Signs You Have Ticks in Your Long Island Home
You have a tick problem on your Long Island property if family members or pets have pulled ticks off after playing in the yard, if you back to woods or a preserve, or if deer are visibly grazing on or near the property. Suffolk County has among the highest black-legged (deer) tick densities in New York State, and Nassau County wooded pockets and larger estates also see meaningful exposure. Peak transmission periods for Lyme, anaplasmosis, and babesiosis on Long Island run from late April through July, with a second smaller peak in October. Even a single tick found on a child or dog after yard play is a strong reason to treat the property.
How Bobby Bugs Treats Ticks
Bobby Bugs treats ticks on Long Island by targeting the yard-to-woods edge, leaf litter, and ornamental beds where ticks quest for hosts. Expect a free estimate first, followed by a targeted spray that reduces tick pressure by roughly 80 to 90 percent inside the treated zone.
- 1Free on-site estimate: yard size, tree line length, and target zones.
- 2Written estimate before any work begins.
- 3Targeted treatment of yard edges, wooded margins, ornamental beds, and stone walls.
- 4Optional multi-visit seasonal program aligned to nymphal and adult tick life cycles.
- 5Post-treatment guidance on personal protection, pet checks, and landscape adjustments.
How Long Does It Take to Get Rid of Ticks?
Tick populations in a treated Long Island yard drop sharply within 3 to 7 days after a Bobby Bugs application, with meaningful protection lasting roughly 4 to 6 weeks depending on rainfall. Because ticks continually re-enter from adjacent woods and via wildlife hosts, single treatments are best thought of as season-long risk reduction rather than one-and-done elimination. Multi-visit programs stack these reductions across the highest-risk months.
How to Keep Ticks Out of Your Yard
To keep ticks down in a Long Island yard, follow the CDC's tick-safe zone approach: remove leaf litter, clear tall grass and brush around the house and at the edge of the lawn, put a three-foot barrier of wood chips or gravel between the lawn and any woods, and mow often. Keep play sets, patios and seating away from the tree line and yard edges, stack firewood neatly in a dry spot so it doesn't shelter mice, and use fencing to keep out deer, raccoons and stray dogs, since they carry ticks in. On the personal side, the CDC recommends EPA-registered repellents, clothing treated with 0.5 percent permethrin, a full tick check after time outside with attention to the hairline, ears, armpits, groin and behind the knees, a shower within two hours of coming in, and a ten-minute high-heat tumble in the dryer for the clothes you wore. Check pets, coats and bags too. Yard treatment reduces the tick population on the property; it doesn't stop deer and mice from bringing new ones in, which is why tick work is quoted with a free estimate and no guarantee.
Sources
Where we see ticks most on Long Island
- Medford
Yards inside the Central Pine Barrens, with scrub oak and leaf litter at every back fence.
- Melville
Homes along Sweet Hollow Road and the edge of West Hills County Park.
- Dix Hills
Large wooded lots with deer and leaf litter within feet of the house.
- Stony Brook
Preserves, harbor edge and wooded lots along 25A.
- Setauket
Yards bordering Frank Melville Park, Patriot's Hollow and the harbor marsh.
- Islip
Homes along the Seatuck National Wildlife Refuge and the bay marshes.
- Southampton
Estate lots with hedgerows, privet lines and heavy deer traffic.
- East Hampton
Wooded, privet-lined lots with deer on every street.
Related reading
More resources
- Visit our full services list.
- See every area we serve across Nassau, Suffolk, Queens, and The Bronx.
- See our cicada killer wasp and mining bee treatment page.
- See our general insect treatment page.
- See our spotted lanternfly treatment page.
How Much Does Tick Control Cost on Long Island?
Tick control cost on Long Island depends on yard size and how much tick habitat borders it. An open quarter-acre lot in Levittown is a straightforward seasonal application, while properties backing to woods, leaf litter, and stone walls in Huntington or Smithtown need more product along the shaded edges where ticks actually breed and quest. Seasonal programs with repeat visits through spring and fall cost more than a single treatment but hold populations down all year. Bobby Bugs gives you a free written quote before any work begins, and the number on the invoice matches the quote. Every tick control program is a seasonal service with pricing confirmed in writing.
What customers say
So let’s start with this.I was out of town, and my daughter called me in a frenzy that she saw a roach. 10 years in that house never had roaches. Here I am out of state trying to figure out the fastest way to help my daughter. Saw the name BOBBY BUGS and the reviews and figured I would call them up.I called spoke to Anthony not only did he go above and beyond for us but the service was fantastic. William who showed up at the house was simply incredible and made my daughter feel at ease. Thank you for helping our little Italian Family out in such a pinch. Grazie Mille Adriana
Fast, friendly service. I called in the morning and Will came to my house that evening. Will was great. I would definitely use Bobby's Bugs again and recommend them.
Response was super quick to my inquiry and someone was able to be sent out out quickly. Will came and explained the process, walked me through and showed me what he had done, and reviewed the service order to make sure none of my requests were missed. It was a great experience overall and truck wasn't announcing itself to the neighborhood either which was a plus.
Reviewed October 2026
Frequently asked questions
Does spraying a yard for ticks actually work?
Yes. Professional yard tick treatment on Long Island typically reduces the population by 80 to 90 percent inside the treated zone for weeks at a time. It does not eliminate ticks in adjacent woods, so results are best measured as risk reduction for the yard the family actually uses, not full elimination.
When should I spray for ticks in New York?
The two most important tick sprays on Long Island are late April to early May (targeting nymphal deer ticks, which cause most Lyme cases) and mid to late August (targeting adults). A three-visit spring, summer, and early fall program is the most effective schedule for high-exposure Suffolk County yards.
What parts of my yard have the most ticks?
Ticks concentrate along the transition between lawn and woods, in leaf litter, under ornamental shrubs, along stone walls, and near stacked firewood. Suffolk County wooded properties see the heaviest exposure. Treatment focuses on these edges, since ticks rarely spend time in the middle of a mown, sunny lawn.
Why doesn't tick treatment come with a guarantee?
Because ticks arrive on deer, mice, raccoons and birds that walk through the yard every night, so no treatment can promise a tick-free property. What we can do is treat the edges, leaf litter and tall grass where ticks wait for a host, cut the population on the property down hard, and quote it in writing with a free estimate. We'd rather tell you that up front than sell you a guarantee that doesn't mean anything.
Do you treat for ticks near a vegetable garden or a pool?
Yes, with care. We target the perimeter, the woods edge and the leaf litter, not the lawn's open middle, the garden beds or the pool deck, and we tell you exactly what was treated and where. A three-foot wood chip or gravel border between the lawn and the woods does a lot of the work on its own.