If you're lucky, you've never had a tick bite, and if you're not, you know how upsetting it is to discover a tick on your body. Ticks mostly seem like a problem if you spend a lot of time in the wilderness, but you can also get tick infestations around your property. When ticks live around your yard, they bring many potential health risks.
Because ticks spread diseases, they aren't a pest you want to keep around your property. If you are looking for helpful tick reduction services, read this guide. The Green Flag Pest Services team has put this information together to help protect the community from ticks.
How Do Ticks Spread Diseases?
Ticks are parasitic pests that survive on the blood of mammals. They are opportunistic pests that wait on plants until a host gets close enough to attach themselves by embedding their heads into the skin. Some ticks primarily feed on animals, but many will use humans if they get a chance.
Ticks transmit disease-causing pathogens while feeding. Ticks can take as little as ten minutes or two hours to finish eating. Once they become fully engorged, they will drop off the host until they need to eat again. While feeding on a host, ticks insert a feeding tube and an adhesive substance to keep themselves secure.
Ticks spread illnesses from host to host by acting as vectors. So, if a tick ingests the blood of a diseased animal or human, they will carry this disease with them to the next host. Some of the most well-known tick-borne illnesses are Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Common Ticks In The Orlando Area
The most common tick species in Orlando are the American dog tick, lone star tick, black-legged tick, and Gulf Coast tick.
Here is how to identify each of these species:
- American dog ticks are dark brown with cream-colored markings. While they mainly feed on dogs, they often invade yards on pets' backs and then bite humans.
- Lone star ticks are reddish-brown, and the females have one white spot on their backs while the males have multiple, smaller spots.
- Black-legged ticks are often known as deer ticks and have black legs, heads, and orange bodies. They are notorious for spreading Lyme disease.
- Gulf Coast ticks are primarily dark brown with light markings.
Many ticks attach to pets, wildlife, or rodents and then live around your property.
The Six Best Ways To Get Rid Of & Prevent Ticks
The best ways to prevent ticks are to deter their host animals.
Our team at Green Flag Services suggests implementing these measures:
- Remove yard debris like dead leaves, lumber, and mulch.
- Reduce humidity issues by fixing leaky plumbing.
- Cut off excess branches on trees and shrubs.
- Keep pet food stored inside and remove access to bird feeders.
- Clean up food and drink spills right away to deter rodents and wildlife.
- Get help from Orlando pest control professionals.
It's helpful to take tick control measures on your own, but home pest control is the most effective way to deter them and their hosts.
Keep Ticks Out Of Your Yard Forever!
The Green Flag Pest Services technicians offer ongoing tick prevention services, so you don't have to worry about these dangerous pests. We can also eradicate existing problems with ticks or the pest species they use to survive. Call our office today to request a quote and get started on our effective home pest control and commercial pest control services.
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I love using natural pest control and reducing the toxins in my home. I have had no pest issues since using Green Flag Services for the past almost two years. Great service and very effective and safe treatments.
Jevon , Florida