How to Kill Ticks in Sand

Ticks are a relatively common pest, but just because they are common does not mean they should be underestimated. Ticks can carry a variety of diseases, including Lyme disease, which causes a red rash and can be very serious, as well as various symptoms of the flu. Tick bites don't just affect animals, they can affect human beings with the same disease-causing bacteria they use to harm anything else they may bite. However dangerous ticks may be, there are ways to get rid of them.

Things You'll Need

• Diatomaceous earth
• Dust Mask
• Tweezers

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Instructions

• 1

  Identify the area where the ticks are residing. They are most often found in grass, bushes, or trees, but some varieties of ticks can be found in sand. These are the ticks we'll be focusing on.

• 2

  Place the dust mask on your face to make sure you don't breathe in the chemical you're using to take care of the ticks, as this is harmful.

• 3

  Dust the diatomaceous earth over the tick-infested area. Diatomaceous earth is a naturally occurring pesticide that kills insects by cutting their exoskeleton and drying them out. Be sure to get this from a gardening store, as the type used in pool filters has been altered and is not as effective.

• 4

  Find out if anyone in your household has been bitten by any ticks, especially children and pets. For pets check around the ears and neck. For humans check the legs, feet and scalp.

• 5

  Use a pair of tweezers on anyone who has been bitten. Put the tweezers flush against the skin, and remove the tick with a slow consistent pull. This has the greatest chance of completely removing the tick instead of leaving the head embedded in the skin. Put the tick down the sink drain, flush it down the toilet or burn it. Never put a removed tick in the trash, as it will just crawl out.