Ticks Vs Fleas: How To Know What's Hiding In Your Grass

When you walk outside and take a deep breath, the scent of fresh plants and grass wakes your senses like a warm cup of coffee. Then you take a short stroll through your lawn, perhaps you are walking the dog, or checking on your garden. As you walk back up to your door and turn to take in one last glimpse of nature before heading back inside, you look down to see small, pink dots breaking out on your legs. Your leisurely morning stroll has turned into a nightmare. If this sounds familiar, chances are your lawn has become infested with ticks or fleas. Have you overlooked a solution for keeping ticks and fleas out of your lawn? Ridding your lawn of them will start with identifying the pest you're dealing with. 

So how can you tell if it's fleas or ticks hiding in your grass? Luckily, it's pretty simple once you know the difference between these pests. If you can catch sight of the little insects, you can compare their physical characteristics. Fleas are smaller than ticks with reddish-brown bodies that are narrow and pinched when viewed from above. Ticks, on the other hand, are oval-shaped from above and flattened from the side. Different types of ticks are different colors, but they will generally fall on a scale from brown to black.

If you haven't been lucky enough to catch sight of the irritating culprits plaguing your yard, there are some other signs you can be on the lookout for. If you have ticks, you will likely only have one or two bites on your skin at a time. Most people cannot feel tick bites when they happen. If you did happen to be bitten by several ticks at once and failed to notice them, you may see bite patterns in a straight line. Instead, you might see ticks crawling on your clothing or latching onto your skin after a hike. Ticks are easiest to identify if you have pets. They tend to latch onto your pet behind its ears, or on its neck, shoulder blades, or toes. They are also generally only active in the spring or months when the temperature is warm, but not hot.

If you or your pet has live tick or a tick bite, you can look for groups of ticks living in grassy or moist areas of your yard. Alternatively, look for tiny brownish-red eggs in cracks or crevices in your home, once a pet or human has brought an adult inside. They will be in large clusters. 

You may be unfortunate enough to have some of the common things around your property that are luring ticks into your yard, mainly debris. This can make it harder to keep ticks away after initial treatments. However, outside of traditional prevention tactics, like keeping your lawn short, you can add certain plants to your garden that will keep ticks out of your yard for good.

Fleas are much more noticeable than ticks. They tend to gather in colonies and jump to get around. Look around shaded grassy areas or under brush for tiny pests that pop up out of the grass in groups. Their biting habits are also a good indication you're dealing with fleas instead of ticks. Generally, you will feel flea bites. On humans, you may see groups of small pink or red, itchy bites on your feet or ankles. On pets, you will probably notice your animal itching more regularly around the neck, tail, or groin. In some cases, you may also notice your pet grooming these areas more frequently. If fleas have found their way into your home, you may see small specks that look like pepper on your pet, their bedding, or your carpets. This is called flea dirt, which is a nicer name for their droppings.

Like ticks, there a plenty of ways you may be attracting fleas to your yard with tall grass, piles of wood or mulch, and water features. Thankfully, there are certain scents and components found in aromatic plants that fleas really dislike. Be on the lookout for flea-repelling plants you'll want to have in your yard to prevent future infestations.