fruitful vine Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Hi Everyone, We just moved into a nice home the country. It's a beautiful 5 acres of wooded land. I did figured on a tick problem but I never thought it would be this bad!!!! I just keep finding the little guys everywhere!!! We do a daily check on ourselves and all the kids. I already had to take our one son to the doctor for Lyme decease! My brother was over today and after he was in our yard for 15 minutes he found 4 deer tick on his clothes! Does anyone know of anyway to kill ticks in a yard and woods. Organic is always best, but all do anything non-organic if it does the job. That's better then having 8 kids with Lyme decease!!! Thanks so much for any and all ideas!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Chickens. Specifically, guinea hens. They eat ticks. You can keep them in a chicken house at night or let them roost in the trees in the summer. They do lay eggs (smaller) but you have to hunt for them. You'll also have to feed them in the winter. When we lived in NJ, some towns even bought them for their parks. (Truly amazing, given all the regulations and restrictions they had about keeping chickens in your yard.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ria Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 There's not a darn thing you can do except check yourself and your kids. Ria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruitful vine Posted November 17, 2008 Author Share Posted November 17, 2008 Chickens. Specifically, guinea hens. They eat ticks. You can keep them in a chicken house at night or let them roost in the trees in the summer. They do lay eggs (smaller) but you have to hunt for them. You'll also have to feed them in the winter. When we lived in NJ, some towns even bought them for their parks. (Truly amazing, given all the regulations and restrictions they had about keeping chickens in your yard.) Actually, the former owner left 4 chickens here at the house. They are free range. I'm not sure what type they are. One is white and the other three are brown. BTW: We can't find any eggs. We have looked for those eggs often, but no luck. I'm guessing we would need a lot more than 4 chickens to cover 5 acres? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ma23peas Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Guinea's are good for ticks as well...you need to cut down all your pine trees...ticks love those! Stick with hardwoods... Tara..we have all hardwoods on 6 acres and no ticks... Tara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 I would imagine. If you order chicks (by mail) they have a minimum order of 30, so they stay warm enough. That should do it, at least around the house. http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/category/guineas.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Governess Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 We live in a suburban area but our house backs open space that is infested with deer ticks. Luckily none of us ever got a bite but we were constantly finding ticks on the dogs. We ended up clearing a perimeter around the edge of our backyard and after initially spraying most of our yard, we kept the perimeter sprayed for a few months. It kind of created a barrier so the ticks stopped coming into our yard. That was 2 years ago and so far we haven't found another tick on the dogs. We used just a generic pest control spray and sprayer from the hardware store. We've re-landscaped our yard since then, though, with more lawn and less "overgrowth" which I think has helped a lot also. As for the woods, I think you're out of luck there. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruitful vine Posted November 17, 2008 Author Share Posted November 17, 2008 Guinea's are good for ticks as well...you need to cut down all your pine trees...ticks love those! Stick with hardwoods... Tara..we have all hardwoods on 6 acres and no ticks... Tara They like pine trees!!! Wow, I'm learning so much tonight! Our yard is full of tall cedar trees. Does that count? They are a harder wood, right? The bottom branches are cut off, so the branches and greens don't start till about 10+ feet up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruitful vine Posted November 17, 2008 Author Share Posted November 17, 2008 I would imagine. If you order chicks (by mail) they have a minimum order of 30, so they stay warm enough. That should do it, at least around the house. http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/category/guineas.html Thank you. I will check into that. But would I be better to wait to order them in the spring when the weather gets warmer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruitful vine Posted November 17, 2008 Author Share Posted November 17, 2008 We live in a suburban area but our house backs open space that is infested with deer ticks. Luckily none of us ever got a bite but we were constantly finding ticks on the dogs. We ended up clearing a perimeter around the edge of our backyard and after initially spraying most of our yard, we kept the perimeter sprayed for a few months. It kind of created a barrier so the ticks stopped coming into our yard. That was 2 years ago and so far we haven't found another tick on the dogs. We used just a generic pest control spray and sprayer from the hardware store. We've re-landscaped our yard since then, though, with more lawn and less "overgrowth" which I think has helped a lot also. As for the woods, I think you're out of luck there. :001_smile: We basicly live in a woods. It's cleaner around the house, but past our "yard" the woods gets very over grown. We plan to try and clean it up and cut all the over grown brush down, but things take time. I know we will always have some ticks, but I just want to get them more under control. Thanks for your wonderful idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruitful vine Posted November 17, 2008 Author Share Posted November 17, 2008 Thank you. I will check into that. But would I be better to wait to order them in the spring when the weather gets warmer? Oh, never mind. I see they only send them June through Septmber. Thanks again!:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Bathing with Avon Skin So Soft helps too. We bath all the babies with the shower soap and put lotion on them and we've never had a tick on them. My folks have an 80 acre farm--they kids play in the woods all the time. She also has chickens and guinneas. :) But even she swears by the original skin so soft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruitful vine Posted November 17, 2008 Author Share Posted November 17, 2008 Bathing with Avon Skin So Soft helps too. We bath all the babies with the shower soap and put lotion on them and we've never had a tick on them. My folks have an 80 acre farm--they kids play in the woods all the time. She also has chickens and guinneas. :) But even she swears by the original skin so soft. I have heard of Skin So Soft. But I don't know anything about it. Do you have any idea why it would detract ticks? And where is a good place to buy some? Thanks so much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bev in B'ville Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 If you find a tick on your body, you are supposed to keep it for 14 days in a sealed plastic baggy after removing it with tweezers (if you touch it, wash your hands immediately with soap and water). I found out about ticks a few years ago when I was bitten and came down with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (and we don't live anywhere near the Rocky's - the disease is everywhere). Go to the CDC site and learn the symptoms for the different diseases that ticks can spread so that you're familiar with the symptoms. Other than that, my only other recommendation is to go to a store that has hunting gear. They usually have a spray that repels ticks that you spray on your SHOES, not your body, it's too toxic. That will keep them from climbing up, but it doesn't do anything for the ones that hang on bushes waiting for deer to come by so they can leech onto them (or you). The chickens are a good idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 I have heard of Skin So Soft. But I don't know anything about it. Do you have any idea why it would detract ticks? And where is a good place to buy some? Thanks so much! My mom thinks it's the oils that are in it--the scent. I hestitate to say there's citronella in it as I don't have the botte here in front of me. But the scent of the ORIGINAL skin-so-soft is the only one that works. You can do a search on the avon website by zipcode to find a local dealer. http://www.avon.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 The sad thing is that it doesn't work for everyone. Must have to react with something in your skin or something. :confused: So, try a bottle before buying a whole case. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texascamps Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 We have chemically treated just the areas around the house where the kids play most often, then if we go off into tho woody areas, we just spray each other down. Pets should get that pill that repels ticks and other parasites. You can have the area professionally treated chemically now then in the spring, get thoses chickens or guinea hens going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 If noone else mentioned, guinea fowl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 (edited) I have heard of Skin So Soft. But I don't know anything about it. Do you have any idea why it would detract ticks? And where is a good place to buy some? Thanks so much! There's way better stuff than Skin-so-Soft - I think when they tested it it only lasted like 20 mintues or less. Here's a link to the CDC site which lists the repellents that have been tested and last for 6+ hours. Yes, DEET is there, but also more than one botanical product (lemon eucalyptus and IR3535), and they also list percentages needed for them to be effective - citronella is NOT on the list. I use the lemon eucalyptus and it works great. I can buy it at the outdoor sporting goods section in Walmart. Also, I now have 2 guinea hens (for one acre). I think one per acre would work, but they're flock birds and only one seemed mean. Another suggested I've seen is to clear a boundary between the woods and your yard and fill it with gravel so the ticks can't cross it, but I don't have that much money for landscaping! Edited November 18, 2008 by matroyshka forgot to include link! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruitful vine Posted November 18, 2008 Author Share Posted November 18, 2008 Thanks everyone for your ideas! My brother was over today with his bobcat and was moving around some piles of ground for us. He plans to help us by dig up around the edge of the woods and clean out the brush. I think a boundary (Gravel and/or chemical) is a good idea and I'll see what he can help us with. I think some type of bug repellent would be really good for the kids. And I'm ordering those Guineas!! Thanks again! All your ideas have been very helpful! And I welcome anymore ideas anyone may have. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly IN Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 Bats?? Get a bat house and try to find out how to coax bats on your property. We have bats but no bat house even though I am really tempted to get one for them. Holly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly IN Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 Thanks everyone for your ideas! My brother was over today with his bobcat and Thanks! A real bobcat?? How big is this bobcat? I have seen them and they look very vicious. Holly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyB Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 Honestly. We moved onto 5 ac. that was covered with chiggers and ticks. My son looked like he had the chicken pox from so many chigger bites. A neighbor took pity on us city folk and gave us some tobacco. A friend of their's works at an Indian cigarette factory and I guess that you can buy it from them. We ended up moving before I needed it again so have never researched to find out how one could purchase this but it worked fabulously. It's organic also! :lol: You just spread it all over your lawn with a spreader working from your house out and all of the insects leave. All of them. They do not like the nicotine. It also is very good for your grass. :D Make sure that you don't have any leaf piles in the yard. If it freezes where you live than a good freeze will kill them but they will live in piles of leaves that stay warm. My parents also would put down a pesticide on the lawn with a spreader that took care of ticks and chiggers also. They always tried to put it down before it rained or water the lawn afterward to get the pesticide into the soil. I love the country but it definatley has a downside. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruitful vine Posted November 18, 2008 Author Share Posted November 18, 2008 (edited) A real bobcat?? How big is this bobcat? I have seen them and they look very vicious. Holly Oh, sorry :blushing: I mean the machine/tractor. :driving: Its brand name is "bobcat". I didn't mean the animal. http://www.bobcat.com/ Although, if my brother had a real bobcat that would be interesting!! I would just hope that they can help get rid of ticks, too!!! :lol: Oh, and thanks for the bat idea. Edited November 18, 2008 by fruitful vine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 Oh, and thanks for the bat idea. Bats are awesome for mosquitoes, but they only eat on the wing, so wouldn't help with wingless ticks. We have bats in the attic, which we have tried to coax to a bat house with no success, but I tolerate them up there beause I hear they eat 6000 mosquitoes a day each. I can't imagine what my yard would be like without them... I try not to think about the guano... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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