When you think about picking up ticks, you likely picture them finding their way onto your body while hiking in the woods. Though picking up ticks while you’re out in the wild is more common, these pests can easily end up in your yard.
Your Lubbock pest control team at EnviroGuard wants you to be prepared and ready to deal with ticks on your property. Here’s what you need to know to understand what drives these pests, how they can impact your health, and what you can do to keep them from becoming a problem on your property.
When you think about picking up ticks, you likely picture them finding their way onto your body while hiking in the woods. Though picking up ticks while you’re out in the wild is more common, these pests can easily end up in your yard.
The Life Cycle Of Ticks: A Comprehensive Overview
Ticks are a type of arachnid, meaning they’re in the same general family as spiders and have eight legs when they reach maturity. Like other arachnids, adult ticks in Lubbock breed and lay eggs. Once the eggs hatch, ticks emerge as larvae.
The larvae will immediately start looking for their first blood meal as soon as they hatch. Initially, the larvae only have six legs, but after they feed, they’ll shed their skin and grow two more legs. The ticks will continue to grow and mature until they reach the adult stage.
Tick-Borne Diseases: The Silent Threat Of Tick Bites
Ticks in Lubbock may not seem like a major problem, but they can significantly impact your health and well-being. Their bites are not always painful at the time that they happen, but as they heal, the wound can become itchy and red. These arachnids can also spread diseases when they bite.
These diseases can vary depending on the kinds of ticks you have on your property. But some of the most common diseases homeowners in Lubbock face include:
- Lyme disease
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever
- Boutonneuse fever
- Ehrlichiosis
- Tularemia
- Heartland virus
- Bourbon virus
- Southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI)
These diseases are treatable with medical help, but they can still impact your well-being as you recover. The best way to avoid these diseases is to stay on top of routine tick control appointments.
Tick Prevention: Remedy Factors That Attract Ticks To Your Property
When it comes to figuring out how to get rid of ticks on your property, prevention is the best method. Ticks don’t just wander onto your property or into your home. They look for ideal habitats that can support their growth, provide adequate food, and give them a good place to breed.
Here are a few proven tick prevention tips to help you keep them from becoming a problem in your yard:
- Mow your lawn: Ticks love tall grass, and keeping your lawn shorter will help discourage them from spending time on your property. Try mowing your grass once a week during peak growing season.
- Prune and weed your garden: Ticks can also take up residence in overgrown gardens. Weeding garden beds and pruning your shrubs and trees will discourage them from staying.
- Keep wildlife off your property: Ticks tend to hitch rides into your yard rather than wander in. Build a fence tall enough to keep wildlife out.
- Use tick medication for pets: Often, ticks will hitch rides on pets. Using a tick medication from your trusted veterinarian will reduce the risk of ticks crawling on your pets.
- Wear tick repellent: If you’re hiking, try to wear long sleeves and pants. Also, using a tick repellent on your clothing will reduce the risk of bites.
These tips will help prevent ticks from hanging around your property and ending up in your home, but they won’t get rid of an active tick problem. If you have ticks in your yard or inside your house, schedule an appointment with professional tick control in Lubbock.
Expert Tick Control Services: Keeping Your Property Tick-Free
If you’re worried about ticks on your property, take action as soon as possible. Schedule an appointment with EnviroGuard and let our team get rid of them.