cutting down ticks

Tick tubes are easy to make and can cut down on the number of ticks around your property 90%

Still have to take precautions but it may help. You DON'T want to get Lyme OR the 7 other things this insect can carry . The new one talked recently about is the powassen virus of which there is no treatment and can be deadly,.in many part of the country the CDC says its the worst ever year for them.

https://www.homesteadnotes.com/make-...get-rid-ticks/

[hawg]

Thank you, I'm going to try them. I don't suppose you want a dog getting into them.

[eriksat1]

Permethrin doesn't hurt dogs but very bad for cats. I'm not sure I would like the idea of dryer lint scattered all over my lawn.

[Suzuki]

Whenever I see a yard full of chickens I wonder how well they do at keeping the ticks down on that property?

[Bill Krejca]

Interesting. As I understand it, by the rodents taking the lint back to their nests, the life cycle of the ticks is broken up, thus assuring their demise. It does seem, that whenever we interfere with an eco food chain or another cycle, other unexpected results occur. There are various examples of this, importations in Australia, et al, being one example. That said, I wonder if normally the nest ticks help keep the rodent population in check, and by killing off the ticks, this will cause the area to be populated with rodents up our.... knees. Just wondering.

Bill

[Custom Eyes]

Originally Posted by Suzuki

Whenever I see a yard full of chickens I wonder how well they do at keeping the ticks down on that property?

We have 4 ducks and 4 chickens penned in and free-ranging on 1/4 acre and it's tick-fee from the best I can tell. I've never picked up a tick from that area of the property.

On a side note. I'm a fairly avid morel hunter and spend a ton of time out in the woods and try all kinds of different tick repellents. 54km put on the GPS on foot in the woods this spring. Even practically taking a bath in Deet or Permethrin, I still pick up 1 or 2 most trips. Ran out of spray on the way out the door on a hunt, so in a pinch and just for the heck of it, I sprayed myself and ankle areas down with Axe Body Spray(Anarchy scent). First tick-free trip of the year. Tried it a few more times and tick-free. I used it for the last couple weeks of morel hunting after that and only picked up a couple out of a dozen or so trips. A fraction of what I would have with Deet or Permethrin. Smelling good and tick-free. lol

Instead of dryer lint which in some households may be made up of synthetic fibers that don't break down,..most sites say to use cottom,..you can google how to make tick tubes and other sites have slightly different methods.

[eriksat1]

I have 5 new chicks almost ready to head outside. I didn't do the chickens last year but for 3 years before they sure do keep the tick population down around the yard. That is all they do peck around at the ground all day anything that moves.

Guinea Hens. They love em.

[Bill Krejca]

Originally Posted by Langhorn Chickster

Guinea Hens. They love em.

And their feathers make great bass baits. Not that I fish for bass. Give 'em to my friends who fish for bass. :0

Bill