Ticks are parasites that can be found in many environments, including woodlands, grassy fields, and forests. Ticks can be found on animals as well as humans. Most ticks feed on animals with blood meals. This means that ticks must reach their host animals in order to feed. Ticks can attach themselves to the host animal’s skin by piercing through the skin with their mouthparts and inserting their mouth into the host animal’s body cavity or blood vessels. Once an adequate blood meal has been obtained, the tick will release saliva that contains enzymes that liquefy red blood cells within 30 minutes of contact with saliva.
Importance of Tick Control
Tick control is important because ticks are a serious health risk. Ticks can spread Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and anaplasmosis.
Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne illness in the United States and has been diagnosed in nearly 30,000 cases each year since 1981, with incidence increasing in certain geographic areas of the country. In 2010, there were over 30,000 reported cases of Lyme disease in 31 states. Most people infected with Lyme disease have no symptoms or only mild symptoms that go away after about a week to 10 days. However, some people experience more severe symptoms such as fatigue and headaches that can last for months or years after infection. Lyme disease can cause neurological problems such as arthritis or other rheumatologic conditions in some people.
Ways to control Ticks
If you are looking for tick control near me, here are some things that you need to remember:
- Sprays kill ticks before they can attach to the skin. You can use a spray on your clothes or shoes to prevent ticks from attaching to you while you are out in public areas.
- Traps are like sleeves that are placed around the body that collect ticks that have been collected by a sprayer. Traps are used in areas where pets and children play, such as parks and playgrounds, but they must be placed in places where people can reach them easily.
- Repellents contain chemicals that repel ticks, so they do not attach to you or your pet. Repellent sprays are applied directly onto animals' backs, but they should not be used on humans or in sensitive areas of the body such as the scalp or face.
- Ticks can be controlled by limiting their access to people and pets. Ticks are most likely to bite when they are engorged with blood, so if you see a tick on your pet or child, it is important to remove it as quickly as possible.
- Ticks can be removed with a fine-toothed tick removal tool or by hand. If you decide to remove the tick yourself, do so at the base of the tick's body where it enters your skin, and pulls straight out, never twisting or jerking as this may cause more pain for you and damage to the tick. If you don't know what type of tick it is, don't remove it; contact your health care provider immediately.
- If an attached tick has been sucking blood longer than eight hours, gently grasp its mouthparts with tweezers and pull slowly until they are free of your skin, then throw them away in a secure container such as a coffee can lid (make sure there are no sharp edges) or bag them up in alcohol swabs (available at most drugstores).
- You can also reduce the risk of getting a tick by avoiding areas where they may be present. When hiking, stay on established trails and avoid wooded areas with tall grasses and tree stumps. If you do encounter ticks, use insect repellent containing DEET or picaridin on exposed skin and clothing. Disinfectants such as bleach (1 part bleach to 9 parts water) can help kill ticks that have already attached themselves to your skin.
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