Tick

May is National Lyme Disease Awareness Month

As the temperature rises, ticks are creating problems for pet owners and their pets. Tick diseases like Ehrlichia, Lyme’s and Rocky Mountain spotted fever are serious health concerns. The potential damage to internal organs and joint pain can be attributed to Lyme disease contracted through tick bites.

“We hear so much about Lyme disease, but Rocky Mountain spotted fever has increased sharply. This can be frightening since ticks are small and their bites are usually painless. The host may be unaware of a bite,” says Dave Clayborn, Vice President of Operations for Southern Pest Control.

Tick Family

Interesting Facts

  • Ticks have 8 legs
  • Ticks are not classified as insects
  • Ticks require a blood meal to survive
  • Lyme disease affects people of all ages
  • Ticks can live 200 days without food or water
  • Ticks prefer to hide in grass, shrubs, and wooded areas
  • Ticks can carry the bacteria which causes Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
  • Ticks do not fly or jump they simple latch onto (process called questing) a passing host (animal/human)

Tick Prevention

Protect Yourself from Tick Bites

  • Health officials warn that with such a wet winter the tick population has increased.
  • Taking precautions can help reduce the risk of infection related to serious diseases carried by ticks. Be aware of grassy landscape, wooded or brushy areas to reduce the risk of tick bites.
  • Some prevention tips include removing all brush and leaves, maintain and mow lawns short and have pesticide treatments applied in the spring or early summer along the edges of wooded yards and trails.
  • Wear light colored clothing when you are outside. Tuck your pant legs into your socks.
  • Smaller than adults and difficult to see or feel, tick nymphs the size of a poppy seed can carry the same harmful diseases as adult ticks. After outdoor activities be sure to perform tick inspections of one’s entire body.
  • To avoid potentially severe complications, seek medical care if you develop symptoms including, but not limited to, joint pain, muscle aches, fatigue, fever, headache, rash and or swelling.

Prompt removal is important since ticks typically require 24-48 hours of feeding before they can successfully transmit infections like Lyme disease.

How to Properly Remove a Tick – https://youtu.be/QyP40spVkdM

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 in Georgia, Maryland, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia homeowners – serving over 40,000 annually. Unwanted pests can pose a huge risk to your home or business on multiple levels. SPC provides qualified, experienced, and licensed pest control professionals prepared to resolve any pest issues that homeowners or business may be experiencing. Southern and Sovereign Pest Control respects their customers’ time and strives to make it convenient when scheduling service. For your convenience, SPC schedules EXACT TIME Appointments. 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