If you've discovered a tick problem, you may feel nervous about the idea of ticks in your yard or ticks getting into your home. We understand why you might have this fear. Ticks are known to spread diseases. But it is important to take a step back and consider what you're really dealing with here. While ticks can certainly be a threat and tick control is important for the health of your family, you shouldn't have an unreasonable fear. Every tick that bites you is not going to make you sick. Let's take a scientific look at the threat ticks present in Durham, what is needed for tick protection, and then discuss the best way to get rid of ticks in your yard.
What Does A Tick Bite Look Like In Durham?
Most ticks bites aren't much to look at. You may have a bump and a little rash, like you would get from many other biting pests in your yard. The bite to watch out for is a bite from a black-legged tick (also called a deer tick). Black-legged ticks are known to spread Lyme disease which can be a serious and chronic illness. When one of these ticks bites you, you're likely to have a bullseye-rash develop on your skin. If so, seek medical attention and tell your physician you were bitten by a tick. Early treatment can guard you against chronic illness.
As you consider this threat, keep a few things in mind.
- If you find a black-legged tick on your skin and you remove it early (within 24 to 48 hours) you can prevent the transmission of Lyme disease.
- If you are bitten by baby ticks (referred to as seed ticks), the chance of illness is much lower. Transmission of illness occurs when a tick bites an animal and then bites you. When baby ticks bite you, you're likely to be the first mammal they've bitten.
What Diseases Can Ticks In Durham Transmit?
There are many diseases that can be spread by ticks. Some, like Rocky Mountain spotted fever, can be fatal. But these diseases are not common. Imagine ticks as mosquitoes. You can get a lot of mosquito bites without getting malaria, dengue fever, Zika virus, West Nile virus or some other scary disease. The same is true with ticks. If you take steps to reduce ticks in your yard and use tick prevention when you go outside, you can reduce the disease threat to near zero. What is tick prevention? Here are a few things to consider:
- Do tick checks when you come back inside and use a tick-removal device to get ticks off your skin.
- Wear mosquito repellent on your legs when you go outside, and definitely when you go into areas of tall grass. This personal tick protection will go a long way to prevent ticks from attaching to you.
- Wear light-colored clothing so you can see ticks as they're crawling up your body. Ticks start low on your body and attempt to crawl up to your hair.
- Do your best to get rid of ticks in your yard. You can do this by managing wildlife activity, reducing moisture, and removing vegetation and organic debris.
How Long Do Ticks In Durham Live?
Ticks don't live that long. You can generally expect a tick to live about six months. This is important to note as the effort you take to apply tick control in your yard is well worth the effort. When you deter wildlife, you can start to see results in only a few months.
Is There A Permanent Solution For Ticks On My Durham Property?
While you can have some success reducing and deterring ticks in your yard with natural tick prevention, there is no better solution for ticks than to invest in routine treatments for your yard. Professionals use products that break the cycle of infestation and make it impossible for ticks to live near your home. This stops ticks from getting onto your pets and hitching a ride inside. It also prevents ticks from getting on you while you're working on your landscaping or relaxing in your backyard. While natural tick prevention, such as securing trash, sealing off voids underneath structures, removing bird feeders, and other wildlife management methods are certainly important, nothing works better to control ticks than targeted applications of trusted materials.
If you'd like to learn more about professional tick control or need to schedule applications for your Durham property, connect with the team here at The Eco Man Pest Solutions, LLC. We can answer your questions and help you make the best decision for the health of your pets and family. Ticks can be a threat. While you don't need to fear them, it is a good idea to take steps to guard against tick-borne diseases. Let us help you with this. Reach out to us today for immediate assistance.