GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — With summer just around the corner, ticks will soon be a concern. While there are chemical treatment options to keep your yard protected from ticks, however, there are natural alternatives, like chickens.
So incase you prefer a more holistic approach, we Verify:
Are chickens the best option for natural tick control?
Our sources are Anthony Szczesny, owner and operator of at A-1 Pest Control Services in Grand Rapids, and Jeff Gray, also with A-1 Pest Control.
Szczesny says chickens aren't the only birds that will help to cut down on ticks.
"You could also put bird feeders way in the backyard and don't over overfeed the birds that way they will rummage through your yard and eat all these insects," said Szczesny. "Keep the lawn cut, try to bag it if possible if there are leaves in wooded area, blow those in as far as you can."
And then, bring in the chickens as the best solution to your tick problem?
Our experts say, no.
"I advise against it because you have to need to cover the whole yard and chickens are a lot of work," said Szczesny.
"Not recommended," said Jeff Gray. "I see a lot of people are going that way with free range chickens out in the country, but in the city it's not recommended."
The experts agree that a chemical treatment is a smarter way to go, because it will cover the entire property—and not just the area where the chickens feed. They also say you could do both bird feeders or chickens, and the chemical treatment, as they will hand in hand to keep your yard safer this tick season.
RELATED VIDEO:
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.