Tick Tubes: What Are They and Why Do They Work So Well?

What is a Tick Control Tube?

At Mosquito Squad of West St. Louis, we believe that the most effective tick control method is a combination of our barrier treatment and tick tube system. The barrier treatment probably doesn’t require an explanation, but tick tubes? What are they, you might ask?

Tick tubes are made of biodegradable material, and they are filled with treated cotton. They are created to be environmentally friendly, causing no harm to humans, pets, or the environment. They work in places that sprays can’t reach, and this is their superpower.

Why Are Tick Tubes More Successful Than Spray Alone?

A:  Tick control tubes contain cotton treated with insecticide. B:  Mice collect the treated cotton to line their nests. C:  Ticks feeding on the mice die.

Initially, nymph or larval ticks feed on mice. This is where they often get the diseases they carry, such as the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. Mice are nocturnal animals. They sleep during the day, so when you have a mist tick treatment applied to your yard, it will eliminate the adult ticks roaming among the grass and brush, but the mice are burrowed deep in the ground beyond the mist’s reach. That means the ticks that the mice are carrying remain safe and alive, ready to emerge for their next blood meal.

Tick tubes contain the element that reaches deep down where the mist can’t. Each tube is placed strategically in your yard and filled with treated cotton. Mice find this cotton and use it to bed their nests. The cotton, while not harmful to the mice, will kill the ticks that are feeding on them. That makes for an entire generation of ticks that never make it past feeding on mice to find bigger and sometimes human hosts.

It’s Not Too Late To Start Your Tick Control Treatment

Ticks are nasty little bugs, and they can carry dangerous diseases. In addition to the risk of Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted fever, and Bourbon virus, tick bites can cause you to become allergic to red meat.

At Mosquito Squad of West St. Louis County, we are heavily invested in giving you the one-two punch that barrier treatment AND tick tubes give by eliminating adult, nymph, and larval ticks. We are still installing our spring round of tube systems, call and schedule today. It’s not too late to take control of your yard!

When you’re out enjoying untreated parks and natural areas, be sure to take tick safety seriously.