Insecticide questions

[Palomino]

Hello,

I recently acquired about 10 acres of land in rural Northeast Wisconsin of which I now mow about 1.5 acres around the house on the property. Before the property was mowed when I first took ownership the grass had gotten fairly long and we have had a problem with Wood Ticks. Now that I cut the grass around the house the Ticks for the most part seem to stay away from that area but are still very common on the rest of the property.

I have been thinking of applying a product like OrthoMax Bug-B-Gone insect killer for lawns in Granular form to make sure that they stay away from the house atleast. There also seems to be alot of ants around but they dont seem to have any interest in the house for whatever reason so far.

My question is are there any health concerns with these products. I know that lawn needs water after application and that it is safe after it is watered in.

Does anyone have any opinions or advice on these products or any other suggestions as to what I can do to keep the Ticks away /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Also, the soil is extremely sandy in this area if that makes any difference.

Thanks,

Mike Krivsky
Wisconsin

 

[Palomino]

Hello,

I recently acquired about 10 acres of land in rural Northeast Wisconsin of which I now mow about 1.5 acres around the house on the property. Before the property was mowed when I first took ownership the grass had gotten fairly long and we have had a problem with Wood Ticks. Now that I cut the grass around the house the Ticks for the most part seem to stay away from that area but are still very common on the rest of the property.

I have been thinking of applying a product like OrthoMax Bug-B-Gone insect killer for lawns in Granular form to make sure that they stay away from the house atleast. There also seems to be alot of ants around but they dont seem to have any interest in the house for whatever reason so far.

My question is are there any health concerns with these products. I know that lawn needs water after application and that it is safe after it is watered in.

Does anyone have any opinions or advice on these products or any other suggestions as to what I can do to keep the Ticks away /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Also, the soil is extremely sandy in this area if that makes any difference.

Thanks,

Mike Krivsky
Wisconsin

 

[midlf]

Congrats on the property. Generally I would recommend against a general insecticide unless you have a specific problem to solve. The general products kill too many of the beneficial critters. If the ticks reappear in the mowed area then I would then use the product on them, but not until they appear. The short grass should take care of that problem. For the ants I use the granular ant stuff in a band around the foundation. That takes care of them and a bunch of other critters that want into the house without the need to chemically nuke the whole area. The short grass even takes care of most of the mosquitos. Out in the long grass the mosquitos are overwhelming.

If you don't blast the whole area you don't have to worry about the safety of the product you didn't use.

 

[midlf]

Congrats on the property. Generally I would recommend against a general insecticide unless you have a specific problem to solve. The general products kill too many of the beneficial critters. If the ticks reappear in the mowed area then I would then use the product on them, but not until they appear. The short grass should take care of that problem. For the ants I use the granular ant stuff in a band around the foundation. That takes care of them and a bunch of other critters that want into the house without the need to chemically nuke the whole area. The short grass even takes care of most of the mosquitos. Out in the long grass the mosquitos are overwhelming.

If you don't blast the whole area you don't have to worry about the safety of the product you didn't use.

 

[Doc_Bob]

You cannot win against ticks. Just do daily tick checks, cut the grass, wear long pants with the pant legs tucked into your socks and where a broad rim hat (not for ticks, but to prevent sun damage)
Bob

 

[Doc_Bob]

You cannot win against ticks. Just do daily tick checks, cut the grass, wear long pants with the pant legs tucked into your socks and where a broad rim hat (not for ticks, but to prevent sun damage)
Bob

 

[Jagmandave]

I have a similar problem on my property, although they seem to be dropping on me out of the trees here!

We'll be building on this property sometime soon and I wonder how in the heck to deal with this after we move out there? I keep the grass mowed down, that's why I figure they're coming out of the trees...........the property is far too woody to try and spray all the trees, so I don't know what I'm going to do...........I find them under my shirt and in the waistband of my jeans, and it seems like it takes a really long time for the bites to heal. I've come to hate the little buggers.....

 

[Jagmandave]

I have a similar problem on my property, although they seem to be dropping on me out of the trees here!

We'll be building on this property sometime soon and I wonder how in the heck to deal with this after we move out there? I keep the grass mowed down, that's why I figure they're coming out of the trees...........the property is far too woody to try and spray all the trees, so I don't know what I'm going to do...........I find them under my shirt and in the waistband of my jeans, and it seems like it takes a really long time for the bites to heal. I've come to hate the little buggers.....

 

[heehaw]

6 chickens will rid the place around the house of ticks. guinneas work too, but i haven't been able to keep them from roaming to far and then staying gone. no chemicals needed.
heehaw

 

[heehaw]

6 chickens will rid the place around the house of ticks. guinneas work too, but i haven't been able to keep them from roaming to far and then staying gone. no chemicals needed.
heehaw