Lawns Plants & Pests LLC provides professional mosquito and tick control throughout Harrisburg, Hershey, Camp Hill, Mechanicsburg, and the surrounding Dauphin and Cumberland County communities. Yard barrier treatments, breeding site reduction, and seasonal protection programs that let your family actually use the backyard. Licensed Pennsylvania pesticide applicator. Free estimates. Call or text 717-379-3248.
Central Pennsylvania has the perfect conditions for both mosquitoes and ticks — humid summers, plenty of standing water, and large deer and rodent populations carrying ticks into yards. The Pennsylvania Department of Health reports Lyme disease cases in Dauphin, Cumberland, and Lebanon Counties every year, and West Nile virus shows up in local mosquito samples each summer. This isn't a nuisance issue. It's a public health issue that affects your family, your kids, and your pets every time they step into the yard between May and October.
A single yard treatment knocks down adult populations. A seasonal program keeps them down all summer.
We treat the resting areas where mosquitoes hide during the day — undersides of leaves, dense shrubs, ornamental beds, fences, and shaded areas around your home. Mosquitoes rest on these surfaces between feedings; treating them eliminates the population that's actually biting you. Treatments typically last 3-4 weeks before reapplication is needed.
In2Care is a targeted mosquito control system that does what spray treatments can't — it kills mosquitoes at every life stage AND uses the mosquitoes themselves to spread the active ingredient to nearby breeding sites. We place small black stations around your yard in shaded, mosquito-friendly spots. Female mosquitoes land in the station looking for water, contact a slow-acting larvicide and a fungal biopesticide, then carry that larvicide to other breeding sites in your yard before they die. The result is dramatically lower mosquito populations using a fraction of the chemical input of traditional spraying — and it's targeted specifically at mosquitoes, so it's far gentler on bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. We're trained applicators of this system and offer it as a stand-alone program or as an add-on to barrier treatments. If you've ever been frustrated by traditional mosquito spraying, ask us about In2Care.
For property owners who want a completely organic mosquito and tick treatment with zero synthetic insecticides, we offer applications using EcoGuard Plus — an all-natural, plant-based insecticide formulated from essential oils. It's one of the few organic options that actually works for backyard mosquito and tick pressure in Central PA, and it's our go-to product for clients who keep bees, have pollinator gardens, or just want a chemical-free property.
EcoGuard Plus is a concentrated essential oil insecticide developed by Eco Innovations, an American-made small business product. It's federally EPA-exempt under FIFRA Section 25(b) — a regulatory category for minimum-risk pesticides made from ingredients on the EPA's "generally regarded as safe" list. The active ingredients are pure plant-derived essential oils. No synthetic pyrethroids, no neonicotinoids, no organophosphates.
Most "natural" mosquito sprays advertised to homeowners are weak — they smell good for a few hours, then the bugs come back. EcoGuard Plus is different for two reasons:
First, it kills on contact. When applied to mosquito and tick habitat, it disrupts the insects' nervous systems and kills them on the spot, similar to how synthetic pyrethroids work — but using natural compounds.
Second, it has 30-day residual repellency. After the initial kill, the residue creates a barrier that repels new mosquitoes and ticks for up to 30 days. Most organic products only have a few days of residual at best. This is the key difference between "natural-ish marketing" and an organic product that actually does the job.
This is why we use it. EcoGuard Plus is formulated to kill ticks and mosquitoes specifically — not the beneficial insects you actually want in your yard. Bees, butterflies, ladybugs, and other pollinators are not affected when the product is applied as directed. As working beekeepers operating our own apiary, we wouldn't apply something that kills our own bees. EcoGuard Plus is one of the few products we trust around our hives.
Property owners who keep their own bees and want zero risk to their hives
Pollinator garden owners who've planted milkweed, native wildflowers, or other pollinator habitat
Families with kids and pets who want extra peace of mind around treated areas
Properties near vegetable gardens or food plantings where chemical pesticides feel like overkill
Clients who want fully organic lawn AND mosquito programs combined
Anyone who's tried "natural" mosquito products that didn't work — this one actually does
EcoGuard Plus is applied via backpack sprayer or mist blower as a barrier treatment around your property — the perimeter of the yard, vegetation along treelines, around decks and patios, and any standing-water-adjacent areas where mosquitoes breed. We focus the application on mosquito and tick resting habitat (shaded vegetation, leaf litter edges, ground cover) where they spend most of their time, rather than broadcast-spraying the whole lawn.
Treatment is typically reapplied every 30 days during mosquito season (April through October in Central PA) for continuous protection. We also coordinate breeding-site reduction (eliminating standing water) as part of the program, which makes any treatment more effective.
We offer three approaches to mosquito and tick control depending on what fits your property:
In2Care mosquito stations — targeted bait stations that kill mosquito larvae specifically, no broadcast spraying. Best for properties where you want minimal application footprint and targeted control.
EcoGuard Plus organic applications — fully organic essential-oil barrier treatment. Best for clients committed to no synthetic insecticides.
Reduced-risk conventional applications — for properties needing strong pressure control where In2Care alone isn't enough and EcoGuard Plus pricing isn't a fit. We use products selected for low pollinator impact and timed to minimize beneficial-insect exposure.
We'll talk through which approach fits your property during a free estimate. Many clients use a combination — In2Care stations plus EcoGuard Plus barrier treatments around outdoor living areas.
Ticks live in lawn edges, leaf litter, woodlines, and around outbuildings — anywhere small mammals travel. We treat tick habitat directly, focusing on the perimeter zones where ticks "quest" (climb to the top of grass blades waiting for a host). For properties bordering woods or fields, we add targeted perimeter treatments where deer and rodents enter the yard.
Mosquitoes don't fly far from where they hatched. The most effective control attacks them before they're adults. We inspect your property for standing water — clogged gutters, tarps, kiddie pools, bird baths, plant saucers, low spots that hold rain — and treat or recommend changes for each one. For larger water features (ponds, decorative water gardens, livestock troughs), we apply mosquito larvicides that are safe for fish, frogs, birds, and pets.
Most clients choose our seasonal program: scheduled treatments every 3-4 weeks from late April through October, so your yard is protected the entire mosquito and tick season without you having to think about it. We rotate products to prevent resistance and adjust treatment timing based on local pressure each year. No long-term contracts — cancel anytime.
Outdoor wedding, graduation party, family reunion, or backyard barbecue coming up? We do single-application treatments timed 24-48 hours before your event for maximum effect. Call early in the season — weekend slots fill up fast in summer.
We provide mosquito and tick control throughout Dauphin, Cumberland, Lebanon, and York Counties — including Harrisburg, Paxtang, Penbrook, Steelton, Highspire, Middletown, Hummelstown, Hershey, Palmyra, Annville, Cleona, Lebanon, Grantville, Linglestown, Colonial Park, Susquehanna Township, Lower Paxton, Camp Hill, Mechanicsburg, Lemoyne, New Cumberland, Wormleysburg, Enola, Marysville, Halifax, Millersburg, Elizabethtown, Mount Joy, Mount Wolf, Manchester, Dillsburg, Carlisle, Boiling Springs, and surrounding Central Pennsylvania communities.
Earlier than most people think. Ticks are active any time temperatures stay above freezing — that often means March in Central PA. Mosquitoes start hatching in April once standing water warms up. The best time to start a seasonal program is late April or early May, before populations build up. If you wait until you're getting bitten, you're already behind. Even mid-summer starts work well, but starting early means a much lower mosquito pressure all season.
Pricing depends on yard size, how much vegetation needs to be treated, and whether you choose a single treatment or a seasonal program. Single treatments are quoted per visit; seasonal programs are billed per treatment with no contract commitment. We give free estimates over the phone or on-site.
Every 3-4 weeks during mosquito season is the standard for full season-long control. After heavy rain you may notice a brief uptick in mosquito activity — that's normal and the next scheduled treatment will catch up.
Yes, when applied correctly. We use EPA-registered products and follow label directions for re-entry intervals — typically people and pets can safely return to the yard once the treatment dries (around 30-60 minutes). For pollinators, we avoid spraying flowering plants directly and time applications for early morning or evening when bees are less active. If you keep your own bees, tell us — we'll work around your hive locations. We also offer the In2Care station system, which is specifically targeted at mosquitoes and has minimal impact on non-target pollinators — that's the option we recommend most often for clients with backyard hives, pollinator gardens, or sensitivity concerns.
No, and any company that promises that isn't being honest with you. Mosquitoes fly in from neighboring properties, woods, and standing water sources we can't access. What good treatment does is dramatically reduce the resident population and make your yard much less hospitable. Most clients see 80-90% reduction in mosquito activity within a week of treatment.
We can — ask about our reduced-risk and botanical product options. They typically don't last as long as synthetic pyrethroids (closer to 2 weeks per treatment instead of 3-4) and may cost more, but they're an option for clients who want them. We're happy to walk through the trade-offs.
In2Care is a mosquito control system that uses small stations placed around your property. Female mosquitoes are attracted to the station thinking it's a breeding site, contact a small dose of slow-acting larvicide, and then carry that larvicide to actual breeding sites — passively treating standing water sources you might not even know about. The system also contains a fungal biopesticide that kills the adult mosquitoes within a few days. Compared to traditional spraying, In2Care uses far less product, targets mosquitoes specifically (rather than killing whatever insects the spray contacts), and works on hidden breeding sites instead of just resting surfaces. It's especially useful for properties with bees, pollinator gardens, water features, or kids and pets that use the yard heavily. We can use In2Care as a stand-alone program or combine it with barrier sprays for maximum impact.
Mosquito treatments help with ticks but aren't optimized for them. For tick-heavy properties — anything bordering woods, fields, or hosting deer — we add targeted tick treatments to lawn edges, woodlines, and stone walls. Lyme disease is real and Central PA is a high-risk area. If you spend time outside or have kids and pets, full tick coverage is worth doing.
Call or text 717-379-3248 or email Lawnsplantspests@gmail.com for a free estimate. Locally owned. Licensed and insured. Serving Harrisburg, Hershey, Camp Hill, Mechanicsburg, and all of Central PA.