Tick Attack™ Yard Spray
Updated: Jun 28, 2022
Want to participate in our Beta Testing? email: admin@atlantick.ca and we will set you up.
Lyme disease is one of the best known tick borne diseases, but it is only one of the many debilitating and potentially life-altering diseases that ticks can carry and transmit. At Atlantick we believe no bite is a good bite, and we are dedicated to finding environmentally safe solutions to keep us all free from this significant but preventable threat.
Working with Dr. Nicoletta Faraone from Acadia University, our latest innovation is a ground spray that is formulated to repel and kill ticks and their eggs.
Why create a ground spray?
It is really important to know that when it comes to tick bite prevention no method is 100% effective on its own. It is best to practice as many steps as possible, as often as you can. Some of those vital steps include wearing an effective repellent and protective clothing, keeping out of overgrown vegetation, and doing daily tick checks. Atlantick has created another option to help decrease the threat of tick encounters in your own personal green space. Atlantick Tick Attack both kills and repels ticks, providing you with more comfort when it comes to enjoying the outdoors.
Eradicate Ticks, Mites and Mosquito Larvae in Your Yard Safely.
Where can Tick Attack be used?
Tick Attack should be used anywhere there is risk of encountering ticks in cultivated green spaces, keeping in mind that children and pets are at highest risk of acquiring tick bites. Optimal Tick Attack treatment areas include people's backyards and personal green spaces, school grounds, public park and recreation areas, golf courses and surrounding areas where golfers retrieve balls, to name a few.
As is the firm belief of Lisa Learning, founder of Atlantick, children should be able to play and enjoy nature safely and without dire consequences to their health and wellbeing.
What makes this spray different?
This spray has been formulated and designed foremost to kill and repel ticks, while being safe for the environment, animals and people. Laboratory and field tested, Tick Attack has been shown to kill up to 80% of ticks in the first 48 hours, and continues to kill over 92% of ticks within two weeks of treatment. It will also repel up to 100% of ticks while the scent is present. When used according to label this product will have no adverse impact on pollinators, but will have the added (off-label) bonus of killing spider mites and mosquito larvae.
Tick Attack Q&A
When and how often should I apply Tick Attack?
We recommend at minimum, an application in the Spring and again in the Fall.
It would be most useful to apply at the beginning of a dry period to allow for the greatest effectiveness and length of use of the product. If ticks are already present, it would be beneficial to repeat the treatment of Tick Attack after a week. This is not necessary but an added protection. If you live nearby wooded and/or country areas with wildlife populations (i.e., deer, rodents, birds), check the potential presence of ticks brought in by wildlife. If this is a common occurrence, reapplication of the product is recommended as these animals will drop new ticks in the area. Spraying for nymph ticks should start in late spring or early summer, or anytime temperatures are consistently near or above 4°C. Application in late fall (before temperatures drop below 4°C) will kill overwintering ticks, reducing populations for the following spring.
Is it ok to apply if the ground is wet?
Yes, however, it is best to check the forecast and apply when there is no significant rain expected for at least two or three days. Areas treated with Tick Attack will typically be ready for use an hour after application, however this ‘drying time’ may be slightly delayed depending on how wet the ground is to which it’s been applied. It is also best to apply Tick Attack when there is no direct sun (sunrise, sunset), to keep from causing magnified light exposure on plant surfaces.
Do I need to disturb the ground to make sure the spray finds the ticks who may be hiding under leaf litter?
No, no need. Disturbing the ground may cause ticks to hide, and in this case you’d prefer to have them hanging on the open vegetation to be easily reached by the product. Ticks are usually active and questing near and above 4°C.
Will this kill the tick eggs as well?
Absolutely. It will also kill spider mites and mosquito larvae, though this is not the label-identified use.
Will the spray interfere with pollination when blossoms are open?
Though application of Tick Attack (used in accordance with the label) does not pose any threat to the health of pollinators, it is recommended to apply the product at sunrise and sunset when pollinators are not active. The product is recommended to be applied where ticks are most commonly found, on grasses and non-fruiting shrubbery (lawn). As such, it is not recommended for direct use on flowers, pteridophyta (i.e. ferns, horsetails, mosses and other non-flowering, spore bearing/reproducing plants) and dicotyledons (i.e. roses, hollyhock, oak, carrot, and other plants with paired embryonic leaves) as phototoxicity (discoloration, minor leaf damage) may occur.
Do you have any data available for the consumer on toxicity to the plants and pollinating insects?
Tick Attack, with an active ingredient concentration of 5% garlic oil, does not present any concern to the health of pollinators. Please feel free to reference the materials below to further your understanding. REFERENCES Impact of Botanical Insecticides on Indigenous Stingless Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae), Vânia Maria Xavier et al., Sociobiology Vol. 56, No. 3, (2010) https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Marcelo-Picanco/publication/280239156_Impact_of_Botanical_Insecticides_on_Indigenous_Stingless_Bees_Hymenoptera_Apidae/links/55aee32808aed9b7dcdda8a9/Impact-of-Botanical-Insecticides-on-Indigenous-Stingless-Bees-Hymenoptera-Apidae.pdf Control of Varroa destructor (Acari : Varroidae) in Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera : Apidae) by using Plant Oils and Extract, Rashid Mahmood et al., Pakistan J. Zool., vol. 46(3), pp. 609-615 (2014). http://zsp.com.pk/pdf46/609-615%20_3_%20PJZ-1299-13%2016-4-14%20FINAL.%20CONTROL%20OF%20VARROA%20DESTRUCTOR%20USING%20plant%20oilext_.pdf Efficacy of essential oils against Varroa destructor infesting Apis mellifera Linn. colonies and their impact on brood development Vimla Goswami et al., Journal of Applied and Natural Science 6 (1): 27-30 (2014)
Do you have any chemists and biologists on your team?
Our scientific team is led by experts in the fields of biochemistry, insect neurophysiology, bio-pesticides and natural pest management, from Acadia University in Wolfville, NS. Kirk Hillier, Ph.D. Professor of Biology | Director, INSECTA (Insect NeuroScience and Ecology CenTre at Acadia) | Director, Acadia AgriTech Laboratory, Biology Department, Acadia University Nicoletta Faraone, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Biochemistry | Adjunct Professor of Biology, Chemistry Department, Acadia University
Tick Attack and Pets
Green spaces treated with Tick Attack are safe for use by people and pets. As per application instructions, Atlantick recommends a one hour delayed re-entry period after an area is treated with Tick Attack. After this hour has passed the formula will have dried onto the grasses and plants to which it’s been applied, and the area is safe for use by people and pets who do not have a garlic allergy or known sensitivity. The active ingredient in Tick Attack is 5% garlic oil, when properly diluted. While it is completely natural, this ingredient should not be used by people or pets with known garlic allergies, and should be used with caution around pets with known bleeding disorders. Ingestion is the main route of all pet poisonings, and dogs make up the grand majority of those affected - cats tend to be more discriminating and are three times less likely to become poisoned than dogs. Although garlic can be problematic when ingested in large quantities by cats and dogs, garlic is a Health Canada approved Veterinary Health Product, when applied at non-toxic dosages and frequencies. If you have any concerns about your cat or dog excessively eating grasses, monitor their activity in Tick Attack treated areas, and deter them from eating treated grasses.
How do I use Tick Attack™?
When properly diluted, 1 litre of Tick Attack™ concentrate will treat approximately 1 acre (or 0.4 ha).
Tick Attack is an aqueous spray concentrate that must be diluted before use. Mixing Method: Mix 70 (seventy) ml of Tick Attack™ (concentrate) with 930 (nine hundred and thirty) ml of water in your desired sprayer/applicator to obtain 1 litre of ready-to-use formula. OR to dilute one litre bottle of Tick Attack™ (concentrate), mix well with 13.3 litres of water. Thoroughly mix solution and spray all plant surfaces (including underside of leaves) until completely wet. Frequently shake/mix solution as you spray. Spray foliage or surface (deck, wall, fence etc.) until run-off. For best use apply in early morning or late evening; avoid spraying midday, under direct sunlight; avoid applying in windy conditions. No danger to plants is expected if label directions are followed, but test on a small area if in doubt about the sensitivity of a particular plant. Use caution when applying near or on pteridophyta (i.e. ferns, horsetails, mosses and other non-flowering, spore bearing/reproducing plants) and dicotyledons (i.e. roses, hollyhock, oak, carrot, and other plants with paired embryonic leaves) as phototoxicity (discoloration, minor leaf damage) may occur.