Keeping Your Yard Dog Friendly & Pest Free
When the weather is nice and summer is here, we tend to spend more time outdoors with our dogs. Even when we’re not going to dog parks or on hikes, we’re still spending time outside in our own yards and homes with our furry friends. Even dogs that don’t like going outside that much tend to still go outside at least for 30 minutes to play and take care of their business. While you can’t completely avoid fleas, ticks, and other pests in your yard, you can take steps to make it safer and more friendly for your pup. Here are some tips and tricks to keeping your yard in tip-top shape for your furry friend.
Keep the Lawn Clean
Sometimes we can get lazy with our lawn care. But it is super important to keep your lawn well-groomed, not just for looks but also for safety. Cut your law short and keep your shrubs trimmed. When the grass in your lawn is shorter, more sunless reaches the ground. Your lawn will be more dry, which helps keep away ticks and fleas from your yard. They won’t be able to thrive in your lawn and your dog will be safer because of it! If you live next to a wooded area, cut back the brush and create a border between the wooded area and your yard. Use gravel or wood-chips to make about a 3 foot wide boarder. Having this break will make it harder for ticks to travel into your yard.
Stay Away From Chemicals
There are so many sprays on the market that will get rid of fleas, ticks, and pests in your yard. However, these sprays often are full of chemicals that can be dangerous for your dog. Just think about it- you spray them on the grass and then your dog spends hours rolling around in this grass. A pet that spends a lot of time outside could be affected by this overtime. Instead look for more natural options that get the job done in a less harsh way.
Search for the Fleas
Another way to avoid having to treat your entire yard for fleas is to just target the areas where they are. You can target specific areas of your lawn. Take note on where your dog likes to spend the most time in your yard. Grab a pair of white socks and pull them up to your knees. Walk around in these areas and the fleas will jump onto the sock and you will be able to see their dark bodies on the white socks. You can then sprays these areas specifically.
Try a Natural Option
If you don’t want to spray your yard at all for fleas, you can try another natural option. A garden store in your area should sell nematodes. Nematodes are a small, wormlike creature that are even smaller than fleas. However, they like to feed on fleas! So they should help keep your yard free of the fleas that will infect your dogs. The best part: they won’t hurt your pets or your family members. When you apply them to the lawn, water the spot, spray the nematodes, then water the area again.
It is so important to keep our lawn safe for our dogs. Follow these steps and they should be safe for tick and flea season!