Your Backyard Is a Tick Haven: Here's How to Reclaim It

Sacramento summers mean more time outdoors—but they also mean tick season is in full swing. And here’s the thing nobody wants to hear: your carefully landscaped backyard might be the perfect tick resort.

According to Consumer Reports’Paul Hope, ticks aren’t just lurking on hiking trails and in dense forests. They’re lounging in the shaded corners of your yard, thriving under tall grass and nestled in damp, cool spots that feel like five-star accommodations to these disease-carrying pests. Since ticks can transmit serious illnesses including Lyme disease, it’s worth taking a few strategic steps to make your outdoor space less inviting to them.

The good news? You don’t need to turn your yard into a concrete wasteland. Start with the basics: keep your grass trimmed to about 3 inches high. That sweet spot discourages ticks without scalping your lawn or triggering an HOA violation. If you’re typically a mulch-your-clippings person, consider bagging them instead if you live in a tick-heavy area—it removes extra hiding spots. While you’re at it, trim back tall weeds along walkways and play areas, and clear away piles of leaves and brush where ticks love to hide and breed.

If your property butts up against a wooded area, create a three-foot barrier using dry wood chips or gravel. It sounds simple, but it’s surprisingly effective at keeping ticks from migrating into your space. You’ll also want to think about what animals bring ticks into your yard in the first place. Deer and mice are common culprits, so a tall fence can deter deer, and bait boxes designed to kill ticks on mice (without harming the mice) can help control the population naturally.

Here’s one critical reminder: the very act of cleaning up tick habitat can expose you more to them. Make sure you check yourself thoroughly after yard maintenance and cleanup. And whether you’re in your backyard or venturing further afield, Consumer Reports recommends covering as much skin as possible and applying an insect repellent containing EPA-registered ingredients like DEET, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or picaridin.

Summer’s too short to spend it scratching and worrying. A little yard maintenance now could save you a lot of headache—literally—later.