We humans, and our beloved pets, are excited to spend more time outdoors to mark the end of winter, but that means blood-sucking pests, like ticks, have more hosts to latch onto for feeding. In the Northeast, these pests can transmit harmful illnesses like Lyme disease, Powassan disease and others. That’s why we encourage you to take proper measures to try to avoid contact with ticks when venturing outside.
Ticks live in tall grass and wooded areas, waiting to grab onto passing hosts for feeding. If you will be spending time outdoors, you should be committed to protecting yourself, your family, and your pets against these pests––although they are small in size, the diseases they can pass on from a bite are quite dangerous.
Because we experienced an unseasonably warm winter this year, higher tick populations are anticipated. Here are a prevention tips from the National Pest Management Association to avoid the health threats associated with ticks:
- Always apply an insect repellant containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535 or oil of lemon eucalyptus when spending time outdoors, and reapply as directed on the label.
- Wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts and closed-toe shoes when outdoors. Choose light colored clothing that makes it easier to spot ticks and other insects.
- Keep grass cut low, as ticks are found in high grass. Remove weeds, woodpiles and debris.
- After being outside, inspect yourself and your family members, as well as your pets, carefully for ticks.
- If you are concerned about ticks on your property, give us a call.
At Braman, we offer a couple options to treat properties for ticks and reduce the chances of your family and pets becoming a victim of these insidious pests. Periodically during the tick season, which typically lasts from April through November, we can apply residual sprays or granules along the transition from lawn to wooded areas, plant beds and gardens. This will greatly reduce the population of deer ticks and American dog ticks around your property.
Alternatively, if you would like to control ticks but would rather not use insecticide sprays, we also offer the Tick Control System, a method developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, consisting of a plastic station that contains a food attractant and an insecticide wick. Deer ticks on small mammals are killed as they touch the treated cloth wick. Used consistently for a minimum of two years, this system has proven to be very effective.
Our experienced team at Braman will create a customized treatment plan based on each your location, property, family and pets. Give us a call at 800-338-6757 to discuss how we can help, or use our online form.