Joining us wasd Dominic Caliendo with the Chicagoland Mosquito Squad.
He has tips on what you can do to prevent mosquitoes from entering your yards and how to protect your family from Lyme disease spread by ticks.
5Ts to Take Back Yards from Mosquitoes
1.Tip. Reduce standing water. Check children's sandboxes, wagons or plastictoys; downspouts, plant saucers and dog bowls. Other hot spots: gutters, andflat roofs.
2.Toss. Remove excess grass, leaves, firewood and clippings fromyards.
3.Turn. Turn over larger yard items that could hold water like children'splastic toys.
4.RemoveTarps. If tarps stretched over firewood piles, boats or sportsequipment aren't taut, they're holding water.
5.Treat. Utilize a mosquito elimination barrier treatment around the homeand yard. Using a barrier treatment at home reduces the need for usingDEET-containing bug spray on the body. Mosquito Squad's eliminates up to 90% ofthe mosquitoes and ticks on a property.
6 Cs to Tick-Proof Your Yard
1.Clear out. Reduce tick exposure by clearing out areas where lawn and treedebris gathers. Ticks thrive in moist, shady areas. Locate compost piles awayfrom play areas or high traffic. Separate them with wood chips or gravel. Don'tposition playground equipment, decks and patios near treed areas.
2.Clean. Eliminate leaf litter and brush by cleaning it up around the houseand lawn edges, mow tall grasses and keep the lawn short.
3.Choose plants. Select plants and shrubs that are not attractive to deerand/or install physical barriers to keep deer out of your yard. Check with yourlocal nursery to determine the best choices for your area.
4.Check hiding places: Know tick hiding places and check them frequently.Fences, brick walls and patio retaining walls are popular hiding places.
5.Care for family pets. Family pets can suffer from tick-borne disease andalso carry infected ticks into the home. Talk to your veterinarian about usingtick collars and sprays. As with all pest control products, be sure to followdirections carefully.
6.Call in the Pros: Professionals utilize both barrier sprays that can killadult ticks on the spot as well as "tick tubes". Strategically placed "ticktubes", prompt field mice to incorporate tick-killing material in their bedding,effectively eliminating hundreds of tick nymphs found in each mousenest.
For more information about Mosquito Squad, visitwww.mosquitosquad.com/
