Owen Tree Service
Flea & Tick Control
Owen Lawn Care: Your Trusted Lawn Care Company in Michigan
Ticks in Michigan: Protecting Yourself and Your Yard
Michigan is home to more than 20 species of ticks, which can enter your yard by hitching a ride on animals like mice, squirrels, rabbits, birds, raccoons, or deer. Ticks are active from April to November and, like mosquitoes, adult ticks need a blood meal to reproduce. This makes them dangerous as they can transmit several diseases, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and Ehrlichiosis.
Ticks are typically found in grassy, brushy, or wooded areas, as they prefer moist, shaded environments. They wait on grass blades or leaves for a host to pass by, then latch on and crawl to a suitable feeding spot. On humans, ticks are often found on the scalp, underarms, or waistline. Once attached, a tick can remain for hours or days, increasing the risk of transmitting disease. After feeding, they fall off, engorged with blood.
Adult blacklegged tick. Photo: Scott Bauer, USDA Ag. Research Service, Bugwood.org
How to Protect Yourself from Tick Bites
Reducing the chance of tick bites is crucial for your health. Here are some ways to protect yourself:
- Wear light-colored clothing to easily spot ticks. Wear long sleeves, long pants, and tuck your pant legs into boots.
- Stick to the center of trails to avoid brushing against plants.
- Use tick collars on pets and check them frequently.
- After being outdoors, check yourself and your pets for ticks and shower as soon as possible. Use a mirror to inspect all parts of your body.
- Check children daily if they’ve been playing outside.
- If you find a tick, remove it immediately with fine-tipped tweezers, grasping it close to the skin. Pull gently and wash the bite area with soap and water.
- Wash outdoor clothing in hot water and dry on high heat to kill any ticks.
- Keep pets out of grassy or wooded areas to reduce the chance of ticks being brought inside.
Tick Repellents
The Environmental Protection Agency recommends the following insect repellents for ticks:
- DEET (20-30%) can be applied directly to skin.
- Picaridin or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus for skin application.
- Permethrin can be applied to clothing but not to skin.
Always follow manufacturer instructions when using repellents and keep them out of reach of children and pets.
Engorged blacklegged tick after feeding on blood meal. Photo: Scott Bauer, USDA Ag. Research Service, Bugwood.org
Landscaping Tips to Keep Ticks Out of Your Yard
Ticks thrive in shaded, moist areas, but you can take steps to discourage them from entering your yard:
- Keep grass mowed and clear vegetation near frequently used areas.
- Remove leaf, wood, and rock debris that can harbor ticks.
- Stack firewood away from common areas.
- Seal small openings in buildings to prevent mice from entering.
- Move bird feeders away from the house, as birds can carry ticks.
- Create a 3-foot barrier of woodchips or stone between your lawn and wooded or brushy areas.
- Place swing sets and gardens away from woodland edges and fence them to keep out wildlife like deer and rabbits.
- Trim trees and shrubs to allow sunlight into your yard.
- Consider a tick spray program to eliminate ticks and prevent new ones from entering.
Using Tick Tubes to Control Tick Populations
Mice are common hosts for blacklegged ticks (deer ticks), which can transmit Lyme disease. Research shows that many white-footed mice are infected with Lyme disease bacteria. To disrupt this cycle, tick tubes have been developed. These biodegradable tubes contain cotton treated with Permethrin. Mice use the treated cotton for nesting, killing ticks on contact and reducing the risk of Lyme disease transmission. This breaks the tick’s life cycle and helps control the spread of the disease.
By following these steps and using appropriate tick control methods, you can protect yourself, your family, and your pets from tick-borne diseases and enjoy your yard safely.
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What Our Customers Are Saying
Gayle Rickert
Responsiveness, Punctuality, Quality, Professionalism
Trish did an exceptional job of assessing the tree removal, trimming, diseased/dead trees, and brush removal on our property. She explained the processes clearly and in detail. Trish is an extremely knowledgeable arborist. I highly recommend her to give a comprehensive review & estimate of your landscape needs.
Linda Janiszewski
Punctuality, Quality, Professionalism, Value
We are very happy with the work they did. We had a large birch tree trimmed that had power lines on each side. There were 4 workers and they worked well together as a team to get the job done. They cleaned up the yard around the tree and did a professional job. They also asked us if we liked it before they left. We would highly recommend Owen Tree Service!
Rick Stomps
Responsiveness, Punctuality, Quality, Value
Owen Tree Service did an outstanding job. The crew trimmed up the treeline and removed several. Did a great job of cleanup too. Extremely professional, informative, helpful & friendly. Thanks so much to the great crew - Ron, Skip, Tim & Doug ... you were incredible. Thanks so much. I'll tell folks about you! (BTW - the guys deserve a few extra $$)
Brandon Rowley
Professionalism
Great people and they always do a nice job. We have used Owen Tree Service for years for various things like tree trimming and lawn care.
Andrew Lapeer
I hired Owen to do a tree removal and some pruning for me. Extremely happy with the care they used on my property. I am also using them for my lawn fertilization this year. Arborist seems very knowledgeable.
Tyler Smith
I have used Owen for over 10 years. They take care of my Apple tree, shrubs, lawn irrigation and weed/fertilizer. I have always found them to be price competitive, thoughtful and timely. 5 stars from me!