> Hire out or spray yard yourself? And does spraying make a big difference? Cost of hiring out? -Tick tubes seem to have an effect. How about mouse traps for the mice that apparently help spread Lyme?

For your curtilage, it's easy enough to do your own spraying, I use a pyrethroid for the yard and non-edible garden plants.

> Materials for tick barriers? Cedar mulch, lavender plants, and other plants that “repel” ticks…is there truth to these working?

The best way to keep ticks down is to reduce their habitat and drive away the animals (rodents and deer mostly) which carry Lyme.

Ticks prefer to live in moist and humid environments. So leaf litter and damp mulch is ideal for them.

> How about mouse traps for the mice that apparently help spread Lyme?

Haven't found many outdoor-rated rodent traps to be reliable and low-maintenance