Ticks

In addition to your yard, you can come into contact with ticks in a variety of outdoor spaces, including parks, athletic fields, walking trails, and wooded areas.

Outside ticks gather in their largest numbers in shady, damp areas that put them near their animal hosts. In our yards, they often congregate under leaf piles, brush piles, woodpiles, in areas of tall grass, and under decks.

For the most part, ticks find their way into our properties on the backs of one of their preferred animal hosts- rodents, wild animals, cats, and dogs.

After a tick is full, it will fall from its host onto the ground. When they are ready for the next meal, ticks will begin to move around and search for a new host. Ticks can’t fly or jump, so to find their next host, ticks crawl to the top of pieces of grass, weeds, or other vegetation. When an animal or person brushes past them, they will crawl onto them and attach themselves.

When ticks are in our yards, you or your pets could easily brush past them and introduce them inside your home.

The good news is that most ticks cannot breed indoors, so they typically don’t become a large-scale problem when accidentally introduced into our homes.

The bad news is that if you are regularly finding ticks in your home, it could indicate a rodent infestation. Rodents are regularly covered in ticks, and the reason ticks find a way into our Texas homes.

Ticks are dangerous in our yards because they are a serious health concern. Animals are the primary hosts for ticks, but if they come into contact with people, they can and will feed on our blood.

Ticks are slow feeders and therefore are very efficient at transmitting diseases that can make us ill, including Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. While not every bite from a tick will result in the transmission of disease, the potential is there, so limiting your exposure to these pests is important.