Ticks and seafood

My contractor told me today that I have the worst tick problem he's ever seen (in my yard). I thought it was normal for the area and just avoided my yard at all costs. Which is a HUGE reason im looking forward to selling. My daughter can not play in our yard at all. After mowing my lawn the guy found 7 ticks on him! Now I have a very small yard, it maybe takes 20 mintues to mow everything. Thats a ton of ticks! I grew up playing in the woods and corn fields and had only found 1 tick on myself ever until I moved here. I live in town, but my house does back up to some woods, and the house to my right has found a loop hole in rules and has declared their yard a nature perserve, so it's totally over run. This is most likely where my tick problem is coming from. This is also where my mice problem is coming from.
I have a nice house! I take care of my yard, I keep up to date on repairs and such. I should not have these issues. The city has fined them countless times, but yet they do nothing. We spray and everything but the suckers just keep coming back. I have no idea what to do.
And the really funny part is the wife will go out and weed around the driveway. Like really you think pulling a few weeds does anything? Why waste your time!
I think when it's to the point that my child can't use our yard because of the ticks it's gotten out of hand. I wont have any yard in the apartment, but atleast I don't have to deal with this!!


I'm going back home tomorrow. My daughter is a queen for a local pageant and gets to ride in the parade for the 4th :) So we'll so doing that bright and early, then grilling lunch for some friends, after lunch we head to a festival and then fireworks at night. Im making grilled lobster, steamed king crab legs, burger/hot dogs, corn on the cob, rice, pudding, fruit salad, home made potato chips, home made salsa, and pumpkin cake. I know a bit outof season for pumpkin cake, but it's one of the best things I make and it was a request. We're also doing homemade popsicles for the kids.
Im so excited to be entertaining, and that everyone wanted seafood! Should be awesome.