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May 31, 2017
Your yard is a ticking time bomb. The ticks we are talking about have legs and they transmit disease. If the wrong tick bites you, you can suffer an illness that doesn’t go away on its own, or at all in some cases. Tick populations are exploding this spring, and you are the target. You need to protect yourself, your family, and your pets from ticks. Here are a few tips to help you avoid ticks this spring.
Species of Ticks in Maine
Maine has 14 different tick species. Yes, 14! Some of the more common types of ticks in Maine include:
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American Dog Tick
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Brown Dog Tick
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Bird Tick
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Seabird Tick
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Squirrel Tick
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Mouse Tick
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Rabbit Tick
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Winter Tick/Moose Tick
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Woodchuck Tick
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Lone Star Tick
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Black-legged/Deer Tick
Dangers of Ticks
Every year, more and more ticks kill the moose population. Actually, decimate is a more appropriate term. During the winter of 2016-2017, Moose ticks killed 70 percent of moose calves in the state. Moose and other mammals are not the only ones at risk for tick-borne diseases, however. This spring, ticks have their sights set on you.
Black-legged ticks, also known as deer ticks, have a bacterium in their saliva that causes Lyme disease. Symptoms of Lyme disease are:
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Chills and fever
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Headache
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Muscle and joint ache
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A bulls-eye rash that develops at least 3 days after an infected tick drops off or is removed from the skin
Another disease that is sweeping across the Northeast is STARI, which is spread by Lone Star ticks. People who are infected with STARI develop a strange new condition - an allergy to red meat.
Infected ticks can also spread a disease called Powassan (POW). Symptoms of POW are intense. They include fatigue, vomiting, fever, headache, neurological disorders, seizures, and memory loss, often requiring hospitalization.
How to Prevent Ticks
You can’t prevent tick bites completely, but you can reduce your chances of being bitten. Tick prevention tips include:
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Wear long pants and socks outside of your pants.
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Wear lightly colored clothing to identify ticks easier.
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Before coming in from outside, inspect yourself, your kids, and your pets.
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Avoid wooded, brushy, and grassy areas.
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Wear an insect repellent.
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Call Pine State Pest for tick treatments.
Pine State Pest Solutions has a tick control program that helps keep you and your family safe at home. With so many threats lurking right outside your backdoor, treating the area is best. Call now to find out how Pine State Pest Solutions can minimize your tick population.
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