Tick season is upon us, and that means more homeowners are discovering infestations in their backyards. While it's possible to keep ticks away with the help of the trusted Venice pest control experts at Westfall's Lawn and Pest, you still need to know how to identify these arachnids and understand why they're such a serious problem in the area.
Let's take a look at some of their characteristics and what you can do to keep ticks from infesting your property.
The Life Cycle Of Ticks: A Comprehensive Overview
All types of ticks in Venice are arachnids, meaning they're part of the spider family. They start their life cycle as eggs which hatch into six-legged larvae or baby ticks. After their first blood meal, the six-legged larva evolves into an eight-legged nymph or adolescent tick. Once they reach this stage, they continue feeding on animals and humans until they reach their fully grown adult stage. As adults, ticks can breed, lay eggs, and grow their population in your yard.
Top Tick-Borne Diseases: Symptoms, Treatment, And Prevention
While ticks may not seem like a huge issue at first, they can infect humans with some serious diseases. These include the following:
Tularemia: This disease causes inflammation of the lymph glands, eyes, and ears. The swelling can be painful, and the disease requires professional medical treatment to cure.
Lyme disease: Lyme disease causes headaches, fever, fatigue, and skin rashes. If left untreated, the condition can cause nervous system issues. Professional medical treatment is required.
Erlichiosis: Erlichiosis can cause fever, headaches, muscle aches, nausea, rash, and chills. The condition can impact both humans and pets. In all cases, victims of this disease require professional medical treatment.
B. miyamotoi disease: This disease causes a recurring fever that can come and go, muscle aches, joint pain, fatigue, and headaches. As with most tick-borne illnesses, you'll need professional medical treatment to alleviate symptoms and treat the condition.
These are just a few of the more common tick-borne diseases you must be aware of. Of course, not all ticks communicate diseases, but those infected or carrying other bacteria or pathogens can pass these to both humans and animals. That's why scheduling a professional treatment to eliminate ticks in Venice is important and is the best way to prevent tick-borne diseases.
Tick Prevention: Remedy Factors That Attract Ticks To Your Property
Before you can start looking for tick prevention tips, you need to understand what draws them to your property in the first place. For the most part, it all comes down to your landscaping.
Ticks love grassy areas. If you have a lush lawn, it can be a major attractant. And if your lawn is on the taller side, it can create the perfect habitat for ticks to lie in wait for a host to feed on.
Luckily, there are a few things you can do to reduce your risk of tick infestations and make any tick treatment you schedule with a pest control expert more effective. Here are a few tips to follow:
Keep your grass cut short and mow often.
Remove overgrown vegetation and plants.
Install fencing around your yard to keep wildlife out.
Use tick medication for pets as directed by your veterinarian.
Wear long sleeves, pants, and closed-toed shoes anytime you're in the grass.
Check for ticks on your clothes and in your hair after being outside.
Use tick repellent when going outdoors.
These tips can make a huge difference in the number of ticks you find in and around your yard.
Expert Tick Control Services: Keeping Your Property Tick-Free
No amount of prevention can get rid of ticks already on your property. Instead, you'll need to schedule a tick removal appointment to deal with living ticks in your yard. At Westfall's Lawn and Pest, our professional home pest control team knows how to get rid of ticks and keep them from coming back. Contact us to schedule an appointment today.
"My yard consistently looks great. I find the technician that does the applications knows my lawn like the back of his hand. They are reasonably priced and deliver superior service!"
Complete the form below to schedule your no obligation inspection