If you walked up to a field and saw a sign that read: Land Mines, would you walk across it? Of course you wouldn’t. Sane people avoid walking through areas that could get them seriously injured. That being said, what if we told you that walking through your own yard could lead to serious harm? How is this possible? One word. Ticks. Ticks are like tiny pest land mines. Not all are dangerous, but some can leave you with lasting problems that could change your life forever. To stop ticks around your San Tan Valley property, here is everything you need to know about tick control.
Types Of Ticks In Arizona
Three species of ticks share Arizona with us. there is the brown dog tick, the western black-legged tick, and the Rocky Mountain wood tick. All three of these ticks have a number of things in common. All ticks have eight legs which makes them arachnids, just like spiders. Unlike spiders, ticks latch onto a host to feed. To get onto a host, ticks climb up tall grass or onto other foliage and reach their front legs out. They then wait until a host wanders by and touches the greenery they are on so they can transfer onto them. Once on a host, ticks embed their heads deep beneath the skin to feed. It is when they do this that problems can occur.
How Dangerous Are Tick Bites?
Tick bites by themselves are not dangerous, and the amount of blood they take from you is nowhere close to enough to cause you harm. What is harmful are the parasites ticks can carry. If a tick is carrying a parasite when it bites you, that parasite can crawl off and into the open wound. Have you heard of Lyme disease? What about Babesiosis? These are both problems caused by parasites that ticks carry.
Common signs of Lyme disease to look out for include.
- Rash around the infected tick bite.
- Fever
- Chills
- Body aches
- Fatigue
- Neck stiffness
- Headaches
- Swollen Lymph nodes
If you are bitten by a tick, the best thing you can do after safely removing it is to store it inside a plastic bag in your fridge. This may sound weird, but here is why it is so important. Many tick-borne diseases including Lyme disease are nearly impossible to identify without the vector that caused them. If you are able to bring the tick that bit you to your doctor, they will have a much better chance of finding what’s wrong, and getting you back to health.
How To Reduce Tick Populations In Your Yard
Ticks thrive in tall grass and thick greenery. The better maintained you can keep your yard, the fewer ticks will be around. If you have any pets, make sure they have proper flea and tick prevention. Talk to your veterinarian if you are not sure what to use for your pets. Another thing you can do is seal up your home’s exterior against pests like rats and mice. These furry foes can carry ticks straight into your home where they can become a problem inside. In addition to this, keep your yard clean to deter wildlife that might be carrying ticks. Finally, consider investing in high-quality tick control. At Ozone Pest Control, we have treatments designed to eliminate ticks from your property. If you are looking to reduce your risk of tick-borne diseases, this is the best thing you can do. Reach out to our team today to schedule a service visit for your San Tan Valley property.
