Experts here at Modern Pest Services are warning residential clients about increasing tick populations this season. The short winter and early, unseasonably warm spring may lead to a high numbers of pests, especially ticks, which can be harmful to both humans and animals. People who are taking advantage of the warm spring weather and enjoying outdoor activities in their backyard are likely to encounter more ticks.
Prevent ticks from invading your yard
Ticks love dark, moist environments such as tall grass, weeds, low brush, leaf litter and wooded areas. Ways to prevent ticks from invading your yard include:
- reducing the amount of leaf litter and brush around your home
- keeping your lawn mowed and well maintained
- putting a mulch “barrier” around your property tree line to help keep ticks off your lawn
- moving swing sets or any recreation structures to the middle of your yard away from shrubs, bushes, tall grass and tree line
- having your property professionally treated by a pest management professional to help reduce tick populations.
Know how to identify ticks
Although ticks are commonly thought of as insects, they are actually arachnids like scorpions, spiders and mites with four pairs of legs and no antennae. They can appear as a very small, round, black or brown bump (the size of a fleck of black pepper) or quite large when fully engorged. Ticks are among the most efficient carriers of disease because they attach firmly to their host when sucking blood, feed slowly and may go unnoticed for a considerable amount of time while feeding.
Ticks carry diseases
The deer tick, often referred to as the black-legged tick, is known to spread Lyme Disease, which can be deadly. Ticks can also carry ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis and babesiosis. Ticks are the most common pest of domesticated dogs, so it’s very important to check your dog regularly and talk with your veterinarian about tick preventatives.
Click here to learn more about the symptoms of Lyme disease in humans.
Modern offers a monthly tick prevention program for tick control that provides a significant reduction in tick populations. For more information, call us at 1-800-323-7378.