What Animals Eat Ticks?

Not only is summer the best time to be doing outdoor activities, it is also high season for ticks. These small insects are notorious for their bites and ability to transmit diseases. One of the ways, outside of tick control services, to get rid of ticks is through having natural predators of ticks on your property.

Learn what animals eat ticks and how to prevent infestations to keep your home and family safe and tick-free.

What Eats Ticks?

There are a variety of animals that are natural predators for ticks. Having these animals on your property can help to naturally prevent tick infestations in your yard.

These animals all eat ticks:

• Frogs
• Lizards
• Chickens
• Squirrels
• Opossums
• Guineafowl
• Wild turkeys
• Ants and fire ants

Do Opossums Eat Ticks?

Yes, opossums are one of the top predators for ticks and kill more than 90 percent of the ticks they encounter. Not only are opossums really good at removing ticks, they can also eat up to 5,000 ticks per season. So, the next time you find an opossum in your yard, know that it is doing a very important job in keeping your yard safe and free of ticks.

How to Prevent Tick Infestations

Unfortunately, housing these animals on your property probably isn’t realistic, and we can’t choose what animals decide to call our yard home.

Here are some alternate ways to keep ticks away from your property:

• Keep your grass short
• Clean up lawn clippings
• Create a barrier of mulch around your yard
• Weed and trim any tall weeds or plants
• Use professional outdoor pest control services, like Mosquito Joe, to protect your yard

How to Avoid Tick Bites

Anyone who lives in an area with ticks is likely open to anything that would decrease the chances of a tick bite.

Here are a few ways to prevent tick bites:

• Wear long sleeves and pants when walking in wooded or grassy areas
• Tuck your pants into your socks
• Wash clothing immediately after coming inside
• Inspect kids and pets for ticks (time for a tick check!), then have another adult inspect you for ticks
• Use a bug spray with DEET
• Avoid tick-infested areas

Find Pest Control Services Near Me

You take the first step toward eliminating pests from your yard when you choose the dedicated experts at your local Mosquito Joe. Our team is ready to support you with everything from tick control to special event sprays. Call us at 1-855-275-2563 or find a Mosquito Joe near you to get started today.

Did you know there are over 175 species of mosquitoes in the United States? Not only are they a nuisance, they can also carry dangerous diseases. Knowing when and where these pesky little buggers are most active will help you and your family stay safe and get the most out of your outdoor adventures.

When Is Mosquito Season?

Mosquito season refers to the time of year when mosquitoes are most active. This term really only applies to regions where temperatures become too cold for mosquitoes to survive. In general, all species of mosquitoes prefer warm weather, typically above 50 degrees. So, when temperatures rise above 50 degrees in your location, mosquito season begins. When they dip below 50 degrees, the season is coming to a close.

Different species of mosquitoes have different lifecycles and habitats. In some locations, where a change in temperature follows from winter into spring, some mosquito species will emerge from hibernation while others are born from eggs that had been laid the previous year. In regions where there isn’t a drastic change in temperature, mosquitoes are around all year round.

Did you know that female mosquitoes are responsible for all of the bites that humans experience? They need blood in order to lay their eggs.

All mosquitoes need water to breed and lay eggs. Female mosquitoes will lay their eggs in anything that has standing water: ponds, planters, birdbaths and even rain gutters. Because mosquitoes usually only travel a few hundred feet from their breeding sites, keeping these areas clear and dry will help to reduce the population in your yard.

What Time of Day Are Mosquitoes Most Active?

Mosquitoes are most active during early morning hours before the sun has fully come up and the air temperature isn’t as hot. Mosquitoes find daylight to be deadly, as direct daylight can dehydrate them.

For this reason, shaded woods, wetlands, and ponds—the most common locations that mosquitoes seek out for protection from the sun—are places to avoid during the day. Mosquitoes become active again during the evening hours when the sun isn’t as hot. If you’re going to engage in physical activity (e.g., running, biking, hiking) it is best to avoid these times.

Avoiding Mosquito Bites

Staying away from mosquitoes at all times is not only impossible but also impractical. Below, however, are a few tips for keeping them at bay:

• Carry mosquito spray. You can buy mosquito repellant at the store or make your own using essential oils
• Drain standing water around the house
• Patch holes or rips in window and door screens to keep them out of the house
• Wear long sleeves and long pants to keep them away from your skin
• Add plants that are natural repellents to your garden. Basil, lavender, and lemongrass are just a few that will help keep your yard mosquito-free.

The surest way to take back your backyard from these dangerous biting insects is to contact Mosquito Joe for seasonal mosquito treatments for your yard. Our barrier sprays not only repel mosquitoes, but are also effective on other pests, such as ticks, fleas, and some flies.