The ticks you're most likely to meet
Several tick species are common in Howard County, and they don't all carry the same risks:
- Blacklegged ticks (deer ticks): small and dark, and the main carrier of Lyme disease in Maryland. Nymphs are about the size of a poppy seed and easy to miss.
- Lone star ticks: reddish-brown, and adult females have a single white spot on the back. They're aggressive biters and are spreading in the region.
- American dog ticks: larger, brown with white or gray markings. Common along grassy edges and on dogs.
Tick season doesn't end in summer
Many people put away the bug spray after Labor Day, but ticks don't follow that schedule. Blacklegged tick nymphs are most active from late spring through summer, which is when most Lyme infections happen. Adult blacklegged ticks are most active in the fall and stay active through the winter on any day when the temperature climbs above freezing.
That means October and November, when families are raking leaves, hiking, and cleaning up the garden, are still prime time for tick encounters. Dogs that run through leaf piles and tall grass can carry ticks into the house even when the people don't go near the woods.
Where ticks live in a typical Columbia yard
Ticks don't jump or fly. They wait on low plants and leaf litter for a person or animal to brush past, and they dry out quickly in direct sun. So most ticks in a yard are found in a few predictable places: along the edge where lawn meets woods or a natural area, in leaf litter and ground cover, under shrubs, around stone walls and woodpiles, and in tall grass along fences. Yards that border Columbia's pathways and open space often have the most tick pressure along that back property line.
Making your yard less tick-friendly
You can't make a yard tick-free, but you can make the areas your family uses much less hospitable:
- Keep the lawn mowed and rake up leaf litter, especially near play areas and patios.
- Create a three-foot barrier of wood chips or gravel between the lawn and any wooded edge.
- Move swing sets, sandboxes, and seating away from the woods and into sunny areas.
- Stack firewood neatly and off the ground, away from the house, to discourage mice, which carry ticks.
- Trim back overgrown shrubs and ground cover along walkways.
- Seal gaps that let mice into sheds and garages, since rodents are a key host for young ticks.
Habits that protect your family and pets
Yard work goes a long way, but personal habits matter just as much. Use an EPA-registered insect repellent when you're working in the garden or walking wooded paths, and consider clothing treated with permethrin. When you come inside, do a full tick check on yourself and your kids, paying attention to the scalp, behind the ears, under the arms, behind the knees, and around the waistband. Showering soon after coming indoors helps you find ticks that haven't attached yet. Putting dry outdoor clothes in the dryer on high heat for about ten minutes kills ticks that hitched a ride.
For dogs and cats, ask your veterinarian which tick preventive is right for your pet, and check them after walks, especially around the ears, neck, and between the toes.
If you find an attached tick, use fine-tipped tweezers to grab it as close to the skin as possible and pull straight up with steady pressure. Clean the area afterward. Skip folk remedies like petroleum jelly, nail polish, or a hot match. If you develop a rash or fever in the weeks after a tick bite, contact your doctor and mention the bite.
When a yard treatment makes sense
A professional tick treatment targets the places ticks actually live: wooded edges, leaf litter, shaded borders, and ground cover, rather than the open, sunny middle of the lawn. It makes the most sense for yards that back onto woods or open space, homes with kids and dogs who spend a lot of time outside, and anyone who keeps finding ticks after time in their own yard. Combined with the yard changes above, it can noticeably cut down on how many ticks your family runs into at home.
See our tick and mite control service page for what a yard tick treatment includes in Columbia, MD.