How to Reduce Ticks on your Property – Horse Care Management

This past December Co-Owners of GHP, Bobby and Anna were fortunate to move to their new farm. The farm needs a lot of work to bringing their horses on property.  One item critical to tack prior to bring the horses to their new home was tick management.

They chose not to spray insecticides on the pastures. So how can you manage tick populations without spraying chemicals? A multi-pronged approach is the best way to tackle ticks when looking for natural alternatives. Let’s dive into the techniques GHP will be deploying on their farm:

1.      1. Keep your Grass Short: during the growing season, keep grass under 3 inches to deter ticks by removing their ideal habitat, which is moist environments. An additional benefit to mowing is weed control. Use mowers that are meant to “finish” the grass like a finishing mower for a tractor or a compact tractor with a mid-mount mower deck.  

2.      2. Wood Debris Piles: avoid piling limbs, leaf litter, and debris in piles near your pastures or on your property. Debris piles attract small mammals and can become a breeding ground for ticks.

3.      3. Fence line Buffer: keep at least 3 – 8 feet of mowed buffer between your fence and the woods or taller grasses. This will deter ticks from moving into your pasture.

4.      4. Guinea Fowl and Chickens: rotational grazing with animals is helpful for many reasons when implemented correctly. Guinea fowl are a tool for reducing and controlling ticks if you have the capacity to care for additional animals. Chickens scratch and reduce insect populations when free ranging or turning out in pastures.

5.      5. Prescribed Burning: burning your pastures during non-growing seasons or in early spring will reduce tick populations and return nutrients to the soil. Ensure you burn annually to see the best results from this technique. *Make sure professionals conduct this management activity and that you adhere to all rules associated with your state, and/or town policies.

6.      6. Insect Repellency: when turning horses out, it’s common to spray for flies. With increased tick born illnesses on the rise, GHP sprays for ticks as well. Fly Bye! Plus is a great option as it protects against flies and ticks!