Ticks

Are ticks dangerous?

Ticks are significant health threat as many are capable of transmitting disease. These pests require blood meals to survive and reproduce. Their preferred meal is human and other mammalian host bloods.

Deer ticks are the primary vector of Lyme disease, a serious tickborne disease whose symptoms include, but are not limited to:

• A bull’s eye rash
• Nausea
• Headache
• Fever
• Stiffness
• Muscle & joint pain

For some individuals, it can lead to nervous system complications, arthritis, and other problems.

Deer ticks may also carry anaplasmosis and babesiosis.

Both lone star ticks and American dog ticks transmit Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF). Symptoms of RMSF include severe headaches, chills, fever, muscle aches, and other flu-like symptoms as well as a red rash typically found on wrists and ankles.

Lone star ticks are also known vectors of ehrlichiosis, a bacterium that can result in fever, chills, headaches, muscle aches, and upset stomach.

What attracts ticks?

Ticks are attracted to properties that provide the habitat they prefer and hosts to take a blood meal from.

How can I prevent ticks on my property?

To make your property less appealing to deer ticks, Lone star ticks, and American dog ticks, or pest control pros recommend the following prevention tips:

• Keep your grass cut reasonably short
• Clear away leaves, twigs, and other organic debris
• Remove tall grass and dense overgrowth along the edges of your property
• Install a crushed rock/gravel perimeter around areas where your family spends time outdoor (i.e., patio and playset)
• Don’t set up swing sets or seating under trees
• Remove bird feeders and other sources of food that attract wildlife including deer and rodents