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Sometimes, the best course of action is straightforward. If you find a tick on yourself, a pet, or another family member, it’s best to remove it and flush it or wrap it in tape to destroy it. To prevent climbing on you, you can make a DIY Repellents Using Essential Oils. In other cases, indirect action is the way to go. Instead of waiting for ticks to approach you, take steps to disrupt their life cycle and keep them away.
Homemade tick tubes are an inexpensive and easy way to control ticks and prevent them from landing in your yard or on your person. The tubes work by enlisting the help of animals that many people often think of as pests: mice. You fill an empty toilet paper tube with cotton or dryer lint soaked in permethrin, The most effective insecticide against ticks. Mice take cotton or lint from the tube to build their nest. Along the way, permethrin is rubbed on their fur, killing any ticks that would otherwise try to hitch a ride.
While permethrin is toxic to ticks, it is generally safe for people and pets. That said, be careful when handling permethrin and always follow the directions on the packaging. Wear gloves, a mask and eye protection when making your tick tube. Note that pre-made tick tubes, viz Thermocell Tick Control Tubes There are, but building your own is easier and significantly less expensive.
How to make a tick tube
Put on your gloves, mask and eye protection and spray a cotton ball or dryer lint with permethrin. When the lint or cotton is completely dry, push it into the toilet paper tube, filling it about two-thirds full but leaving room at each end so mice or other small rodents can enter the tube. If you have been Save your toilet paper rollsThis project is a great way to use them. But, if you don’t have any lying around, you can cut an empty paper towel roll in half, line the inner tube with wrapping or contact paper, or use a 6- to 8-inch length of PVC pipe instead.
Repeat, filling as many tubes as you need depending on the size of your yard. Place the tubes in areas where mice usually go, such as near garden beds, sheds, or other structures. Keep an eye on the hoses. You should be able to see mice or other rodents taking cotton or lint from it. If not, place the tube in another location in your yard after a few weeks.
How long will it take before you see results? You will see a reduction in the number of ticks in one season. Also, mice may increase tube use over time. So, make sure to refill the cotton or lint frequently.
