out which remedies can help with an infestation and how to prevent it:
Get rid of ticks from the garden – means they don’t like
To combat it, you can use scents and plants that ticks can’t stand. This includes:
Basil Lavender Peppermint Rose Geranium Rosemary Lemongrass Lemon Balm Citrus Scents Photo: Marie Shark/ Shutterstock
As a preventative measure, you could plant the tick-fighting plants mentioned in places in the garden that are favorite hiding places for the insects. These are mainly damp and shady places. If your property borders on overgrown areas, the risk that ticks will reach you from there is also quite high. The same applies to properties located near forests. Firstly because of the humidity and shade already mentioned, but also because of the wild animals that are attacked by ticks and then carry and transmit them.
You can also make a spray from essential oils and spray it in high-risk locations. Even if you discovered a particularly large number of ticks in certain places during your test, you can use the scents to drive them away from there. You can find some helpful resources in this article.
What helps against ticks in the garden – mow preventatively
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The insects like to hide in tall grass. This is partly because more moisture collects there than in a short-mown lawn. Therefore, keeping the lawn short is also a wonderful way to protect yourself and your children from ticks. This means everyone can frolic on the grass without any worries.
A well-kept garden prevents tick infestation
Where do ticks live in the garden? Since these parasites need moisture to survive, it makes sense that a dry garden is also unattractive to them. Of course, that doesn’t mean you have to turn it into a desert. However, it’s worth making sure it gets sunnier and at least a little drier. Here’s how you can naturally fight ticks in the garden:
Photo: Anna Hoychuk/ Shutterstock To do this, you can trim one or two bushes (which should actually be a caring measure for garden shrubs anyway and will also benefit them). If you love a natural garden design with a wild meadow look, you will probably also get it with a tick bonus if it overgrows. A certain system must therefore still be adhered to, just as you should keep wild growth in your garden under control. If you have a flower meadow instead of a lawn, remember to include tick-repellent plants. The Mediterranean garden design, for example, is optimal, but even minimalist gardens rarely offer shelter for unwanted guests of this kind. Photo: Gerrit Lammers/ Shutterstock Fallen leaves and piles of leaves left over from last autumn actually attract the parasites because they are beautiful moist and just perfect for propagation. Dispose of it or collect it in a location in the garden that is slightly out of the way. You cannot remove all tall plants from the beds just to avoid ticks. This is of course clear and is not the purpose of the private garden. However, you can create barriers to prevent them from getting from the beds to frequently used areas such as lawns and seating areas. This works with simple bed borders. These can either be made of gravel or wood chips and made thick. Ground cover plants are very popular as path borders. No wonder, because they look so beautiful with their colorful flowers! But if you have a constant plague of ticks, it’s better to say goodbye to them, because the insects find a true paradise there. Gravel is again the better option here. Attract natural enemies of ticks to the garden. Birds, spiders and reptiles, among other things, feed on them, so it’s worth making your outdoor area animal-friendly.
Tips for safe gardening
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As uncomfortable as it may be in summer, long clothing is always very appropriate when working in the garden. Gloves and socks that you pull over your sleeves and trouser legs also protect you from tick bites. You could try a trick that many gardeners now use:
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Stick packing tape or other wide tape around the junction of the trouser leg and sock, but with the adhesive side facing up. If ticks are present, they will not be able to climb up your clothing but will instead stick to them. After every gardening job, you should check yourself for ticks just in case.