PEST CONTROL

Tick Control in Toronto, Oakville & the GTA

Yard tick treatment where the lawn meets leaf litter and brush

Tick control for Toronto, Oakville and GTA yards starts at the edge, where mown lawn meets leaf litter, tall grass and brush. That strip is where blacklegged ticks wait for a host, and they are established in Toronto and across Halton Region. We treat the edge and show you which habitat to cut back. Blacklegged ticks can carry the bacteria that cause Lyme disease.

Found a tick attached? Take it off now with clean, fine-point tweezers, gripping close to the skin and pulling slowly straight out. Then photograph it for eTick.

Get a Free Quote Call Now

Open 7 days until 9pm. Most calls are returned within 1 hour during business hours. After hours, leave a message and we’ll call back as soon as we can.

5 Star Google Rating

Ontario-licensed exterminators, insured

AT A GLANCE

Ticks at a Glance

Blacklegged (deer) tick, the one that carries Lyme disease

Size: Nymph 1.5 mm; adult female 3 mm; fully fed about 1 cm
Colour: Dark reddish-brown; female orange-red behind a dark shield
Body: Flat oval body, eight legs, cannot jump or fly
How to tell: No pattern or white marks on its back, unlike the dog tick
Active: Any day above freezing; nymphs in summer, adults spring and fall
Where found: Leaf litter, tall grass and brush at wooded yard edges
Bites or stings: Bites and feeds on blood; can carry Lyme disease

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Signs You Have Ticks

If you’ve noticed any of these, call and a licensed technician will tell you what it points to.

Call (905) 739-7888

A tick on you, a child or a pet after time in your own yard
Ticks on clothing after raking, gardening or clearing brush along the back fence
A tick on your dog or cat when you check its skin after it has been outside
Leaf litter, long grass, brush or a woodpile along the edge of the lawn
Deer or mice moving through the yard, since they carry ticks in

One Treatment or Platinum Protection

Book a one-time tick treatment for the yard, or get a tick program as part of the Platinum Protection plan, along with mosquito control.

See Platinum Protection

IDENTIFICATION

How to Identify a Tick: Deer Tick or Dog Tick?

Ticks are arachnids: adults and nymphs have eight legs and a flat, oval body that swells as it feeds, from poppy-seed size up to a pea. An unfed blacklegged nymph is about 1.5 mm and grey-brown, easy to miss on skin. An adult female blacklegged tick is about 3 mm, dark with an orange-red rear behind a dark shield, and turns grey-brown and up to about 1 cm long as she fills.

Deer tick vs dog tick: the blacklegged (deer) tick has a plain back and the adult female is about 3 mm. The American dog tick has a patterned back with white markings and is about 5 mm.
Not sure? Send a clear photo to eTick, which identifies ticks from photos.

TYPES

Ticks in Ontario: The Ones You Will Find

Blacklegged tick (deer tick)
Ixodes scapularis
Small and dark with a plain back; the adult female has an orange-red rear behind a dark shield. Nymphs are poppy-seed size.
Where found: Leaf litter in and along deciduous and mixed woods, ravines and brushy yard edges; established in Toronto and all of Halton.
The only Ontario tick known to carry Lyme disease bacteria; about 55% of ticks submitted in Ontario.
American dog tick
Dermacentor variabilis
Larger, reddish-brown to grey-brown, with white markings on the shield. An unfed adult female is 5 to 7 mm and can double in size when fed.
Where found: Tall grass and low brush along trails, fields and wooded edges, mostly from mid-May to late June.
About 36% of ticks submitted in Ontario. Does not carry Lyme disease, but can carry tularemia and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Groundhog tick
Ixodes cookei
Lives mostly on its hosts and in their dens and burrows, rather than out in the grass.
Where found: In the burrows and dens of groundhogs, raccoons and skunks. It is also common on cats and dogs.
Third most common tick submitted from people in Ontario. Can carry Powassan virus.
Lone star tick
Amblyomma americanum
Often submitted in Ontario, but most were picked up while travelling in the United States.
Where found: Found in southern Ontario, but research has not shown an established population here.
Linked to alpha-gal syndrome, an allergy to red meat.
Brown dog tick
Rhipicephalus sanguineus
Can complete its whole life cycle indoors. In Ontario it is usually on dogs that travelled or stayed in a kennel.
Where found: Kennels and homes with dogs; it has not been found outdoors in Canada.
Tied to dogs, not yards.

Public Health Ontario has recorded 43 tick species in the province. Of the species established here, two readily bite people: the blacklegged tick and the American dog tick. We also treat yards for mosquitoes.

OUR APPROACH

How Our Tick Yard Spraying Works

Step 1
Walk the Yard Edge
We walk the property and mark where mown lawn meets leaf litter, tall grass, brush, a woodpile or a ravine. Blacklegged ticks are not usually found on mown lawns, sports fields or paving, so that edge is where treatment has to go.
Step 2
Treat the Edge, Not the Lawn
The application goes onto the leaf litter, brush and long grass along the edge, not across open lawn. Ontario's pesticide regulation counts control of animals that bite or carry disease, ticks included, as a public-health use, so tick control on a residential yard is not banned the way cosmetic lawn spraying is.
Step 3
Cut Back the Habitat
We show you what keeps ticks on the property: leaf piles, long grass and weeds at the lawn edge, brush around stone walls and woodpiles, and gaps that let mice in. Clearing these follows Health Canada's yard advice.
Step 4
Time It to the Season
In Ontario, blacklegged nymphs are out in summer, the months of greatest Lyme risk, and adults in spring and fall. A spring treatment goes down before the nymphs peak. Yards that back onto woods or a ravine can have a second treatment in the fall, when adults are active again.

BITES AND STINGS

Tick Bites: What to Do If a Tick Bites You

Ticks bite and feed on blood, and blacklegged nymphs and adults both feed on people. An infected tick usually has to be attached for 24 hours or more to pass on the Lyme bacteria, so take it off as soon as you find it. Most Lyme symptoms show up 3 to 30 days after the bite: a rash that spreads past 5 cm over several days (it can look like a bull's eye), fever, chills, headache, tiredness, swollen lymph nodes, or sore muscles and joints. If any of these appear, see a doctor right away. Toronto Public Health says a doctor may prescribe an antibiotic if a blacklegged tick was on for 24 hours or more, taken within 72 hours of removal. Call Health811 at 811 to talk to a nurse, or 911 in an emergency.

Grip the tick with clean, fine-point tweezers as close to the skin as you can, and pull slowly straight out.
If the mouthparts break off, take them out with the tweezers. If they won't come out easily, leave them and let the skin heal.
Wash the bite with soap and water or an alcohol-based sanitizer.
Don't burn the tick or cover it with nail polish, essential oils or petroleum jelly. That can make it push infected stomach contents into the bite.
Photograph it for eTick, or keep it in a sealed bag or pill bottle with the date, the spot on the body and where you were.

RISKS AND DAMAGE

What Damage Can Ticks Cause?

Ticks do not damage a house or yard. The problem is what they carry. Lyme disease went from rare in Ontario to the most commonly reported vector-borne disease, meaning one spread by a biting pest, and the climate has become better for blacklegged and American dog ticks.

Blacklegged ticks can carry Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Powassan virus disease and Borrelia miyamotoi disease.
American dog ticks can carry tularemia and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and can cause tick paralysis in dogs and people.
Groundhog ticks can carry Powassan virus and are common on cats and dogs.
Lone star ticks, mostly picked up while travelling, are linked to an allergy to red meat.

Toronto Public Health rates the city's Lyme risk as low but rising, so one tick calls for a careful check. Ticks that keep turning up after time in your own yard mean the yard edge needs treatment.

CAUSES

Why You Have Ticks

Ticks are carried into a yard by the animals they feed on: young ticks on mice and birds, adults on deer, raccoons and dogs. Blacklegged ticks are spreading to new parts of Ontario on birds and deer. Once there, they survive wherever leaf litter and brush keep the ground damp. Ticks get into the house on pets and clothing.

What Draws Them In

Leaf litter and brush along the edge of the lawn
Long grass and weeds that are rarely cut
Woodpiles and stone walls with debris around them
Mice and other rodents living in the yard
Deer passing through from nearby woods

HABITS

Life Cycle and Habits

Habitat

Blacklegged ticks live in leaf litter in and along the edges of deciduous and mixed woods, where the ground stays damp. In the GTA that can mean a ravine, a creek valley, a woodlot or the brushy strip behind a back fence. American dog ticks favour tall grass and low brush along trails, fields and wooded edges. Neither is usually found on short lawn.

Diet

Blood only. Blacklegged larvae and nymphs feed on mice and birds, and adults on bigger animals like raccoons, dogs and deer. American dog tick larvae and nymphs feed on mice and voles, and adults on dogs, raccoons and people. Ticks can't jump or fly, so they get onto a host by contact.

Life Cycle

A tick goes through four stages: egg, larva, nymph and adult, and larvae, nymphs and adults all feed on blood. Blacklegged nymphs are only about 1.5 mm long, small enough to be very hard to spot. The American dog tick usually takes two years to go from egg to adult. The young stages feed on mice and other small rodents, so cutting rodent cover in the yard helps.

Seasonal Behaviour in Ontario

Ticks can be active on any day the temperature stays above freezing and the ground is free of snow, but they are most active in spring and summer. Blacklegged nymphs are out in summer, the time of greatest Lyme risk in Ontario. Adults are out in spring and fall and on mild winter days. American dog ticks peak from mid-May to late June.

PREVENTION

How to Keep Ticks Out of Your Yard

Mow the lawn often and keep the grass short.
Rake out leaf piles, brush, long grass and weeds at the lawn edge and around stone walls and woodpiles.
Prune trees and shrubs so sunlight reaches the ground.
Lay a wood chip, mulch or gravel strip at least 1 metre wide between the lawn and woods, shrubs or stone walls.
Seal stone walls and other openings so mice and other rodents don't bring ticks in.
Move play sets, patios and decks into sunny spots, away from the yard edge.
Wear light-coloured long sleeves and pants tucked into socks, with a DEET or icaridin repellent used as the label directs.
Shower soon after yard work and dry your clothes on high heat for at least 10 minutes.
Check yourself, your kids and your pets after time outside, and ask your vet about tick prevention for pets.

How to Get Rid of Ticks in Your Yard: DIY or a Professional?

Most of the prevention list is homeowner work, and it cuts down the damp, shady cover ticks need. If you use a tick product on the yard yourself, buy one with a PCP number on the label and follow the label exactly. Pet tick products are a question for your vet; use them only on the animal the label names. Call a professional when ticks keep turning up on people or pets after time in your own yard, or when the property backs onto woods, a ravine or a conservation area.

From the blog: Tick Season in Ontario: Where Lyme Risk Is Spreading The numbers: Ontario Tick and Lyme Disease Statistics

WHY CHOOSE US

Why Ontario Homeowners Choose Sting Out

No Binding Contracts

Cancel anytime, with no lock-in and no pressure. If you keep us on, it should be because the work is getting results.

Integrated Pest Management

Inspection first, then targeted treatment with registered products used as the label directs. Your technician will advise on any precautions.

Ontario-Licensed Exterminators

Treatments are applied by technicians licensed under Ontario pesticide rules.

5 Star Google Rating

Read what GTA homeowners and businesses say about us on Google Maps.

Reviews

What GTA customers say

★★★★★Google review

Sting Out Pest Control helped me get rid of a pretty bad crawling insect problem in my office. They were friendly, easy to deal with, and explained everything clearly from the start. Instead of just spraying and leaving, they came up with a treatment plan that used different methods to get the problem under control. Over time, the infestation was completely gone. I now have them come by once a month for maintenance, and if anything small comes up, they take care of it right away before it becomes a bigger issue. It's been a great experience, and I have peace of mind knowing my office is protected. I would definitely recommend Sting Out Pest Control to anyone needing a reliable pest control company.

Review 1 of 7

COMMON QUESTIONS

Tick Control: Questions We Get

When is tick season in Ontario?

Most of the year. Ticks can be active on any day above freezing when there is no snow on the ground, though they are most active in spring and summer. Blacklegged nymphs, the tiny stage that is easy to miss, are out in summer. Adults are out in spring and fall and on mild winter days.

Are there ticks in Toronto and Oakville?

Yes. Blacklegged ticks are established in Toronto, and the whole city is an estimated risk area on Public Health Ontario's 2024 map, although Toronto Public Health rates the Lyme risk as low but increasing. Halton Region Public Health treats all of Halton, including Oakville, Burlington, Milton and Halton Hills, as an established blacklegged tick risk area.

Do you need to spray my whole yard for ticks?

No. Blacklegged ticks are not usually found on mown lawns, sports fields or paved areas. They live in leaf litter, tall grass and brush, so treatment goes along the tree line, ravine, fence and woodpile rather than across open grass.

How do I get rid of ticks in my yard?

Start with Health Canada's yard steps: mow often, clear leaf piles and brush from the lawn edge, let sunlight in, and keep a wood chip or gravel strip at least 1 metre wide between lawn and woods. These steps remove the cover ticks need, but they do not reach ticks in the woods or ravine beside you. That edge is where a tick treatment goes.

Can ticks live in my house?

Ontario's yard ticks need damp leaf litter outside and come in on pets and clothing. The exception is the brown dog tick, which can complete its life cycle indoors. In Ontario it is usually found on dogs that have travelled or stayed in a kennel with dogs that did. If you find ticks on a dog that rarely goes outside, ask your vet.

Sources

Last updated October 20, 2026

FREE QUOTE

Get Your Free Quote

1Fill Form
2We Call You
3We Treat It

5 Star Google Rating
Ontario-licensed exterminators
No contracts, most calls returned within 1 hour during business hours

Prefer to talk?

(905) 739-7888 Message us on WhatsApp →

SERVICE AREAS

Tick Control Across Toronto, Oakville & the GTA

We treat ticks in homes and businesses throughout Toronto and Southern Ontario.

We Also Treat

See our residential pest control and commercial pest control services, or go back to the Sting Out home page.