What You Need to Know About Ticks Before Spring
Ticks are more than annoying; they can be dangerous. Ticks can spread diseases like Lyme Disease Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Colorado Tick Fever. These annoying pests are spreading all over the United States. They are now in states that never saw them before.
This spring you need to be proactive and prevent ticks before they begin feasting on you. Here’s everything you need to know about ticks in Waldorf, MD before spring hits.
What are ticks?
Ticks are parasitic pests, which means they like to suck the blood of mammals. Dogs, cats, deer, and people are all good meals to a tick. There are many different tick species throughout the world. Wood ticks and Deer ticks are the most common in Waldorf, MD.
Some people think that ticks are spiders, but they are not in the arachnid family. Instead, ticks are members of the arthropod family. They are essentially a mite. Like other mites, ticks are small. They will look like small, moving, black dots. They latch onto your skin to feed.
How do you get ticks?
To know how to prevent ticks, you first have to understand how they end up on you. Ticks live in wooded areas. They can be picked up in tall grass or bushes. That is why dogs are so likely to have ticks in the summer. Every dog seems to love walking through the tall grass.
Humans pick up ticks much like dogs or other animals. Hiking and camping in the woods are big tick culprits. It is also possible to get ticks from your dog or cat.
How to prevent ticks?
When you get back from a hike or a romp in the woods with your pet, make sure to do a “tick check.” This involves looking through your pet’s fur to try and spot any ticks moving around. You may also want to strip down and check your own body for ticks as well.
Looking to ticks after the fact is not the only solution available. You should also wear protective clothing while hiking. Wear long pants that are tucked into your socks. Heavy hiking shoes or boots will protect your feet from ticks. A long-sleeved shirt and hat are also great ideas during tick season.
As for your pets, you can now use a tick preventative. This does not necessarily stop ticks from getting on your pet, but it will keep them from latching on. You will still need to check for ticks after a hike, but less chance of tick-related diseases.
Conclusion
If you or your pet ends up with a tick or two, it is not the end of the world. Do not just pull the tick off your body. This could end up leaving part of their mouth still attached to your skin. Use tweezers to pull off the tick. There are a number of products for pets that will kill the tick, which can then be easily removed.
Contact Barefoot Pest Control if you are concerned about ticks in your Waldorf, MD yard. Our tick specialists will provide you a free inspection and estimate and will ensure your home and yard stay tick-free.