How to Protect Your Yard With DIY Tick Tubes

Given my personal experience with Lyme Disease and multiple tick-borne illnesses, safeguarding myself and my family from coming into contact with ticks is a top priority. Since a significant amount of our time is spent in our backyard, it’s crucial to try and minimize the presence of ticks in this area. Fortunately, there’s a remarkably easy and inexpensive do-it-yourself project that can help protect your yard against ticks.

You might be asking, “What are tick tubes and why would I need them?” Simply put, tick tubes are cardboard tubes filled with cotton that has been treated with Permethrin, and they are placed around your yard to help manage the tick population. Permethrin is described as “a natural insecticide made from the flower chrysanthemum” and is known for its effectiveness in killing ticks upon contact. I also utilize permethrin by spraying it on my clothing when I anticipate being in areas where ticks are common, such as during camping trips. I’ve found that “One application lasts for 6 weeks or 6 washes (which ever comes first).”

It’s important to understand that “Unfortunately ticks won’t just go and find these tick tubes on their own. What you want is for mice to find them.” Mice are known to carry a significant number of nymph (baby) ticks. The idea behind tick tubes is that these mice will encounter the Permethrin-soaked cotton and will use it to line their nests. This action brings the nymph ticks into contact with the Permethrin, effectively killing them before they have the opportunity to enter your yard and potentially bite you.

While commercially made tick tubes are available for purchase at places like Amazon, as you mentioned, “But it really is incredibly easy to make them, with minimal materials and costs so much less.” Indeed, creating your own tick tubes is a very simple process that requires few materials and is quite economical.

Here are the supplies you’ll need for your DIY tick tubes:

• Permethrin insect repellent in a spray bottle (I personally used the Sawyer brand).
• Empty toilet paper rolls (it’s also worth noting that “you can also use empty paper towel rolls or PVC pipe” as alternatives).
• Cotton balls (or even “dryer lint”).
• Protective gloves.
• A mask.
• A cardboard box to contain the spraying.

To assemble your tick tubes, first, gather all your necessary materials. As I mentioned, “you probably already have most of them in your home except Permethrin.” Next, place your cotton balls inside the cardboard box and take all your supplies outside to ensure good ventilation. Wearing your mask and gloves for protection, thoroughly spray all the cotton balls until they are fully saturated with the Permethrin solution. Allow the treated cotton balls to dry completely. Once they are dry on one side, flip them over and repeat the spraying process on the other side to ensure even coverage. It’s crucial to remember that “Take note that Permethrin is safe for animals however while it is wet it is not safe for cats as it affects their central nervous system so make sure to keep wet Permethrin away from cats. Once dry the Permethrin is safe for cats.” Therefore, ensure the cotton is completely dry before placing the tubes outdoors, especially if you have feline companions.

Once the cotton balls are fully dry, you can begin stuffing them into your empty toilet paper rolls. I found it effective to stuff them so that they were nearly full but the cotton could still be easily pulled out by mice. It’s worth noting that “There are a few tick tube tutorials, like this one on Practical Primitive, that use dryer lint, which is another cotton material you can use.” However, it’s also important to consider that “However if you use dryer sheets the mice might not like the smell of your lint and potentially won’t take the dryer lint.”

After stuffing your toilet paper tubes, you should strategically place them in areas around your yard where mice are likely to frequent. This includes “areas of your yard that are wooded, the perimeter of your yard, and anywhere that looks like a mouse would go like an overgrown area.” One important consideration is that “One more note, since Permethrin is a broad spectrum insecticide do not place tick tubes in areas where it might affect honey bees or other pollinating insects.”

Permethrin is not water-soluble, so it won’t easily wash away in the rain, and generally, “one application should last about 6 weeks so you should replace your tick tubes every spring and late summer.” If you don’t observe a noticeable decrease in the tick population in your yard, you can simply put out more tick tubes. To monitor if mice are interacting with the tubes, you can periodically check them to see if any cotton is missing. If the cotton is gone, it’s a good sign that the mice are using it, and you should replace the tube with a fresh one.

I find these DIY tick tubes to be a fantastic solution because “they are super affordable, they are biodegradable and anything that can prevent tick-borne diseases is a win in my book!” I sincerely hope that this DIY tick tube tutorial proves helpful in protecting your yard from those troublesome, disease-carrying ticks!