ClaireBear,
Ha..that suggestion calls itself 'moderately easy' and I think it sounds like backbreaking tasking!
I don't know what ceanothus is..I better look for a pic online and see if it looks familiar to me--I sure don't need anything to encourage ticks!

I've been thinking about a couple guineas and wondering how they would fare here. They'd probably be the cheapest option but I'm not sure they'd do their job with so many cats wandering around? Surely they hide at night to roost so the coyotes wouldn't be likely to eat them and I guess I could give them away when the weather turns colder (so I wouldn't have to tend them during the winter. I do not like chickens and doubt I'd be fond of taking care of guineas)

Lorsban/Dursban
Has anybody used these? CB's link makes them seem kind of scary.
Any idea how long it takes them to dissolve in the soil and be not so poisonous to animals?