Time To Tick Something Off Your Summer To-Do List

Ticks are nasty little arachnids that can cause major health issues. If you have blood running through your veins, they’re gonna try to latch on to any exposed skin. Ticks are external parasites that feed on the blood of mostly mammals or birds but there have even been reports of ticks found on reptiles and amphibians. These pests are generally found wherever their unlucky hosts reside, favoring the edges of forests. Hikers are pretty familiar with how to protect themselves from ticks by wearing long sleeves and pants while hiking, but how can you protect yourself and your family in your own backyard?

Ticks are most infamous for their transmission of Lyme Disease but can also potentially transmit 7 other diseases! These diseases include Ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, rocky mountain spotted fever, anaplasmosis, southern tick-associated rash illness, tick-borne relapsing fever, and tularemia. A lot of these diseases have similar symptoms that you can look for in yourself, family members, and even your pets. Symptoms to keep an eye out for are fever, headaches, nausea, new joint or muscle pain (not from hiking or yard work), fatigue, and rashes. Amongst all of these, Lyme Disease is the most common disease to be transmitted by ticks. While it has many of the same symptoms as those listed above, a bull’s eye rash appearing will be a clear sign that you have contracted Lyme Disease. According to the CDC, there are approximately 30,000 cases of Lyme Disease reported each year within the United States, which if caught early, can be cured through simple antibiotics. If you have been bitten by a tick and/or are experiencing any of the previously listed symptoms, please seek immediate medical attention!

Mosquito Squad Has A Solution For You

Now we know that it may seem like the best thing to do is stay inside, close your blinds, and never leave your home; BUT the Mosquito Squad of Grand Rapids is here to help you feel safe and comfortable in your outdoor space! While mosquito is in our name, we also offer a very effective tick treatment. We know where ticks like to wait in ambush to leap onto the exposed skin of your family members and pets and that’s where we like to focus our abatement efforts.

Ticks cannot actually jump or fly; they travel long distances via their host bringing them to new fields. So they typically wait on long blades of grass for you to pass by and tag along for the ride. Ticks like to hang out in shady and moist areas close to the ground either on vegetation, wood piles, stone walls, or leaf and weed piles, and even bird feeders. They latch on looking to feed and travel to new hunting grounds. When you have spent some time in tick friendly areas, be sure to do a tick check when you’re all done. Once ticks are on your body, they will try to crawl to a safe space where they can feed in peace. Just like their natural habitat, ticks prefer areas that are warm and/or moist, so on your body that would be areas like the scalp, armpits, or groin area. So when you are done in high-tick-risk environments, make sure to check those areas of your body for any signs of bites.

Since we know where ticks like to hang out, Mosquito Squad of Grand Rapids has great methods to help prevent ticks from entering your yard. Our traditional mosquito barrier treatment actually kills ticks on contact. Mosquitos also tend to like setting up their evil lair in places similar to ticks, and since we already target those areas for mosquitos it’s natural for ticks to be treated within the same treatment. These treatments create a protective barrier around your property that has been proven to be successful against ticks since they tend to live at the outer edges of yards and fields. However, if you live in a particularly tick-friendly area you might want to consider asking about our tick tube treatment. This type of treatment isn’t used as often any more as our regular barrier treatment is already very effective, but these tubes help treat for ticks that are being carried by mice and other small rodents.

How To Get Started Ridding Your Yard Of Ticks

While our tick treatment is effective, we always recommend taking some simple extra steps to further help prevent ticks from taking residence on your property. Here’s what you can do to give your yard an extra boost against ticks:

• Clearing tall grass and brush

• Removing leaf litter

• Neatly stacking wood

• Creating a 3-ft wide barrier between your property & wooded areas

• Frequently mowing the lawn

• Keeping playgrounds, decks, and patios away from the edge of your yard

• Constructing a fence to keep wandering rodents, deer, and other animals out

• Removing clutter and debris

As with all of our services we provide here at Mosquito Squad, every job is backed by our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. We prioritize keeping you and your family safe from these disease carrying parasites and want you to safely enjoy your yard! Give Mosquito Squad of Grand Rapids a call today at (616) 920-8069 or contact us online so we can start working together on abating any tick nuisance you might be experiencing.