With tick populations blowing up all over Alabama, homeowners in Mobile are starting to worry about being able to keep the disgusting little blood feeders off their lawns and themselves.
Ticks are no one's favorite guests. Finding one of these little buggers crawling up your leg is an experience that has made more grown men dance the jig than both whiskey and good music combined. Besides being creepy, crawly, and generally disgusting, ticks carry a number of serious diseases that transfer easily to their human or animal victims.
If you're starting to see signs of tick presence in your yard, it's time to read up a bit on what ticks are, the kinds of ticks in Mobile you're likely to encounter, ways to keep them off your property, and if that fails how to get in touch with Mobile pest control service.
What Exactly Is A Tick?
Ticks in Mobile belong to an arachnid family, and adults sport eight legs that extend from flat, round bodies that range between roughly 1/4 and 3/8 of an inch long, depending on the species.
They sustain themselves on human or animal blood, swelling in size significantly as they feed. Due to their size, ticks are sometimes hard to spot until it's too late, and they've attached themselves to your body, where they can go unnoticed for days, feeding on your blood.
Ticks don't jump or fly like some of their cousins but instead prefer to stalk their prey in tall grass or from trees, waiting for an opportune moment to attach themselves to their victims.
In Alabama, you're likely to run into one of these three tick species:
- The lone star tick, sometimes called the water tick, is the most common. It has a wide, round body with a white spot on the back.
- The American dog tick, or wood tick as it's called in some parts of the southwest, is a large tick that's brown to black with white markings.
- The deer tick is the smallest species in North America, with adults reaching 1/4 of an inch in length. They have a reddish-brown body and long mouthparts.
Regardless of the species, if you're starting to suspect an infestation of ticks on your property, it's a good idea to address the situation as soon as possible with proper pest control. Besides being a major nuisance, ticks carry a number of serious and debilitating diseases.
The Dangerous Diseases Tick Bites Are Known To Spread
When ticks feed on their victim's blood, they also pick up every blood-borne pathogen their host carries and can readily transfer it to their next victim.
The three species common to the Mobile area are likely to carry the following diseases:
- Lyme disease
- Anaplasmosis
- Ehrlichiosis
- Tularemia
- Heartland virus
- Bourbon virus
- Southern tick-associated rash (STAR)
- Babesiosis
- Powassan virus
Ticks don't spend much time on pavement or manicured lawns but prefer tall grass, leafy vegetation, and overhanging trees. Their active season in the Southwest is between April and the end of September, but with extended warm weather, you may encounter them at any time.
Ticks can lay up to 2000 eggs at a time, and once an infestation is in full swing, it's incredibly hard to get the situation back under control.
Five No-Sweat Tips To Prevent Tick Bites While Outdoors
With ticks becoming a fact of life to deal in the backyards and national parks around us, let's take a quick look at how to avoid being bit by ticks:
- Cut your grass short and clear of debris.
- Keep watering to a minimum; ticks love a moist environment.
- Install deer fences and plant plants that deer are not fans off; ticks are often hitchhiking into your yard on a deer.
- Wear long-sleeved, light-colored clothes during the peak of the tick season.
- Consider using clothes-only insect repellent on your clothing.
If your backyard or home is full of ticks despite following these tips and you're worried about tick bites, it's time to get in touch with an experienced Mobile home pest control professional.
Tick Control In Mobile Made Easy
A seasoned pest control professional will evaluate the extent of the tick infestation you're dealing with, take care of the adult insects, and rid your property of eggs that, if left untreated, will guarantee a reinfestation.
If you're struggling with ticks on your Mobile property, give EnSec Pest & Lawn a call!