Crawfordville tick control might not be high on your priority list if you think ticks are just a problem for people who spend a lot of time in the wilderness. However, as we'll discuss, ticks can become problem pests even in suburban and urban areas, which is why you need to keep an eye out for them on your property. Learn how to spot a tick problem and what to do if you discover one.
How To Identify A Tick
We have multiple species of ticks in Crawfordville, and while they all have their own unique behaviors and looks, they still all have more things in common than not. Ticks are arachnids, just like spiders and scorpions. This means they have eight legs and two body parts. The body of a tick is shaped much like that of a bed bug. It is flat and round, with a tiny cephalothorax on one end.
If you find an animal that looks like this crawling on you or embedded in your skin, it is almost certainly a tick, regardless of what color it is.
The Problems Ticks On Your Property Can Create
Tick bites are the main reason ticks are so dangerous. Ticks have to embed themselves in your skin for up to several days in order to get a full blood meal. Since they move from host to host, ingesting the blood from each one, they are liable to spread all kinds of blood-borne illnesses.
Bacterial infections are some of the most common and most dangerous diseases you can get from ticks. Lyme disease is a big issue here in our area, and if left untreated, it can become life-threatening and even lead to permanent disabling symptoms.
When you get a breeding tick population on your property, your chances of exposure to this and other tick-borne illnesses go up dramatically, which is why you want to be sure to keep ticks off your property.
Factors That Attract Ticks To Your Yard
Tick infestations typically get going in one of three ways. You might bring them onto your property yourself if you go hiking in the wilderness frequently, free-range pets may bring them home after wandering around, or wildlife could introduce a tick population to your property.
In fact, if you don't spend much time in the woods, and you don't have pets, wildlife is your biggest risk factor for getting ticks. All kinds of wild animals carry ticks, including:
- Birds
- Rodents
- Raccoons
- Bats
- Skunks
- Opossums
If you have an infestation of one of these animals, your risk of ending up with a tick population on your property is high.
The good news is that you can protect yourself against all three of the most common tick vectors. Keep your pets on appropriate flea and tick prophylactic medication, take precautions when going into wilderness areas to ensure you don't bring ticks home with you, and take measures to make your home less attractive to wildlife. Keep your garbage covered with wildlife-proof lids at all times, never leave pet food or pet bowls sitting out, and store pantry foods in airtight containers. Taking these measures can help prevent your home from attracting tick-infested wildlife.
How To Remove Tick Infestations For Good
Tick removal in Crawfordville is unfortunately much more difficult than tick prevention. Once you have a breeding population of ticks on your property, the best thing you can do is to call the experts here at Florida Sun Pest Control. Our tick experts can shore up your tick prevention measures and help you remove active infestations from your property. So don't let disease-ridden ticks keep breeding in your backyard. Click or call today.