Does Chlorine Kill Ticks? Will a Swimming Pool Remove Ticks?

I’m very much an ocean and outdoors person, but sometimes in the warmer months my kids really enjoy going to the pool. 

Unfortunately, the warmer months also mean more ticks, and grassy areas like backyards or parks are their favorite place to be.

If you’ve spotted ticks in your backyard and you have a pool, you might wonder if chlorine water is strong enough to kill ticks. Can you just go for a swim in a backyard pool to kill ticks?

Chlorine is not effective in killing ticks. While it works well to kill bacteria, the normal level of chlorine used for treating water is not enough to kill ticks, and the amount of chlorine needed to kill ticks would make it unsafe to use on your skin. It's best to remove the tick with tweezers before swimming.

Ticks can also survive significant periods of time (several hours, possibly days) underwater, making a swim in the pool an inefficient method for killing or removing ticks.

Although a more concentrated amount of chlorine may kill a tick, I wouldn’t really consider chlorine an effective method for killing ticks in your yard or home.

Instead, you’ll want to treat your yard with some of the methods recommended below.

Does Chlorine Affect Ticks?

Chlorine is a very strong oxidizing agent. This basically means it causes other substances to lose electrons, meaning it can attack and destroy molecules.

You might think that’d be enough to kill a tick, but the chlorine solutions we use for treating pools and drinking water systems are usually heavily diluted and weaker that pure chlorine.

Another thing to note is that while ticks can’t swim, they’re capable of surviving in water for multiple days (as if they weren’t pesky enough already). 

If you do spot a tick in your pool, I’d recommend fishing it out with a net and killing it with an effective method like rubbing alcohol.

You might be able to kill a tick by dropping it in a cup of chlorine, but I would not consider it an effective method for killing them.

How Do You Get Rid of Ticks in Your Yard?

Ticks love grassy and wooded areas and this makes big backyards a common place to find them, but luckily there are several good methods for killing ticks in a yard.

One of the most popular and effective methods is cedar oil. Cedarwood oil is a natural deterrent to insects and ticks, and it comes in many forms to use in the backyard.

This Yard Spray by Cedarcide is one of the most popular products for deterring ticks in the yard, and one thing I like about it is that the non-toxic ingredients make it safe to use around people and pets.

My daughter has a pet dog so this is really important to us.

Cedarcide Outdoor Bug Control Concentrate (1 Quart)
$93.99

Insect control concentrate handcrafted from pure cedarwood essential oil. Designed for use on lawns, trees, shrubbery, and other outdoor spaces.

Kills and helps repel fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, mites, and ants. 

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03/07/2024 07:47 am GMT

It’s fairly easy to use as well, as all you need to do is dilute the solution according to instructions and spray your yard evenly every month or so.

It is a bit on the pricey side, but you can opt for the Cedarcide Granules to spread over your lawn to deter ticks and other insects.

Cedarcide Granules (1 Bag)
$41.99

Protect your lawn from harmful pests without endangering your family or pets. Cedar Insect Repelling Granules are ready-to-use 100% Pure Cedar Tree Shavings that keep out fleas, mosquitoes, mites, ticks and ants without harmful chemicals or Toxins.

Buy Now at Amazon
03/07/2024 08:27 am GMT

Cedarcide kills ticks pretty much instantly, as you can see in the video below.

Another favorite for countering ticks is permethrin.

Although there aren’t many permethrin products tailored for the yard, it works great for dealing with ticks in your home or car, and I’d recommend giving this article a read if you’ve found them in those places. Just be careful with permethrin if you have cats as it can be extremely dangerous to cats.

There are also several permethrin-based products that can keep ticks off your clothes, and you can read here if you’re interested in repelling ticks off your body and clothes while you’re outdoors.