I'm glad you're considering finding out about the tick tubes (chemically speaking) before introducing them to your property. The most important safety factor would be making sure the tubes don't leach chemicals into the groundwater supply or nearby garden beds.

You then say that even if they are hazardous, yet effective, you'll still use them. Sounds a bit contradictory, to me. Could you convert the habitat that the ticks are thriving in to a habitat that they cannot tolerate?

Maybe the tick tubes are pheromones? If that is the case, I wouldn't have an issue with using them in my yard.

Please don't hang out tubes of poison, though! Earth itself is cringing at the thought.

Permethrin is sold as a topical spot-on insecticide for domestic animals, specifically horses and dogs. It's biggest drawback is that it can be fatal to cats (and is not intended for feline use). I used it on my horses, but will not use it on my dogs as I have a cat and I don't want this feline toxin in the house. I'd feel much more comfortable with these tick tubes if they employed a different and more cat-friendly tick killer, fipronil for instance. I think if a cat killed and ate a mouse that has carried the permethrin treated cotton back to its lair as nesting material, it could cause serious problems or death.

KateB22, have you confirmed that you have a tick "problem" to begin with? Obviously these darn things are probably everywhere, but have you found a disproportionate amount in your yard (i.e. have you come in covered with them often?)

I've been gardening for about 15 years the the rural suburbs on a fairly heavily wooded lot with lots and lots of mice and voles, and in that time have had about two ticks on me. I wear long pants, high socks (despite being called a dork by my kids who think high socks are the epitome of dorkiness), sneakers or muck boots, and gloves. I admit to usually wearing short sleeves, and I don't always like wearing a hat, but usually the only thing showing on me is my forearms. If I am going into an area that may be more tick-prone, I wear the long sleeves and hat. And I do a tick check when I come in as well.

I guess I'm just wondering if you are worrying too much about this. I understand your fears - trust me, they've been trying to diagnose an autoimmune disease in me for seven years, and I've had multiple lyme tests, (and untold numbers of other tests as well) as well as a friend who went undiagnosed for 25 years (she contracted it before they knew what it was) and who has had terrible repercussions from it. So I am not trying to say your fears are unfounded, because they definitely are (founded that is).

I just wonder if your yard or garden warrants such measures. Perhaps it does, if you live in a tick-prone area. But if you are in a more suburban area, with fewer critters and sparser woods, etc., perhaps you don't need to go so far as to use the chemicals yet.

I hope you can find a preventive measure or treatment that will ease your fears. Please realize I am not trying to downplay your concerns at all; quite the opposite. I am trying, out of kindness, to maybe see if you are worrying a bit too much about a problem you might not have.

Good luck with your course of action, and please don't let this ruin your enjoyment of your garden!

:)
Dee

thanks. Yes we are currently building a new home in a rural area next to a very large amount of woods and there have been a lot of ticks in the area so I am trying to create my new yard to be as safe as possible.

I tried tick tubes a few years ago. For tick tubes to be effective, you need to have a "mouse problem". If you don't have mice to come gather the cotton balls, then the cotton balls stay in the tubes and do no good. Maybe because I have lots of hawks, snakes and coyotes visiting my yard I don't have mice around. Which is why I had full tubes of cotton after a season.

Personally I have found the most effective measure is to attempt to keep deer out of my yard. Which is a loosing battle since we border conservation land and have a pond.

I think that mice are a more important host for deer ticks, compared to deer; the nice cozy nests help ticks get through the winter. Ticks can't stay attached to deer so well when it's below freezing, and they presumably have lower survival rates in leaf litter, where there's nothing to eat and they're more likely to be eaten by birds.

Permethrin kills bees, so I decided tick tubes are out. I'm putting garlic in areas where ticks might be common. For me it's squirrels, not mice who carry them, but unfortunately squirrels don't like smelly oils or garlic either, so I can't make tick tubes with it. If you think of something else, please post.

js7713, my parents had a pest control company come to their yard and they are taking care of ticks with garlic. Last year was the first year and it worked great.

Thanks thyme2dig... That's greatly appreciated feedback. Do you know how often they had to treat their yard?

I use a mixture of garlic and cedar oil on the yard because the ticks seem more repelled by the cedar and the mosquitoes more repelled by the garlic. We live in a heavily infested area, so I put out tick tubes in April and July when the mice are mating and nesting, then follow up with the yard spray. It saves a TON of money to make tick tubes yourself and its pretty easy, instructions are here.