Ticks

- Tiny seed‑sized nymphs or larger ticks attached to skin or found on pets after time in tall grass or woods. - Ticks questing on tall grass, brush and garden edges near wooded parcels. - Findings of engorged ticks on clothing or pets after hikes around Pisgah and local greenways. - Small dark dot embedded in the skin that doesn’t brush off easily.

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. Local programs use perimeter granular or liquid acaricides, targeted barrier treatments in transition zones, deer‑exclusion advice and rodent‑targeted tick tubes as part of a layered strategy.

• 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.
• Create a 3–6 foot mulch or gravel buffer between lawns and woodlines and clear leaf litter from yard edges.
• Mow regularly and trim tall grasses and understory near play areas.
• Treat pets with veterinarian‑recommended tick preventatives and check them after outdoor time.
• Apply EPA‑registered repellents and perform full‑body tick checks after hikes on Blue Ridge trails.
• Consider seasonal perimeter treatments in spring and early summer where properties border woods.

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 on properties bordering forest edges, trails near the Blue Ridge Parkway and yards with heavy leaf litter or unmanaged understory.