Here in Fairfax, we face all sorts of different pests. However, few are as unsettling as ticks. That’s because ticks can latch onto us and suck our blood without us ever knowing. What’s worse, in doing so, they can transmit a number of harmful blood-borne illnesses. As such, you need to know the steps you can take to make your property less hospitable to ticks and tick-carrying wildlife. You should also know some tips to keep from picking up ticks when you venture out into the great outdoors.
Identifying
Common Area Ticks
Here in Fairfax, the three most common tick species are black-legged ticks, lone star ticks, and American dog ticks. Black-legged ticks, sometimes called deer ticks because their preferred host is the white-tailed deer, are orangish-brown with dark legs, as their name might imply. Lone star ticks are reddish-brown, but they will turn to a slate gray after feeding. American dog ticks are brown with whitish markings on their bodies. Ticks typically grow to be around 1/8th of an inch long. They have flattened bodies but will swell up and engorge after feeding on a blood meal.
Ticks are considered to be dangerous pests as they can spread a variety of harmful blood-borne illnesses as they feed on the host to host. Not only are they dangerous to us humans, but to our pets, as well. Some diseases that ticks have been known to spread include Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, Powassan virus disease, and Borrelia miyamotoi disease.
How Ticks Get Around
Unfortunately, many people do not know when they’ve been bitten by a tick because tick bites are painless. Therefore, it can help to avoid bites by knowing how ticks travel around. Ticks are unable to jump so they cannot leap onto hosts. Instead, they prefer to hang out on a blade of tall grass, or similar brush, and wait for a host to pass by them. Then, when the host brushes up against them, they latch on. Once they have finished feeding they will drop off, usually without the host being aware they were ever there.
Tick Prevention For
Your Fairfax Property
As ticks can be so dangerous, it is important to do everything that you can to make your property less hospitable to them. To do this you should:
- Keep your lawn cut short.
- Trim back bushes, brush, and other vegetation around your property.
- Clear all yard debris from around your property.
- In addition to making your yard less hospitable to ticks, you should also try to make it less attractive to tick-carrying wildlife. To do this, you should:
- Put protective fencing around fruit and vegetable gardens.
- Pick up fallen fruit or vegetables from the yard.
- Ensure all outdoor dining spaces are free of spills and other food debris.
- Pick up any uneaten pet food after your pets have finished eating.
- Store trash in bins with tight-fitting lids.
Additionally, some protective measures you can take to make yourself less exposed to tick bites while out in the wild include:
- Wear long sleeves and pants when venturing out into the great outdoors.
- Stick to the centers of hiking trails.
- Avoid venturing into high grass or brush.
- Inspect you and your pets’ bodies for ticks after returning from time in the great outdoors.
For More Advice & Assistance
If you have any further questions about tick prevention, or if you require assistance in dealing with the ticks around your Fairfax property, contact the professionals here at Bluebird Pest Solutions right away. We offer top of the line pest control treatments that you can count on to effectively eliminate any infestation with which you are dealing. Don’t let ticks keep you from spending time in your yard. Give us a call today.
