Ticks are creepy, blood suckers. They’re about as welcome as Dracula for most folks, but they can show up right in your backyard and transfer into the house. This summer, enjoy the outdoors but be informed about ticks and how to avoid them.
Ticks are small arthropods. While their bites are not necessarily painful, ticks can transmit diseases when they bite that can be harmful to humans and animals. Lyme disease, rocky mountain spotted fever, and ehrlichiosis are just a few of the diseases that humans and animals can get from ticks.
Life Blood
A tick can live 3-5 days in moist environments without feeding, but ticks must feed to live. Most ticks will die after a few days if they do not feed on a host.
Pet Hosts
Often ticks enter your home on a house pet. If there is a wooded region in or near your yard that pets frequent, it can become a breeding ground for ticks. If wild animals like raccoons or possums live in these wooded areas, it is likely that ticks are present too. Check your animal often for ticks burrowing into their fur and use a veterinarian-recommended flea and tick repellant for your animal's health.
Human Safety
When working or playing outside, wear light colored clothing. If a tick does end up on your clothes, you can spot it quickly against the lighter colored fabric.
If you’re working or playing in wooded or overgrown areas, wear long pants and long sleeves as much as possible. Avoiding skin contact helps preventing ticks from making you a host and transporting into your home.
After any heavy outdoor activity, inspect yourself while in the shower. Be sure to check lower extremities that had more contact opportunities with foliage and softer tissue areas like the waistline, the back of the knees, and armpits.
Eradication
Enjoy the warmer months in North Carolina without ticks putting a dampener on your festivities. Consult a May Exterminating professional about what method is best to eradicate ticks from your area. We can provide treatment options that are safe for pets and families.
May Exterminating is well versed in tick eradication and we want to help you enjoy a tick-free summer. Call today for treatment options and to keep your yard safe for work and play.
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