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They’re Baaack! The Danger Of Ticks And How To Prevent Them

A Deer Tick
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Blacklegged ticks (more commonly known as deer ticks) are nasty little arachnids. You may have had to pull one off your dog or cat that has spent time outdoors and if you’re really unfortunate, you may have had to pull one off of your body. Ticks don’t jump or fly, but they hang onto vegetation and wait patiently for someone or something to walk by so that they can fall onto them. Once they land on a host, they crawl around until they find a warm and moist area and immediately attach themselves firmly to the skin and begin to draw blood.  Not only are ticks highly unpleasant pests when they attach themselves to your skin, but they are also vectors of many different diseases, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and Colorado tick fever.  What can you do to prevent your pets or your family from picking up ticks outdoors?

Here are some tips from the pest control pros at Action Pest in Indiana, Kentucky, and Illinois to keep ticks away this summer:

  1. Remove any good hiding spots for ticks. Areas like woodpiles, brush piles, and piles of leaf litter are all good places for ticks to hang out, waiting for their next blood meal. Remove these hiding places from your property and you can minimize your chances of picking up ticks around your yard.
  2. If you have clotheslines around your home, make sure that they are high enough off the ground to avoid touching grass or vegetation. You don’t want your clothes picking up ticks while they are drying on the line!
  3. Keep the grass around your property closely trimmed to eliminate hiding areas for ticks.
  4. Wear long sleeves and long pants while working or spending time outdoors. Having your skin covered minimizes the chances that ticks will find your skin.
  5. Have pets treated monthly with flea and tick treatments so that they won’t bring these pests into your home. 

If you’ve noticed more ticks than usual on Fido or Fluffy, or maybe you’ve picked some up on your skin, you may have a tick problem on your property. For more information on tick control in Indianapolis, Terre Haute, Louisville, or elsewhere in our service area, please contact us today