Preventing ticks on your pets helps prevent ticks on you.
Not only are ticks frightening and repulsive parasites, but they also carry a variety of dangerous diseases. Whether you are trying to prevent ticks from being in your yard, on your pet or on your person, you may want to consider taking a natural and organic approach rather than dousing everyone in chemicals.
Prevention
Keep your yard well-groomed and free of bushy areas, and do not allow your pets to roam free in the woods. Birds carry ticks; consider stopping any bird feeding during the summer months. Deer also carry ticks; deter deer in your yard or garden with an eight-foot fence or by planting deer-resistant varieties of plants. Using natural insecticides made from wintergreen, rosemary oil and peppermint oil can help keep ticks out of your yard and garden. You can also purchase and use diatomaceous earth, a fossil shell flour, in your home, garden and pet bed as an organic insect killer. Stocking your garden and yard with nematodes--worm-like organisms that live in the dirt and feed on tick larvae--will also naturally prevent ticks.
If you or your pet does venture into the woods, be sure to do a thorough tick check. Make sure to check dark, moist areas--arm pits, crotch, behind ears, and on knees and elbows. Before venturing into the woods, wear light-colored clothes for easy tick detection, tuck your pants into your socks and pull back any long hair. When you come home from the woods, throw your clothes into the dryer on high heat and take a shower.
Repellents
If you and your pet are healthy and stress-free, you will be less of a target for ticks. Some diet enhancements that may prevent ticks from biting you or your pet are fresh, minced garlic, brewer's yeast and apple cider vinegar. You can also include B complex, omega-3 and omega-6 supplements in your and your pet's diets. Adding safflower oil and powdered kelp or seaweed to your diets will also help you and your pet to be more tick-resistant. Make your pet an herbal flea collar (and one for yourself as well) by allowing several drops of eucalyptus oil, tea tree oil, citronella oil, lavender oil or geranium oil to absorb into a bandanna.
Commercial Organic Prevention
Buy organic repellents and preventatives ready-made for your garden, pet and person. YourPetsLife.com carries a variety of flea and tick repellents that are natural and organic. EarthAnimal.com and PreciousPets.org carry organic repellents and preventatives for your pet that can also be used on yourself and your surroundings.
Tags: your yard, prevent ticks, ticks your, also carry, carry ticks