If you keep finding ticks in your yard, just know that there is something that they find attractive in there. It is important to know what ticks are attracted to because if you don’t deal with that, then you will never get rid of them at all.
Ticks are mainly attracted to sweat, heat, and carbon dioxide that humans and animals produce all the time. They like dark areas that are moist and this is why stagnant water in your yard will also attract ticks because the moisture keeps them from drying out.
On humans and pets, ticks will live in the armpits and dark joints that are sweaty and moist. The dark environment provides cover for hiding while they feed and breed. This is why you need to take regular showers and use the best shampoos to keep ticks away.
10 Things that attract ticks
Ticks need blood to survibe and grow and this is their major attraction. The carbon dioxide and heat is what guides them to their host. Here are some factors including plants that will attract ticks to you and your yard:
1. Carbon dioxide
Ticks will find the carbon dioxide that we exhale attractive to them and this is why they will always thrive in areas where there are a lot of animals and humans.
The presence of carbon dioxide is what makes ticks hide in dark warm areas that lack oxygen. Ensure your yard is always free from anything that produces high levels of carbon dioxide.
2. Carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide is also produced by cars and this is one of the gases that attract ticks. This explains why the presence of machinery that burns lots of gas in the yard or farm will always have a high number of tick infestations.
This is also the reason why it is easy for ticks to come towards your campsite if you are burning huge born fires to keep warm at night. The best way to keep ticks’ way when camping is to make your tent away from the fire and long grass.
3. Bushy environment
Ticks are attracted to long plants because it is obvious that where there are long plants, there will be lots of dead leaves and decomposing plants that produce gases that attract ticks.
It is also a fact that ticks will always tend to hang on long plants when they are hunting. They wait for their host to brush on them while passing so that they can stick and suck blood from their skin.
This is why it is important to trim and cut down long unwanted grass in your farm when trying to keep ticks away.
4. Coal
Ticks are also attracted to areas where coal and timber in general. This is because of the carbon dioxide that is produced in large quantities.
If you farm is located near people who burn coal in large quantities, you will notice that ticks will keep coming back.
5. Dumpsites
Ticks are also attracted to areas where waste is decomposed due to the fact that decomposing waste produces lots of carbon dioxide. They will flock in areas that have a high number of decomposing and decaying materials.
This is why it is important to clean up your yard before spraying ticks. If you do not do that, then you will be simply wasting your pesticides because they will still be breading.
Animal waste will also attract ticks to your yard in large numbers and it is therefore advisable to always find a good way of cleaning. Clearing and disposing of the waste in a proper way is better than rather than leaving them out in the fields for long.
6. Lactic Acid
The is a property in your sweat that is known as the lactic acid. This is one of the tick’s favorite smell and they will tend to go towards the aroma.
It is therefore always advisable to take a shower when you want to walk in a yard that is full of ticks so that they are not attracted to your skin.
Ticks like the smell of lactic acid and this explain why they will tend to raid any farm with pigs especially if you are using lactic acid to help the piglets when weaning.
7. Fresh Cow Milk
Ticks like the smell of cow milk and they are attracted to it due to the high concentration of lactic acid that is produced form the milk. This explains why the number of ticks will always increase during the season that cows give birth.
This is related to the fact that the decomposing cow dung in large quantities will produce gases that attract ticks.
When this is combined by the presence of cow milk and waste that is thrown away, ticks will tend to thrive in that area.
If you want to control what attracts tics to your cow farm, simply watch out on how you dump the waste and also practice hygiene. Cattle deeps are also a good way to get rid of those ticks that can be harmful to you and your livestock
8. Moist environment
Ticks like moist environments that are humid, dark and warm. This explains why they love being under the grass and will only come out when they are trying to find their host.
When the grass is a little bit tall, there will be a nice environment under them towards the ground that will be perfect for ticks.
This is because plants will also tend to have carbon dioxide around them and this is what attracts the ticks in large numbers. If you have water that is standing in your yard, get rid of it because this will attract ticks to your yard.
This also explains why ticks will tend to hide in dark and warm parts of the body while sucking blood. They will tend to find a perfect hidden place so that they are not easily spotted because they will not leave even after sucking the blood from their host.
9. Bright Clothes
Even though there has never been a strong scientific reason behind this, ticks have been observed to have a tendency of sticking on light or bright clothing as compared to dark ones.
It has been noted that light clothes attract ticks and in fact, many people who spray tick-infested areas choose to be in a dark gear so that the ticks do not stick on them while on duty.
10. Plants that attracts ticks
What plants do ticks live on? Apart from the fact that ticks will be attracted to grass and bushy areas, there are certain plants that will tend to attract ticks to your yard or farm in general.
Those include the bush honeysuckle plant which has been observed to attract ticks, especially in America.
Another plant that attracts ticks is the Japanese barberry that some people love to keep around their homes because of its beautiful appearance. The plants grow like a thicket and form a great moist and cool environment that ticks like to live in.
Areas that ticks find attractive
Ticks also love to dwell in areas with woody plants in general. This includes shrubs that have a lot of decomposing leaves and branches around them.
Shrubs also provide a humid and dark environment that will help ticks in breading before they find their prey. However, you could still grow plants that keep insects away to repel ticks and other pests.
Here is a video of Kateryn Rochon from the University of Manitoba explaining the major areas of your body that attract ticks and how to find them:
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