The Different Types of Ticks Explained and How to Remove Them
There are several different types of ticks that you should know about. Check out our guide here to learn the various kinds along with how to remove them.
Do you notice your dogs scratching all the time? Do you see ticks falling and crawling on the ground? Tick problems continue to affect more homes in the United States.
Over the past 15 years, all 50 states reported encounters with ticks. Moreover, ticks are multiplying fast, resulting in a population explosion.
The more alarming aspect is that these ticks carry different kinds of diseases.
And even if you don’t have a pet at home, ticks can still make their way to you. As a homeowner, you want to protect your family from all types of ticks.
But how do you do it? How do you fend off these harmful creepy crawlers? Continue reading below as we give you a lowdown on ticks and how to stop them from invading your home.
Different Kinds of Ticks
Let us first get a better understanding of ticks. Different types of ticks may enter your property. Each of them has distinguishing characteristics.
They may differ in the way they look, the hosts they prefer, and the diseases they carry. Let’s take a look at seven types that carry diseases:
The Lone Star Tick
Beware of this tick as it is one that aggressively bites humans. People from the eastern side of the country may encounter the lone star tick. But people living in the southern portions are the most susceptible.
One of the distinguishing marks of this tick, particularly the female one is the white dot at the back. This mark is also what earned the tick the “lone star” tag.
Apart from the sting and itch, its bite also carries bacteria. The bacteria may potentially result in different kinds of diseases. These include the Heartland virus disease, the Bourbon virus disease, rashes, and tularemia.
The Black-legged Tick
One of the deadliest tick-borne illnesses affecting humans is Lyme disease. And the black-legged tick is its popular carriers. Their favorite targets are deer, which are also the source of the disease.
Lyme disease starts with redness on the bite site. It then compounds to other symptoms such as headache, fatigue, and fever. If the illness gets worse, it can spread to your heart and nervous system.
In some cases, it can even lead to death.
Apart from the dark black legs, this tick also features a black scutum and a red-orange body. The tick can also carry other diseases like the Powassan virus, anaplasmosis, and ehrlichiosis.
People living on the eastern side of the country like Colorado, Texas, and Maine must be wary.
The Brown Dog Tick
This type of tick is practically in all states. But people living in the Mexico border and the southwestern areas are more likely to encounter them.
Because they can live in dry conditions, they can thrive indoors. Compared to other ticks, these creatures sport narrower, reddish-brown body. It is also a carrier of the Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
The American Dog Tick
Like the brown dog tick, the American dog tick also carries the Rocky Mountain spotted fever. However, it also spreads tularemia.
Typically, this type of ticks is prevalent during spring and summer. And it is the female tick that will likely give you a bite. The female American dog tick sports a dark-brown body with some off-white areas on the shield.
On the other hand, the male carries a mottled grey color. You can see this tick if you live in California or the east of the Rocky Mountains.
The Rocky Mountain Wood Tick
If there are ticks that love the high altitude, these are the ones that do so. The Rocky Mountain wood tick thrives in the wooded Rocky Mountains.
Like the American dog tick and the brown dog tick, the Rocky Mountain tick also carries Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Moreover, it can infect you with the Colorado tick fever. This is a rare viral disease that causes chills, fever, body pain, abdominal pain, and vomiting.
If you live in Montana, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, or New Mexico, be on the lookout for this tick between January and November.
The Gulf Coast Tick
You will find these ticks in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as the coast of the Atlantic. Though their main targets are rodents, birds, and deer, they still bite humans from time to time.
And if they bite you, they can infect you with the Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis. It is a disease similar to the Rocky Mountain spotted fever but in a milder form.
Compared to other types of ticks, this one has lighter-colored legs. It also has a brown body with white lines connecting across its shield.
The Western Black-legged Tick
Though these ticks target lizards, you still need to be vigilant against them. The reason being is that they are also carriers of Lyme disease, as well as anaplasmosis. This disease causes headaches, muscle pains, fever, and chills.
You can identify these ticks from their black legs and reddish body. You can find them in areas like the Mexico border in California, the northern coast of Washington, and in most parts of Utah.
Removing All Types of Ticks
As experts say that invasive ticks are likely to stay, you must take all necessary measures to keep them at bay. Here are some useful tips that will help keep ticks away from your pets and your property.
Start with Decluttering
Even if ticks come from the outdoors, it doesn’t mean they cannot enter your house. This is highly possible if you keep your dogs inside the house. Hence, your goal is to keep your indoor clear by decluttering.
Ticks are small creatures that can easily hide anywhere. When you declutter, you will limit the spaces where they can hide. Start by clearing your floor with toys, paper, and other items that should be in other places.
Also, you need to end the habit of leaving your soiled clothes on the floor.
Wash Clothes in Hot Water
Speaking of your clothes, consider washing in hot water those that you feel infected by ticks. Ticks love to stick to dirty items like soiled clothes and filthy bed linens.
But make sure not to place the clothes and linens in the laundry hamper. This will prevent them from contaminating your other clothes. Instead, dump them directly into the washing machine.
Extensive Home Cleaning
The floor is not the only area where ticks can stay. Thus, you need to conduct a major spring cleaning. Begin by cleaning out your shelves and cabinets.
Discard all items that you no longer need or use. Take out your broom and sweep all corners. Mop the floors in all rooms and vacuum them after.
The good thing about using a vacuum cleaner is that it can suck those ticks. Hence, vacuum the cracks and crevices on your floors. Do the same thing underneath your chairs and sofas.
Don’t forget to do the same on your pet’s beddings.
Use Insecticides
After thoroughly cleaning your house, apply some insecticides across all areas. This will help you kill any ticks that you failed to remove. It will also eliminate the eggs and larva that are hard to see with the naked eye.
Apply insecticides on key areas like your pet’s beddings. Do the same thing for your chairs and sofas including the underside. Invest in an anti-tick spray and apply some to your pets.
Don’t forget to read the instructions before applying the pesticides.
Trim the Bushes
After cleaning your home’s interior, it is time to move outside. Start by trimming the bushes in your backyard. Ticks love tall grasses and the shade.
Cut those grasses and create more breathing room in your backyard. Ticks hate the sun so the less shade they get, the faster you can drive them away.
Furthermore, consider using natural pest control solutions to avoid harming the environment.
Remove Dead Leaves
After trimming the bushes, make sure to pick up all the dead leaves in your yard. When ticks cannot find shelter in the grass, they will look for a shade that leaves provide.
Take out all the dead leaves and any pile of vegetation. These are favorite spaces for ticks.
Call a Pro
But if tick infestation is too much to handle, call a professional exterminator immediately. Find a reputable company that offers extensive pest control services. Experts have the right tools to eliminate adult ticks, as well as their eggs and larvae.
Let’s Deal with Your Tick and Pest Problems, Today!
Regardless of the types of ticks that you have at home, one thing is certain: They bring nothing but bad news. If the tick population gets out of hand and you don’t have the time to address the situation, we will gladly step in and give a helping hand.
If you want to know more about fleas or ticks or need pest control services in your home or business please visit our site at https://synergy2ms.com. Feel free to read more about us and decide if Synergy² is the right company for you. We have over 200 Five-Star Google reviews for pest control service in the Jackson metro area (Jackson/Madison/Brandon/Ridgeland). Check out our newest location reviews for pest control service in Jackson, MS here!