Summer Lawn Care to Keep Ticks—and Trouble—Away

Summer marks the peak of tick activity. As temperatures rise and humidity increases, ticks become especially active—right around the time families, kids, and pets spend more time outdoors. And with Florida’s warm, humid subtropical climate, tick season can feel like it lasts all year long.

Aside from being plain annoying, ticks are known carriers of diseases like Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, and anaplasmosis. Even when not infected, their bites can trigger skin irritations or allergic reactions in both people and pets.

Unfortunately, overgrown, patchy, or poorly maintained lawns make the perfect hiding spot for ticks. Bare patches collect debris, weeds grow unchecked, and taller grass provides a cool, shaded refuge. But here’s the good news: proactive summer lawn care can make your yard far less inviting to these pests.

Understanding Where Ticks Thrive in Lawns

Ticks go through several life stages—egg, larva, nymph, and adult—and understanding this cycle is key to stopping them.

Nymphs are particularly dangerous because they’re tiny—about the size of a poppy seed—and often go unnoticed. They’re most active in early spring and thrive in warm, humid weather, making them a concern through much of the year. Adult ticks, on the other hand, tend to peak in mid to late summer, with the highest activity usually in July.

If you want to prevent ticks, it helps to know exactly where in your yard they’re most likely to settle.

Shady, Moist Areas with Tall Grass

Ticks love damp, cool areas—especially where grass is tall or thinning. Long blades create a humid microclimate near the soil surface that keeps ticks hydrated and hidden.

Edges Near Woodlines, Unkempt Flower Beds, and Brush Piles

These transitional areas between the lawn and wild spaces offer plenty of cover and access to hosts. Ticks thrive in zones where animals, kids, or pets pass frequently.

Bare Patches or Neglected Turf

Open soil or weak turf areas with weeds, leaf litter, and debris provide shelter and make it easier for ticks to survive. When the grass is thin, there’s little barrier between you and the pests below.

Summer Lawn Maintenance Tips to Get Rid of Ticks

Ticks thrive in specific hiding places—but with a little strategy, you can take those hiding spots away.

Mow Smart

• Keep grass trimmed to the shortest recommended height—short enough to discourage ticks, but tall enough to support healthy growth and strong roots.

• Bag clippings near shaded or wooded zones. This prevents clippings from creating moist shelters where ticks and their hosts might linger.

Remove Yard Debris and Weeds

• Clear fallen leaves, twigs, and extra mulch. These materials trap moisture and create tick havens.
  

• Weed regularly. Weeds not only compete with turfgrass but also provide cover and humidity—ideal conditions for ticks.

Water Wisely

• Irrigate early in the morning. This gives your lawn time to dry before nightfall, reducing the humidity ticks love.
  

• Avoid overwatering. Stick to deep, infrequent watering that strengthens roots without creating soggy conditions that invite ticks and mosquitoes.

Build a Thick, Healthy Lawn with SodPods® Grass Plugs

Ticks thrive in patchy, cluttered environments—but a dense, uniform lawn makes your yard far less welcoming. When your turf is thick and healthy, there are fewer weeds where ticks can hide and debris-filled areas where they can settle. A well-maintained lawn also improves airflow near the ground, helping it stay drier and sunnier—conditions that ticks dislike. In short, the more uniform your grass, the less room there is for pests to lurk.

How SodPods® Grass Plugs Help

SodPods® are pre-rooted grass plugs that make thickening your lawn easy and effective.

• Easy to install: Just dig, insert the plug, and water—no heavy sod pallets or full lawn replacements required.

• Faster establishment in Florida lawns: Because SodPods® are already mature, they root quickly and become more resilient in the heat and humidity.

• Perfect for problem spots: Great for filling in bare patches or sloped areas where seed may struggle to establish.

Best SodPods® Grass Varieties for Tick-Resistant Lawns

Bermudagrass – Tough and resilient, it tolerates low mowing heights and heavy foot traffic, making it harder for ticks to find shelter. Its aggressive growth and dense coverage make it ideal for high-traffic lawns.

St. Augustinegrass – A broad-bladed grass that grows thick and lush, creating a full canopy that reduces bare spots where ticks might hide. Varieties like CitraBlue® and Palmetto® are especially well-suited to lawns with varying sun exposure, offering improved tolerance to partial shade.

Zoysiagrass – Dense and fine-bladed, Zoysia forms a low, carpet-like surface that thrives in full sun and chokes out weeds before they become a problem. Its tightly woven turf leaves few hiding places for pests, making it an excellent choice for tick prevention.

Create Tick-Safe Zones Around the Yard

Beyond your lawn, your yard’s layout can either help or hinder tick prevention.

• Maintain a 3-foot mulch or gravel barrier between turf and wooded areas. Ticks avoid dry, sunny terrain and are unlikely to cross this kind of border.
  

• Define patios, playsets, and garden areas with trimmed grass or hardscaping to minimize tick migration into high-use zones.
  

• Extend grass coverage into transitional spaces using SodPods®. Bare or weedy fence lines, corners, and shady patches are common problem areas that can be reinforced with plugs.

Additional Natural Tick Prevention Tips

These additional strategies can support your lawn care efforts:

• Install cedar mulch around flower beds and perimeters. Ticks dislike the smell and texture of cedar.
  

• Attract tick-eating birds like mockingbirds, robins, and wrens by planting native shrubs or using bird feeders near play areas.
  

• Watch your watering—too much moisture creates the perfect environment for ticks and other lawn pests. Instead of frequent, shallow watering, aim for deep, less frequent irrigation. This encourages stronger roots, keeps the soil surface drier, and makes your lawn less inviting to pests. Stick to a consistent schedule, ideally watering early in the morning so the grass dries out by evening.

Gotta Go Grass® Pads for Dogs: A Summer-Safe Alternative

During peak tick season, keeping pets away from tick-heavy zones might be the safest way to avoid them. In these cases, grass pads offer a practical option. These portable solutions—like real grass pads with a tray—can:

• Provide a clean potty area for pets while minimizing their exposure to tall grass.

• Be used during puppy training or to support older dogs who might be more vulnerable to tick bites.

• Buy you time while grass plugs fill in thin areas of your yard.

They’re especially helpful in the summer when tick pressure is high and your pets can benefit from an indoor bathroom alternative.

FAQs: Summer Lawn Care and Tick Prevention

1. How can I keep ticks out of my lawn naturally?

Maintain a tidy yard by mowing regularly, removing leaf litter, and trimming overgrown edges. Use cedar mulch as a natural deterrent, attract tick-eating birds like mockingbirds, and avoid overwatering to reduce the damp conditions ticks prefer.

2. How fast do SodPods fill in bare spots?

With proper care, SodPods® can begin spreading in just a few weeks, especially during the summer growing season in Florida.

3. Do I need to treat my entire lawn to control ticks?

Not necessarily. Focus on tick-prone areas like woodline edges, shady zones, and underused corners first. Expanding healthy grass in these areas makes a big difference.

4. Are grass pads a good long-term solution for pets?

Grass pads work great as a temporary or supplemental solution—especially during tick season or when training pets. They can be used in tandem with long-term lawn care improvements.

Final Thoughts: A Lawn That Looks Good—and Keeps Pests Away

More than curb appeal—a great-looking lawn is your first line of defense against ticks. When you pair smart summer maintenance with dense, healthy turf grown from SodPods® grass plugs, you’re not simply growing grass. You're building a safer, more enjoyable outdoor space for your entire family.

This summer, take control of your lawn. Patch bare spots, mow wisely, and give your turf the support it needs with SodPods®—available on our website.