Do Ducks Eat Ticks? (and Should You Worry?)
Ducks can eat ticks, yes. They aren’t picky about the kind of bugs they consume. Along with guineas, chickens, and turkeys, ducks can help control the tick population in your garden.
Can Ducks Get Ticks?
Ducks are not prone to getting parasites which include ticks. If anything, they are better known for eating ticks. If you are thinking of keeping ducks as pets, then one of the biggest advantages of this is they can be really useful in helping keep ticks under control.
Which Ducks Eat The Most Ticks?
All breeds of duck will eat ticks. Therefore if you are keeping just one breed, or have a variety of different breeds, you can still be confident that the ticks will get eaten.
How Dangerous Are Ticks For Ducks?
Even though ticks can cause problems for many other animals, they cause no danger to the ducks that eat them. Ticks are known for spreading Lyme Disease among animals and so it is common for people to be concerned about how their animals may be affected by eating ticks. However, the diseases that are associated with ticks are all caused when they bite an animal and there are no risks involved in eating ticks.
How Do Ducks Compare With Guineas?
Guineafowl has long been considered one of the best breeds of poultry for eating ticks. However, it can be argued that ducks are just as good, if not better.
Ducks have larger bills which means they can scoop up larger amounts of food in their mouths. They will tend to eat grass and if there are any ticks on this grass, then these will be eaten as well.
Guineas on the other hand have to pick up each tick individually. While they can still eat a lot of ticks, they do not do it as efficiently as ducks.
How Do Ducks Compare With Chickens?
Chickens will only really eat ticks if there is no other food available. If they are well cared for and have plenty to eat, there is a chance that they might not eat any ticks at all. This means they could eat far fewer ticks when compared to ducks. You will need to place the chicken coop in the area where ticks tend to be found to get the best results.
How Do Ducks Compare With Turkeys?
Turkeys will tend to eat more ticks than chickens, but perhaps not as many as ducks would. Turkeys will not actively seek out ticks to eat, but they will eat them if they come across them. They can also eat a large amount in one sitting. If you are relying on turkeys to get rid of ticks, then the results you get can not be predicted with any certainty.
What Kind Of Bugs Do Ducks Eat?
Ducks will eat most kinds of bugs that can be found among leaves and dirt. This includes ticks and other types of pests. There is not any type of insect that ducks will not eat.
They also really enjoy worms, as these would be found in plentiful supply along the edge of the water in their natural habitat.
Other Animals That Get Rid Of Ticks
Ticks can be a real pest when you are trying to grow things in your garden. The issue is that ticks are dangerous for most animals and so their instinct is to avoid them. Birds tend to be the best animals for getting rid of ticks. This includes wild birds as well as the ones that have been discussed above. Others are:
- Frogs
- Lizards
- Squirrels
- Opossums
- Ants
Other Tips For Effective Tick Control
Even if you do keep ducks or other animals to help control ticks, there are still other measures that you can take. Keeping your lawns short and free from debris means ticks don’t have anywhere to live. This will also help to discourage rodents from coming into your garden and carrying ticks with them.
Final Thoughts
If you have problems with ticks in your garden, then you may be reluctant to use chemical pesticides. Keeping animals instead is a much more environmentally friendly way to control ticks and these animals can also bring you a lot of joy in their own right.
If you are choosing a pet based on its ability to get rid of ticks, then ducks are a great choice. They are one of the easiest backyard birds to take care of and they will take care of all the pests that like to make your garden their home.
