Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock.
It is that time of year. It is beautiful outside. Plenty of time to do some gardening. Or spend time with family and pets in the yard.
Ticks thrive in high-humidity areas, with non-managed landscape, overgrown brush and leaf litter. They are known to climb grasses and shrubs then hitch themselves to a host passing by. The tick drinks the host’s blood until it becomes engorged. It is during this time that dangerous pathogens can enter the host’s bloodstream. Of all blood sucking arthropods, ticks transmit the widest array of diseases.
(Graphic provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Precautions can help reduce the risk of infection related to serious diseases carried by ticks
- Walk in the center of trails
- Remove ticks from your body
- Shower soon after being outdoors
- Maintain and mow grass frequently
- Avoid tick habitat such as densely wooded areas
- Use repellent that contains 20 percent or more DEET
- Remove any brush and all leaf litter around the home and edge of yard
- Wear clothes that will help shield you from ticks, long-sleeved shirts and long pants
- Protect your pets by inspecting them daily for ticks, especially after they spend time outdoors
American dog ticks are most numerous along roadsides, paths, old fields, marshy areas and trails in brushy woodlands or meadows with tall grass or weeds.
(Graphic provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Diseases that may be transmitted by ticks
- Tularemia
- Babesiosis
- Ehrlichiosi
- Lyme disease
- Heartland Virus
- Boutonneuse Fever
- Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever
- Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
- Tick-Borne meningoencephalitis
- Crimean–Congo Hemorrhagic Fever
- Typhus, Rickettsial diseases (spotted fever and Q fever)
Protect your home, family and pets from flea, tick and fire ant infestations.
About Southern Pest Control & Sovereign Pest Control
Southern Pest Control & Sovereign Pest Control offer a full line of pest control, termite, exterminating, and mosquito management services for residential homeowners. A dedicated dispatch, GPS, and routing system, along with on the hour appointments, enables SPC to cater to their customers’ schedules. All field personnel are state registered or certified. SPC services over 40,000 residential homeowners. Contact Southern Pest Control at (800) 627-0577 to schedule an inspection. For a list of complete services and locations please visit www.southernpestcontrol.com. Southern Pest Control can also be found on social media websites: facebook.com/southernpestcontrol