Tick Protection in Springfield, MA

Ticks are pesky little critters who can wreak havoc if not dealt with appropriately. While prevention and complete avoidance is ideal, tick protection is another important step in helping to protect your family and pets from the frustration of these pests.

Tick-Borne Illness in Humans

Ticks are notorious for sneakily attaching to a host and feeding on the blood of an unsuspecting human or animal, sometimes undetected for days or even a week at a time. This doesn’t just take place during summer months, however. There is a possibility for tick activity any time the outdoor temperature is consistently above 45 degrees.

As a result of their feeding technique, ticks are often responsible for spreading diseases from host to host. Lyme Disease is the most commonly known illness spread by the blacklegged tick, or “deer tick.” Lyme Disease, a bacterial infection, affects more than 400,000 Americans annually and causes some pretty undesirable symptoms.

Tick-Borne Illness in Pets

Not only are ticks dangerous to human health, but many of the same diseases that negatively impact our well-being do the same to our pets. In dogs, Lyme Disease is caused by the blacklegged tick, and the symptoms appear as fever, lameness, limping, joint pain/swelling, enlargement of lymph nodes, and lethargy. Canine Ehrlichiosis is a serious tick-borne illness caused by the brown dog tick, Lone Star tick, and the blacklegged (“deer”) tick. If identified quickly, recovery time is short, but if symptoms go untreated for long periods of time, pets will advance to the chronic phase and have a much longer road to recovery. If you have pets who are at risk of being bitten by ticks, you should talk to your vet about the best tick protection.

Tick Control Solutions

Tick protection for your yard begins with a few very simple habits that can make a huge difference in reducing your risk of being a tick’s next meal.

Clear Out Brush & Debris

Ticks gather and hide out in tall grasses, brush piles, and other debris that naturally collects each time you do yard work or landscaping of any sort. When you mow, bushwack, weed-eat, or otherwise maintain your yard (which is also an important anti-tick practice in and of itself), be sure to properly dispose of your discard piles and don’t give ticks any extra places to live and breed!

As far as firewood piles go, be sure to stack logs neatly and in a dry area, ideally away from your house. Perhaps invest in a heavy-duty tarp to ensure that woodpiles stay dry, as this keeps rodents away, which are common tick hosts.

Tick Traps

Tick traps are an easy do-it-yourself tick control method for your yard using simple household items.

Materials:

• Empty tubes from toilet paper rolls
• Cotton balls
• Petroleum jelly
• Scissors
• Tape
• A small plastic cup or jar

Step 1: Cut the toilet paper or paper towel tubes into 2 to 3-inch sections.

Step 2: Spread sticky petroleum jelly over the external surface of each tube–this is the first level of your trap.

Step 3: Place cotton balls inside each tube. This is done to catch whichever ticks managed to get around the petroleum jelly.

Your finished traps should be placed strategically around your yard, especially in areas of tall grass, shrubbery, and shade. Every few days, check your tick traps and replace any materials that need freshening. Be sure to dispose of trapped ticks properly, and never handle them with your bare hands.

Barrier Spray

Mosquito Squad offers tick control treatments in the form of a protective barrier spray that helps mitigate tick populations and prevent reproduction. In the early 2000s, Mosquito Squad professionals developed a proprietary blend that helps reduce mosquito and tick populations in a treated area. The treatment options expanded in recent years to offer a natural alternative method—an aromatic, essential oil-based blend that is also efficient in thinning out tick populations and preventing breeding in problem areas.

Tick Protection Add-Ons

If tick control is still an issue or your infestation is large, we have some tick protection add-ons that may help. Our tick tube treatment method may be an effective longer-term solution, depending on your property’s layout and unique needs. We also have a granular treatment that can be added to your current tick control services. Without proper tick protection, populations are liable to run rampant and take over your outdoor space.

Yard Defender Treatment

Mosquito Squad professionals are also highly trained in administering our Yard Defender combination treatment, which addresses a variety of outdoor pests, including ticks, fleas, mosquitoes, and mound-building ants. This blend is one of several pest packages, all of which function as tick and mosquito control, but are also specially formulated to defend against other pests as well.

Springfield Tick Protection & Mosquito Control

Contact Mosquito Squad today to learn more about tick protection and outdoor pest control services offered in the Springfield, MA, area!