Whether you have pets or small children, keeping ticks and mosquitoes away is essential to keeping them happy and bite-free. There are a range of approaches you can take, including hiring a pest control company to treat your lawn. Before you have your yard sprayed for these pests, there are a few preventative measures you'll want to put in place. Following these steps can help make the lawn treatment more effective and help your family enjoy the yard more throughout the summer.

Keep Grass Short

Keeping the grass in your yard short provides less cover for ticks, and it can also make it harder for other pests to hide in the blades. You'll want to lower the cutting deck on your mower to accommodate for the shorter length, and you'll also want to make sure you mow right before your pesticide company comes to treat the lawn. Make sure you bag the clippings instead of using the mulching option, as the mulch can get in the way of the treatment process. You may also want to take this time to trim bushes back that might provide cover for pests.

Clean The Yard

It's always a good idea to keep the yard free from toys and other items. They can collect water in the rain, and they can provide lots of great hiding spots for insects. If your children use pool toys or have a small kiddie pool, make sure to drain them of water properly and place then in storage in a shed or garage. You can line-dry deflated pool floats, and you can rest a small swimming pool against the fence until it's completely dry. As you clean up the yard, keep an eye out for any areas where water collects. If you have puddles that never quite go away, you may want to talk to your landscaper about improving the drainage to prevent mosquito and tick infestations.

Hire An Experienced Pest Control Company

If you are concerned about Lyme Disease, West Nile Virus, and other diseases spread by mosquitoes and ticks, it's a good idea to have the lawn treated during the summer months. Make sure that any service you use is experienced in this type of pest control, and ask about which chemicals will be used. You want to make sure that the lawn will be safe for your kids and your pets after the treatment. Remember that there may be a period of time that everyone will need to keep off of the lawn, but after the pest control company clears the lawn for play, you and your family can enjoy more time in the yard, day and night. For more information about lawn treatment, contact a pest control company near you.