Use sanitation to control ticks

Mel Whitson, Senior Field Technical Service Manager, Zoëcon Professional Products

Sanitation is a crucial part of outdoor tick treatments. Clients should be educated on how to prevent and lower the risk of ticks on their property to get effective control of these disease-spreading arachnids.

Inform your clients that lawn mowing and vegetation management are vital to reducing tick infestations. Such measures allow for more airflow, and help keep vegetation and topsoil dry. Ticks thrive in shady and moist areas, so be sure to treat any label-appropriate areas that receive less sun. Remind clients to keep pets out of these spots.

Wooded areas that border a property also need inspection. Search for ticks that have “walked the plank” — ticks can be found on the tips of grass or brush, waiting for their next host. Customers should keep the borders of their yards trimmed to make the area less appealing to ticks.

While sanitation goes a long way, control products can prevent and knock down tick populations. Many products on the market today are sensitive to the environment and to household pets.