Watch out for unwanted guests in your garden!

Spring is finally here and it’s time to dig out your trusty garden furniture from the back of the shed and get out into the garden to enjoy the spring sunshine. Your pet will be just as keen to join you and for many of our sun-worshipping cats and dogs, there’s nothing they enjoy more than lounging in the garden catching the first rays of spring! If they get too warm they can always retreat to a nice shady spot under a tree or a bush.

However, beware, as you and your pet may not be the only ones enjoying your patch. Ticks are at their most active during the springtime and can be lurking everywhere - including in your garden!

How do ticks get into your garden?

Wildlife, like birds, foxes and hedgehogs often visit our gardens looking for food or a place to set-up home. Unfortunately, they may also have some unwanted guests on board – ticks! Once a tick has finished feeding, it will then detach from its host and fall into the surrounding area, which could be your back garden.

Some ticks may also have hidden in your garden, inactive, over the cold winter months. Then, during the spring, when the temperature outdoors warms up, these slumbering ticks will awaken and be looking for the nearest meal. They especially love to hide in any damp or shady spots or areas of overgrown grass or dense vegetation. Here they will perch on the edge of a leaf or a blade of grass eager for their next meal, which could be your unsuspecting sun- or shade-bathing pet!

Here are some top tips on how to ‘spring clean’ your garden and get rid of any tick ‘hideouts’:

1. Remove any dead leaves or twigs from your garden

2. Keep the grass nicely trimmed

3. Use a strimmer to cut back any overgrown areas of grass or vegetation

4. Do take care to look out for any snoozing hedgehogs that may be hiding under the leaves so that they don’t come to any harm!

So, with our pets spending more time outdoors this spring, it important to check them regularly for ticks, even if they don’t venture further than the confines of your garden! For peace of mind, help protect them by applying FRONTLINE® Spot On or FRONTLINE® Plus regularly this spring and enjoy spending time together outdoors.

FRONTLINE® Plus contains fipronil and (S)-methoprene. Legal Category: NFA-VPS (UK). FRONTLINE® Spot On contains fipronil. Legal category: AVM-GSL (UK).

FRONTLINE® is a registered trademark of Merial. For further information refer to the datasheet or contact Merial Animal Health Ltd, CM19 5TG, UK. ©Merial Animal

Use medicines responsibly