Ticks

- Tiny dark nymphs difficult to see, especially on children or pets - Attached ticks found behind knees, in hair, or at the waistband after hikes - Ticks found on dogs after walks through brush or leaf litter - Tick drags or tick activity noticed along yard edges and trails

Granular or liquid residual acaricide applied to yard perimeter and transition zones; deer-exclusion fencing; host-targeted desiccant tubes (cotton bait for rodents) for tick population reduction. We apply perimeter acaricides in yard transition zones, recommend host-targeted rodent tubes where applicable, and prioritize landscaping changes (wood‑chip/gravel buffer) to reduce tick habitat near play areas.

• Apply EPA-registered tick repellent (DEET 20%+ or permethrin on clothing) before outdoor activity.
• Wear long sleeves and pants tucked into socks in wooded or grassy areas.
• Conduct a full-body tick check within 2 hours of outdoor exposure.
• Mow lawns regularly and clear leaf litter from yard edges and play areas.
• Shower within 2 hours of potential tick exposure to dislodge unattached ticks.
• Mow lawns and clear leaf litter from play and patio areas regularly
• Create a 3‑foot gravel or wood‑chip buffer between woods and lawn
• Treat pets year‑round with veterinarian-recommended preventives
• Wear permethrin-treated clothing or DEET repellent when hiking in wooded areas
• Do a full-body tick check within two hours of outdoor exposure

Quests in tall grass, leaf litter, and woodland edges where host animals travel; nymph stage is peak-risk (May–July) due to small size and slow feeding detection.

Ticks are common around Asheville, particularly along woodland edges, the Blue Ridge Parkway corridors, and river-adjacent yards with leaf litter. Properties that border forest or overgrown buffers see the highest pressure.