Pest Control Ontario

Tick Control: Reduce Risk in Your Own Yard

Blacklegged ticks carrying Lyme disease are now established across southern Ontario and expanding. Our targeted perimeter treatment addresses the vegetation zones where ticks wait for hosts - reducing your family's encounter risk in the spaces you use most.

The Tick Situation in Ontario

Ontario has seen a significant expansion of established blacklegged tick populations over the past decade. What was once limited to a few known risk areas has spread broadly across the province due to warming temperatures and migratory bird movement.

Blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) - Ontario Lyme disease vector

Health Risk

Blacklegged Tick (Deer Tick)

Ixodes scapularis is the primary vector of Lyme disease in Ontario. Nymphs are the highest-risk life stage - they're tiny (1–2 mm, poppy-seed sized) and active from May through July when outdoor activity is highest. Adult ticks are active in spring and fall. Both stages require extended attachment (typically 24–36+ hours) to transmit Borrelia burgdorferi.

Lower Risk

American Dog Tick

The larger tick most people recognize. American dog ticks (Dermacentor variabilis) do not transmit Lyme disease in Ontario but can carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and cause tick paralysis in rare cases. They're common in tall grass and shrubby margins throughout southern Ontario.

1–2mm

Blacklegged tick nymph size (hardest to see)

24–36h

Minimum attachment time for Lyme transmission

May–Jul

Peak nymph activity in Ontario

~80%

Of yard tick encounters occur within 3m of lawn edge

Where Ticks Live in Your Yard

Ticks are poor at dispersing on their own - they depend on hosts and habitat structure. Understanding where they concentrate helps explain why perimeter treatment is effective.

Yard Zone	Tick Presence	Why
Open, mowed lawn center	Very Low	UV exposure and desiccation kill ticks; no questing vegetation
Lawn edge adjacent to garden/trees	High	Humid transition zone; primary questing area
Leaf litter piles	Very High	Ticks overwinter and shelter in leaf litter; high egg survival
Wood/brush piles	High	Harbors mice and chipmunks (primary tick hosts)
Garden border shrubs	High	Low, shaded vegetation perfect for questing posture
Naturalized/unmowed areas	Very High	Dense vegetation, animal traffic, moisture retention

Our Tick Treatment Approach

We target the tick habitat zones - not the open lawn your family plays on.

Lawn-to-Garden Transition Zones

We treat the 1–3 metre band where mowed lawn meets garden borders, shrub bases, and naturalized areas. This is where approximately 80% of tick encounters in residential yards occur.

Wood and Fence Lines

The base of fences, stacked wood, and any dense debris along property edges are treated. These areas support the small mammal activity that sustains tick populations.

Shaded Shrub Interiors

Dense ornamental shrubs and foundation plantings that hold moisture are prime tick resting habitat. We treat accessible interior zones and outer perimeters of high-density plantings.

Reduce Habitat Alongside Treatment: Remove leaf litter piles, clear wood debris from lawn edges, and keep grass mowed short along garden borders. Ticks can't survive in dry, open, sunny lawn - making the border as exposed as possible reduces habitat significantly.

Tick Treatment Schedule - Ontario

Two treatment windows align with the two highest-risk periods for tick encounter in Ontario:

Primary Window

Spring Treatment (Late April – May)

Targets blacklegged tick nymphs as they become active. Nymphs are the highest-risk life stage for Lyme transmission - tiny enough to go unnoticed and active during peak outdoor season. Spring treatment before nymph peak is the single most effective intervention.

Secondary Window

Fall Treatment (September – October)

Targets adult blacklegged ticks seeking their final blood meal before winter. Adults are larger and more visible than nymphs but are still active on warm fall days when families are spending time in the yard. Fall treatment completes season-long coverage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are blacklegged ticks found in Ontario?

Blacklegged ticks are now established across much of southern Ontario including areas around Long Point, Rondeau Provincial Park, Prince Edward Point, and increasingly throughout the GTA, Durham, Simcoe County, and cottage regions. Public Health Ontario publishes updated risk area maps annually.

What areas of my yard do ticks use?

Ticks concentrate in the transition zone between lawn and naturalized areas: leaf litter piles, garden borders, wood edges, shrub bases, and shaded lawn edges adjacent to trees. Open mowed lawn is very low risk.

When should I treat for ticks?

The two peak windows are early spring (late April to May) when nymphs become active, and fall (September to October) when adult ticks are seeking their final host before winter.

Does treatment eliminate all tick risk?

No treatment eliminates 100% of tick risk. Yard treatment significantly reduces encounter rates in treated areas. Personal protective measures - tick checks, repellent, tucking pants into socks in high-grass areas - remain important alongside yard treatment.

Can the treatment be applied around pets and children?

Yes, once the application has dried (typically 45–60 minutes). We treat perimeter vegetation and transition zones - not open lawn play areas. Keep pets and children off treated vegetation until dry.

Protect Your Family in Your Own Yard

Book a tick perimeter treatment before nymph season peaks. Serving southern Ontario.

Call 905-935-7498 All Services

Find Your Region

Serving All of Southern Ontario

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Niagara Region Durham Region Grey-Bruce Haliburton County Halton Region Hamilton The Kawarthas Muskoka Peel Region Toronto York Region Simcoe County Haldimand County Norfolk County Elgin County Huron County Lambton County

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