Tips & Tricks to Tackle Ticks: Guide to Tick Prevention
Spring is here! The days are getting warmer. The flowers are starting to bloom. The birds are singing. The ticks are hatching. Wait … what?!
That’s right — ticks that remained sheltered under leaf litter and other similar outdoor fixtures during the winter months are emerging, and they’re hungry. Use these tips and tricks to protect you, your family, and your pets from ticks this spring.
Tick-Borne Diseases in Humans
Ticks are arachnids, more closely related to spiders and scorpions than insects. They are also parasites that live off of the blood of hosts like mice, deer, pets, and even humans. To eat, ticks cut into their host’s skin and excrete a material that prevents the blood from clotting. Ticks may feed for several days before detaching from their host and dropping to the ground.
Just before they release, ticks regurgitate a little bit of their meal and this is the time bacteria can be transferred to the host. Tick diseases in humans and pets include Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Protect Yourself from Ticks
Prevention is key when protecting yourself from ticks, especially Lyme disease prevention. Avoid tall grass and dense vegetation, and make sure those with you — friends and family — do the same. These are the environments where ticks like to hang out when waiting to hitch a ride on a new host.
If you’re out hiking, tuck your shirt into your pants and wear high socks to reduce spots where ticks can sneak onto your body. Ticks are attracted to light-colored clothing, so it is best to wear darker clothes. But be sure they aren’t so dark you can’t notice ticks when looking later. This is the best tick prevention for humans.
How Do You Check for Ticks?
If you have been outside, whether it was hiking or doing yard work, always check for ticks. These little pests prefer warm cracks and crevices so remember to check your bellybutton, armpits, inside elbows, scalp, around any tight seams like your waistband and between your toes. If you spot a tick, make sure you know how to properly remove it.
Be sure to carefully and properly remove ticks to be sure not to further harm or infect you, someone in your family, or one of your animals.
Tick Prevention Treatment for Your Home or Business
Catseye Pest Control has a tick prevention treatment that helps keep ticks off your property, protecting you and your pets.
Contact us if you would like to learn more about this prevention treatment.