Where do you live?

What kind of grass do you have? Is it watered, mowed, and fertilized regularly?

Do you have outdoor pets?

Why do you think you have ticks?

I've asked you so many questions I thought you'd know me by now..

:)

Northern NJ, KBG mix, watered, mowed, fertilized properly....no pets.

We have had so much rain this spring and my wife read an article about it's the worst tick season in recent memory.

We have a 4 year old and don't need him getting ticks.

It IS bad this year. I pick ticks off of me everyday, and that is in sun and shade, in my garden and on mowed "grass." They are really bad this year.

Anyone outdoors should tuck pants into socks, remove all clothes when finished outdoors and don't save them to wear again. Launder them first. Take a shower before bedtime (really, directly after being outdoors is best.) Rub dry with towel. Inspect every part of your son's body each day.

Spray clothing with deet and skin with an herbal bug spray. An exterminator may be able to come spray your yard.

Im In upstate NY and already got bit this year. You just have to be careful and check yourself after doing any yardwork.

Ticks are often carried in mice, rabbits, and deer as the name implies. So even if an insecticide was able to eliminate all of them from the yard they will most likely return.

My advice would be to keep your yard maintained and assume any tall grass or leaves are loaded with them and of course keep you and your family safe and check after being outside.

Should I suit up properly and try to get rid of the leaf pile? It's rather large....

Only if its in your yard or a place you frequently travel through. If its in a wooded area I would at the very least keep a wide path cleaned so you arent continually walking through deep leaves or tall grass. And leaf piles are like magnets for little kids so keep an eye out when your outside.