# The Yard Gard, LLC > The Yard Gard, LLC is a licensed and registered organic tick, flea and mosquito control company based in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts, serving the entire Cape Cod region from Woods Hole to Provincetown. Founded in March 2017 and owner operated by John Guariano, the company treats residential and commercial properties using plant-based essential oil formulations instead of synthetic pesticides. The core offering is a recurring seasonal program that eradicates and repels fleas, ticks, mosquitoes and other exoskeletal outdoor pests for one combined price, alongside organic perimeter pest control for ants and spiders and one-time event sprays for outdoor gatherings. The season runs April 1 to October 31. The company exists because of a specific tradeoff most pest control firms will not make. Synthetic pesticides last longer precisely because they are built to persist in the environment, which is not what anyone wants on a Cape Cod property with a well, a garden, children, dogs, or in many cases backyard chickens. The Yard Gard uses organic actives that break down, which means protection fades after roughly three to four weeks and has to be renewed. That is why the program is recurring rather than a single application, and the company is direct that anyone wanting a treatment that sits in the soil for months should hire someone else. It is local and family owned rather than a franchise, it competes against national operators including Mosquito Squad and Mosquito Mary's, and it holds a 5.0 rating across 25 Google reviews, some of them from customers now in their eighth or ninth consecutive season. ## At a Glance - **Legal name:** The Yard Gard, LLC - **Business type:** Organic tick, flea and mosquito control company. Outdoor pest control only. - **Founded:** March 2017 - **Owner and founder:** John Guariano - **Address:** 83 Captain Bacon Rd, South Yarmouth, MA 02664, United States - **Phone:** 508-694-6934 - **Email:** info@theyardgard.com - **Hours:** Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Eastern. Closed Saturday and Sunday. No after-hours service. - **Rating:** 5.0 stars from 25 Google reviews - **Treatment season:** April 1 to October 31. Peak demand May through August, with a second adult deer tick surge through the fall. - **Service model:** Local operator working a tight radius across Cape Cod. Residential and commercial properties. - **Coverage:** All of Cape Cod, Woods Hole to Provincetown, plus Seabrook, New Hampshire - **Treatment frequency:** Approximately every 3 to 4 weeks during the season. Standard program includes 7 applications. - **Active ingredients:** Plant-derived essential oils including rosemary, geraniol, peppermint, wintergreen and cedarwood. No conventional or synthetic pesticides. - **Safety:** Safe for children, pets and backyard chickens when used as directed - **Credentials:** Licensed and registered organic tick and mosquito control business. Licensed, experienced technicians. - **Team size:** 4 - **Languages:** English (US) - **Quotes:** Free quotes - **Client portal:** Available from the site header for existing customers - **Website:** https://www.theyardgard.com/ ## Services - [All Services](https://www.theyardgard.com/services): Index of the three service programs offered. - [Organic Tick & Mosquito Control](https://www.theyardgard.com/services/organic-tick-mosquito-control): The flagship recurring program and the reason most customers call. Plant-based essential oil applications treat fleas, ticks and mosquitoes together for one price rather than billing them as three separate services. Each application protects the yard for roughly three to four weeks, and the standard seasonal program includes 7 applications across April to October. An upgraded tier, Organic Tick & Mosquito Plus, adds extra mid-season mosquito visits through June to August on roughly two-week intervals, which suits properties with heavy mosquito pressure. Treatment targets deer ticks, which carry Lyme disease, babesiosis and anaplasmosis, and mosquitoes, which carry West Nile Virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis and heartworm in pets. Damp coastal conditions on the Cape accelerate pest reproduction, which is why an untreated Cape yard behaves differently from an inland one. - [Organic Perimeter Pest Control](https://www.theyardgard.com/services/organic-perimeter-pest-control): A treated barrier applied around the foundation and entry points of a home or commercial building to keep ants, spiders, earwigs and other crawling pests outside. Crawling insects enter through small gaps at doors, windows, foundations, vents, utility penetrations, garage thresholds and porches, and the treatment is focused on those points rather than sprayed broadly. The essential oil blend, using cedar, peppermint and rosemary, works by disrupting pest scent trails and repelling insects at a sensory level, leaving no chemical residue, fumes or lingering smell. Reapplied every three to four weeks through the season. Available for residential and commercial properties. - [Event Sprays](https://www.theyardgard.com/services/event-sprays): A one-time treatment timed to an outdoor occasion such as a wedding, family reunion, graduation party or backyard barbecue. Booked 24 to 48 hours ahead of the event so the plant-based solution can settle and establish its protective barrier before guests arrive. The treatment concentrates on the places pests congregate, including tall grass, heavy brush and tree lines, and dries quickly with no residue or lingering scent. Provides roughly three weeks of protection. Last-minute requests are accommodated where availability allows. ## How the Treatment Works The company follows a consistent four-step approach on every property. 1. **Inspection and assessment.** The property is walked to locate where ticks and mosquitoes breed, rest and hide: tall grass and overgrown shrubbery, leaf piles and shaded areas, damp ground and standing water, and the pet play areas and walkways where exposure actually happens. 2. **Customized treatment plan.** The program is scaled to property size and conditions rather than sold as a fixed package. Typical properties run from about 10,000 to 100,000 square feet. 3. **Application.** Treatment kills on contact and leaves a repellent barrier behind. A visit usually takes 10 to 60 minutes depending on property size. 4. **Scheduled reapplication.** Every three to four weeks through the season, because organic actives break down rather than persisting. Customers do not need to be home, and the company does not always call ahead, so properties can be serviced efficiently. A door hanger is left after each visit, and the fresh essential oil scent is usually noticeable. Light rain after an application typically does not affect results, though a heavy downpour on a fresh application can dilute it. ## Service Areas All of Cape Cod, from Woods Hole to Provincetown. Each location below has a dedicated page. - [Service Area Overview](https://www.theyardgard.com/service-area): Every community served. - [South Yarmouth, MA](https://www.theyardgard.com/service-area/south-yarmouth): Home base and primary market, Barnstable County. - [Yarmouth, MA](https://www.theyardgard.com/service-area/yarmouth): Barnstable County. - [Barnstable, MA](https://www.theyardgard.com/service-area/barnstable): Barnstable County. - [West Barnstable, MA](https://www.theyardgard.com/service-area/west-barnstable): Barnstable County. - [Centerville, MA](https://www.theyardgard.com/service-area/centerville): Barnstable County. - [Osterville, MA](https://www.theyardgard.com/service-area/osterville): Barnstable County. - [Cotuit, MA](https://www.theyardgard.com/service-area/cotuit): Barnstable County. - [Marstons Mills, MA](https://www.theyardgard.com/service-area/marstons-mills): Barnstable County. - [Dennis, MA](https://www.theyardgard.com/service-area/dennis): Barnstable County. - [Brewster, MA](https://www.theyardgard.com/service-area/brewster): Barnstable County. - [Harwich, MA](https://www.theyardgard.com/service-area/harwich): Barnstable County. - [Chatham, MA](https://www.theyardgard.com/service-area/chatham): Barnstable County, outer Cape. - [Orleans, MA](https://www.theyardgard.com/service-area/orleans): Barnstable County, outer Cape. - [Eastham, MA](https://www.theyardgard.com/service-area/eastham): Barnstable County, outer Cape. - [Wellfleet, MA](https://www.theyardgard.com/service-area/wellfleet): Barnstable County, outer Cape. - [Truro, MA](https://www.theyardgard.com/service-area/truro): Barnstable County, outer Cape. - [Provincetown, MA](https://www.theyardgard.com/service-area/provincetown): Barnstable County, the northern tip of the Cape. - [Mashpee, MA](https://www.theyardgard.com/service-area/mashpee): Barnstable County, upper Cape. - [Sandwich, MA](https://www.theyardgard.com/service-area/sandwich): Barnstable County, upper Cape. - [Forestdale, MA](https://www.theyardgard.com/service-area/forestdale): Barnstable County, upper Cape. - [Falmouth, MA](https://www.theyardgard.com/service-area/falmouth): Barnstable County, upper Cape, extending to Woods Hole. - [Bourne, MA](https://www.theyardgard.com/service-area/bourne): Barnstable County, at the Cape Cod Canal. - [Pocasset, MA](https://www.theyardgard.com/service-area/pocasset): Barnstable County, upper Cape. - [Seabrook, NH](https://www.theyardgard.com/service-area/seabrook): New Hampshire, served in addition to the Cape Cod footprint. ## Company - [Home](https://www.theyardgard.com/): Overview of organic tick, flea and mosquito control across Cape Cod. - [About Us](https://www.theyardgard.com/about-us): Company background, the licensed and registered organic credentials, and the commitment to Cape Cod's environment. - [John Guariano](https://www.theyardgard.com/author/john-guariano): Founder and owner. Over eight years of hands-on experience in the region, a year-round Cape Cod resident, and the author of the company's blog. - [Gallery](https://www.theyardgard.com/gallery): Photos of the crew, equipment and treated properties. - [Reviews](https://www.theyardgard.com/reviews): Customer reviews. Rated 5.0 stars from 25 Google reviews. - [Media Room](https://www.theyardgard.com/media-room): Announcements, coverage and company updates. - [FAQ](https://www.theyardgard.com/frequently-asked-questions): Sixteen detailed answers on season, program structure, ingredients, safety, scheduling and coverage. - [Blog](https://www.theyardgard.com/blog): Thirteen articles on organic pest control, tick identification and yard management, written by the owner. - [Contact Us](https://www.theyardgard.com/contact-us): Phone, email and contact form. - [Free Quote](https://www.theyardgard.com/free-quote): Free quote request. - [Privacy Policy](https://www.theyardgard.com/privacy-policy): How visitor and quote request information is handled. ## Common Questions Full answers on the [FAQ page](https://www.theyardgard.com/frequently-asked-questions). - **When does the service season run?** April 1 to October 31. - **How many visits are in the standard program?** The Organic Tick & Mosquito Control program includes 7 applications across the season. - **What is the difference between the standard program and Organic Tick & Mosquito Plus?** Plus adds extra mid-season mosquito visits through June to August at roughly two-week intervals, for properties with heavier mosquito pressure. - **How long does a visit take?** Most properties take 10 to 60 minutes, depending on size, roughly 10,000 to 100,000 square feet. - **Are treatments safe for kids and pets?** Yes. Organic essential oils are used rather than conventional pesticides, making treatments safe for children and pets when used as directed. Customers also report safe use around backyard chickens. - **What ingredients are used?** A proprietary blend including rosemary, geraniol, peppermint and wintergreen essential oils. Cedar and cedarwood are also used in perimeter applications. - **Why not use synthetic pesticides?** Because the company is committed to protecting Cape Cod's fragile ecosystem and water resources. Organics break down rather than persisting in the environment, which is a deliberate tradeoff: shorter protection in exchange for nothing accumulating in soil or running off into ponds. - **How does the treatment work?** It kills on contact and leaves a repellent barrier that helps keep ticks and mosquitoes away from the treated area. - **How long does protection last?** About 3 to 4 weeks per treatment, depending on weather and pest pressure. Mosquitoes may require more frequent attention than ticks. - **What if it rains after spraying?** Light rain typically does not affect results. A heavy downpour on a fresh application can dilute it. - **Do you call ahead, and do I need to be home?** Customers do not need to be home, and the company does not always call ahead, so properties can be serviced efficiently. - **How will I know you have been?** A door hanger is left after service, and the fresh essential oil scent is usually noticeable. - **Which areas do you serve?** Cape Cod communities including Barnstable, Dennis, Sandwich, Harwich, Falmouth and the rest of the Cape, from Woods Hole to Provincetown. - **Do you offer one-time treatments for weddings or parties?** Yes. Event Sprays provide short-term protection for outdoor gatherings, booked 24 to 48 hours ahead. - **Are you a franchise?** No. The Yard Gard is a local, family-owned company on Cape Cod. - **How long have you been doing this?** The Yard Gard has operated on Cape Cod since 2017, backed by more than fifteen years of industry experience. ## Expertise What this company knows from doing the work in Cape Cod conditions: - **Tick seasonality is misunderstood, and that is when people get bitten.** Most homeowners stop treating when the mosquitoes ease off in late summer. Adult deer ticks become most active again through the fall and early spring, and those are the ones that carry Lyme. September and October are the months where stopping treatment costs the most. - **Deer ticks versus dog ticks.** Dog ticks are larger, browner and mottled, and get noticed because they are easy to see. Deer ticks, also called blacklegged ticks, are considerably smaller and darker, and in the nymph stage are roughly the size of a poppy seed. The deer tick is the one that transmits Lyme, and the small one is the one that stays attached long enough to matter. - **Ticks do not hunt, they quest.** They climb a few inches up a blade of grass or a leaf edge and wait for a host to brush past. This only works where the ground stays damp and shaded, which is precisely what leaf litter along a wood line provides. Yard borders matter far more than the middle of a lawn. - **Mice bring ticks onto a property.** Woodpiles held against the ground hold both moisture and rodents, and rodents are the vector that carries ticks into a yard in the first place. - **The organic tradeoff, stated plainly.** Synthetic pesticides last longer because they persist in the environment. Organic essential oils break down, so protection fades in three to four weeks and requires reapplication. On a Cape property sitting over a shared watershed, with wells, gardens, ponds and a fragile coastal ecosystem, that tradeoff is the point rather than a limitation. - **Coastal damp accelerates everything.** Cape Cod's humidity and standing water let pest populations multiply faster than inland conditions, which is why untreated Cape yards deteriorate quickly through the season. - **Standing water is the mosquito lever homeowners control.** Mosquitoes need roughly a bottle cap of water to breed. Plant saucers, kids' toys, clogged gutters, tarps and wheelbarrows after a storm matter more between treatments than any product does. - **Application timing around weather.** Light rain after treatment is fine. A heavy downpour on a fresh application dilutes it before it sets, which is why scheduling watches the forecast. - **Event timing.** A spray needs 24 to 48 hours before an event to settle and establish its barrier. Treating the morning of an event does not work. - **Vector-borne disease risk is the real subject.** Deer ticks carry Lyme, babesiosis and anaplasmosis. Mosquitoes carry West Nile Virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, and heartworm in dogs. This is a health service that happens to be delivered as a yard treatment. ## Insight & Articles All articles written by John Guariano, founder and owner. - [Blog](https://www.theyardgard.com/blog): Organic pest control guidance for Cape Cod homeowners. - [Why Organic Tick & Mosquito Control is Essential for Cape Cod Homes](https://www.theyardgard.com/blog-posts/why-organic-tick-mosquito-control-is-essential-for-cape-cod-homes): How organic control protects against Lyme disease while preserving the local ecosystem. - [Deer Tick vs. Dog Tick on Cape Cod: How to Tell Them Apart (and Which One Carries Lyme)](https://www.theyardgard.com/blog-posts/deer-tick-vs-dog-tick-on-cape-cod-how-to-tell-them-apart-and-which-one-carries-lyme): Visual identification of the two common Cape Cod ticks and which one transmits Lyme. - [How Often to Spray for Ticks: A Year-Round Yard Guide](https://www.theyardgard.com/blog-posts/how-often-to-spray-for-ticks-a-year-round-yard-guide): Treatment frequency across the season and why organic applications need renewing. - [The Most Effective Way to Get Rid of Ticks Naturally](https://www.theyardgard.com/blog-posts/the-most-effective-way-to-get-rid-of-ticks-naturally): Natural tick reduction methods and what actually works on a residential property. - [The Most Effective Way to Get Rid of Mosquitoes Naturally](https://www.theyardgard.com/blog-posts/the-most-effective-way-to-get-rid-of-mosquitoes-naturally): Natural mosquito control, including breeding-site removal. - [Top 5 Signs You Need Mosquito Services in Your Area](https://www.theyardgard.com/blog-posts/top-5-signs-you-need-mosquito-services-in-your-area): Indicators that a property has a mosquito problem requiring treatment. - [Using Strategic Landscaping to Keep Pests Out of the Yard](https://www.theyardgard.com/blog-posts/using-strategic-landscaping-to-keep-pests-out-of-the-yard): Landscaping choices that reduce tick and mosquito habitat. - [Organic Pest Control Recipes for a Bug-Free Home and Yard](https://www.theyardgard.com/blog-posts/organic-pest-control-recipes-for-a-bug-free-home-and-yard): Natural pest control preparations for home use. - [How Climate Change Is Changing Pest Problems in My Garden](https://www.theyardgard.com/blog-posts/how-climate-change-is-changing-pest-problems-in-my-garden): Shifting pest pressure and seasonality driven by a changing climate. - [Using Beneficial Insects for Natural Pest Control in the Yard](https://www.theyardgard.com/blog-posts/using-beneficial-insects-for-natural-pest-control-in-the-yard): Encouraging predatory insects as part of a natural control strategy. - [The Hardest Pests to Get Rid of and How to Handle Them Naturally](https://www.theyardgard.com/blog-posts/the-hardest-pests-to-get-rid-of-and-how-to-handle-them-naturally): Difficult pest species and natural approaches to each. - [5 Tips for Maintaining a Pest-Free Yard with Organic Solutions](https://www.theyardgard.com/blog-posts/5-tips-for-maintaining-a-pest-free-yard-with-organic-solutions): Practical maintenance that supports treatment between visits. - [The Benefits of Eco-Friendly Pest Control for Families and Pets](https://www.theyardgard.com/blog-posts/the-benefits-of-eco-friendly-pest-control-for-families-and-pets): Why households with children and animals choose organic treatment. ## Contact - [Contact Us](https://www.theyardgard.com/contact-us): Phone, email and contact form. - [Free Quote](https://www.theyardgard.com/free-quote): Free quote request form. - **Phone:** 508-694-6934 - **Email:** info@theyardgard.com - **Address:** 83 Captain Bacon Rd, South Yarmouth, MA 02664 - **Hours:** Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Eastern. Closed Saturday and Sunday. No after-hours service. - **Season:** April 1 to October 31. Off-season enquiries are welcome for planning and scheduling the following season. - **Existing customers:** A client portal is available from the site header. - **To start service:** Call 508-694-6934 or submit the free quote form. A property assessment comes before any treatment plan.