Whether climbing up your legs, latched onto your pets, or merely scurrying across the ground, ticks are one of the most feared and troublesome pests. These blood-sucking arachnids are known to harbor several diseases, making finding even one a call to action.
This article will delve into everything you should know about ticks, from etymology to how to get rid of them.
You may be tempted to refer to ticks as insects, though that’s a common misconception. Ticks are members of the arachnid class, along with several types of New Jersey spiders, including scorpions, mites, harvestmen, and sun spiders.
The primary difference between spiders and insects is their number of legs–arachnids have eight, while most insects have six.
Generally, there are three major tick species prevalent in New Jersey: the deer tick, the lone star tick, and the American dog tick. Unfortunately, all three species are known to transmit disease, making tick infestations far more dangerous than any regular nuisance pest.
For example, ticks are known to transmit various diseases, including:
Each disease presents uncomfortable side effects, with some even lingering for life.
Ticks aren’t likely to travel long distances independently; they can’t fly, move slowly, and are extremely small when not engorged with a host’s blood. So how did they get into your yard?
Most likely, ticks migrated into your yard with the help of an infested wild animal like a deer, possum, squirrel, raccoon, bird, or even a lizard! They may also gain access to your home or yard through a family pet or hitch a ride on your clothes or body after a run or hike through a wooded area.
While ticks can be active anytime the weather is above freezing temperatures, adults are typically most active between March and mid-May and mid-August to November. Nymphs, or juvenile ticks, generally are most active from mid-May to mid-August. Both nymphs and adults are capable of spreading disease.
With ticks posing such a threat to the health of you, your family, and your pets, doing your part to avoid them whenever possible is essential. Here are some tips to prevent tick encounters and bites.
Ticks typically hide in dense, bushy, wooded, or grassy areas, hoping to reach an unsuspecting host to which they can attach themselves. For this reason, it’s always best to stay on clear paths when hiking, camping, or running.
The same rule applies to pets as well. Keeping your pet on a leash during walks, hikes, or runs in wooded areas is the best way to prevent a tick infestation.
If you have a set of clothing or shoes that you usually wear to hike or exercise outdoors, try spraying them with a permethrin-based repellent. These chemicals can help repel any ticks you encounter, preventing them from latching to your clothes or skin.
While no one enjoys long clothing on a hot day, it may be the difference between receiving a tick bite or not. Long clothing forms a barrier between ticks and your skin, creating one more obstacle for ticks to get through.
After partaking in an activity outdoors, immediately inspect yourself and your pets for ticks. Some ticks may not bite immediately, and several tick-borne illnesses require the tick to be attached to a host for 36-48 hours to pass the infection.
Due to the tick’s small size, it’s essential to inspect yourself and your loved ones thoroughly. Check under the arms, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, in hair, around the waist, near the ankles, and between the legs.
This step is often done in conjunction with inspecting yourself. Showering as soon as possible can rinse loose ticks off your body and out of your hair before they can latch on.
If you miss a tick bite for an extended period, there are some side effects to keep an eye out for that may allude to a Lyme Disease infection. These include:
If a tick has bitten you in the past 30 days and you are displaying any of these symptoms, you should bring it to the attention of a medical professional immediately.
If a tick bites you, remove the pest immediately.
Unfortunately, thanks to their strong jaws, it’s nearly impossible to safely grab and remove the arachnid with a simple tug.
To effectively remove a tick, follow these steps.
After removal, you have two options–dispose of the tick or have it tested. To dispose of the tick, either:
Contact your local lab or government if you wish to have the tick tested.
While preventing bites and other symptoms is valid, tackling an infestation at the source is always best. Here are some methods to treat ticks in your yard.
Ticks are a species of pest that no one wants in their home or yard. These blood-sucking arachnids are known to transmit several potentially dangerous diseases, making the sight of even one tick a call to action.
If you’ve noted an increase in ticks in your yard or on your pets, try the above methods to eradicate them. Otherwise, contact your trusted local pest experts at Anchor Pest Control if all else fails. Our experts can set you up with an effective treatment against ticks or any other common New Jersey pests.
We also offer flea and tick control as part of our Pest-Protect 365 plan for ongoing service, protecting against over 40 different species of pests.
Ticks are known vectors for several harmful diseases, including Lyme disease. As a result, treating a tick bite immediately and contacting your doctor may be necessary to stem any associated infection.
If you or your pet find ticks on themselves, it’s most likely because one of you passed through a thick brush. For the most part, ticks hide in leaf or grass piles, bushes, and tall grass.
Avoiding ticks is relatively easy as long as you know their preferred hiding places and behaviors. Tips to prevent contact with these pests include: