Tick Control Franklin, TN
Reeves Pest Control 615-290-2228
www.ReevesPestControl.com
Types of Ticks
There are approximately 900 different species of ticks. The blacklegged (or deer) tick, American dog (or wood) tick, Rocky Mountain wood tick and Lone Star ticks are the most common in the United States.
Blacklegged (or deer) tick Can transmit several tick-borne diseases, including: •Lyme disease
•Anaplasmosis
•Babesiosis
Rocky Mountain wood tick Can transmit several tick-borne diseases, including: •Rocky Mountain spotted fever
•Tularemia
Lone Star tick Can transmit several tick-borne diseases •Ehrichiosis
•Tularemia
•STARI (Southern Tick-Associated Rash and Illness) ◦Saliva can be irritating, causing an allergic reaction at the site of the bite.
Life Cycle of Blacklegged Ticks
Blacklegged ticks live for approximately two years and have three different feeding stages: larva, nymph and adult.
Larva
Ticks lay their eggs in the spring and hatch as larvae (plural of larva) in the summer. Larvae feed on mice, birds and other small animals in the summer and early fall. When a larva feeds on an animal that is infected with a disease, the tick takes the bacteria into its body during feeding and it remains infected for the rest of its life.
After its initial feeding, the larva becomes inactive as it grows into a nymph. Source: CDC
Nymph
A nymph tick will become active in the spring and will seek blood meals in order to fuel their growth into adults. Usually the nymph tick will feed on another small rodent, but sometimes it will be a human. During feeding, the nymph can transmit the bacterium to its new host.
Note: Most cases of human illness occur in the late spring and summer when the tiny nymphs are most active and human outdoor activity is greatest. Source: CDC
Adult Ticks
Adult ticks feed on large animals and sometimes humans. Although ticks often feed on deer, deer do not become infected. Deer are nevertheless important in transporting ticks and maintaining tick populations.
In the spring, adult female ticks lay their eggs on the ground, completing the life cycle. Source: CDC
Lyme disease
Lyme disease is the most significant vector-borne disease in the United Sates and is now a "backyard" threat.
Lyme disease spirochetes are a type of bacteria that are transmitted by the bite of ticks in the genus Ixodes. Ixodes ticks that transmit the disease are commonly called deer ticks and are often abundant wherever there are deer.
The bacterium that causes Lyme disease is called the Borreliaburgdorferi. It resembles a coiled spring and cannot be seen without a microscope.
Lyme disease Transmission
The Lyme disease bacteria live in mice, squirrels and other small animals. It is transmitted through bites of certain species of ticks:
•In the northeaster and north-central United States, the blacklegged tick (deer tick) transmits Lyme disease.
•In the Pacific coastal United States, the disease is spread by the western blacklegged tick.
•Other major tick species found in the United States have not been shown to transmit Lyme disease.
Symptons of Lyme disease
Lyme disease symptoms often imitate other diseases and are frequently misdiagnosed.
Many symptoms of Lyme disease are also associated with the flu, including:
•Headache
•Stiff neck
•Fever
•Muscle aches
•Fatigue
Other symptoms include:
•Enlarging rash (60% of light skinned patients)
•Can appear within a day of the bite or as late as a month later
•May start as a small, reddish bump about a one-half inch in diameter
•Can be slightly raised or flat
•May resemble a bulls eye.
•Bruise (dark skinned patients)
•Irregular beats, heart block, myocarditis, chest pain, vasculitis
•Pain - intermittent or chronic, usually not symmetrical; sometimes swelling; TMJ - jaw pain
•Mild liver function abnormalities
•Difficulty breathing, pneumonia
•Pain, inflammation, cramps, loss of tone
•Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, anorexia
•Tenderness, enlargement
Source: CDC
Deer Tick Harborage Sites
Deer ticks are rarely found in open, sunny areas. Common places where ticks may hide include:
•Woods - 68%
•Unmaintained borders - 21%
•Open lawn - 2%
•Ornamentals - 9%
More specifically, ticks are likely to harbor in:
•Shaded areas
•Brush pile perimeters
•Base of stone walls
•Wood piles
•Brushy edge plantings
•Wooded areas, especially near stumps or fallen trees
•Edge of lawns, under over-hanging bushes
•Deer-bedding areas
◦Protected grassy or leafy areas
◦Overgrown fruit tree "orchards"
•Rodent-feeding habitat
◦Vegetation near bird feeders
◦Compost piles
These tick "hot spots" require special attention due to rodent and deer activity. Likewise, human activity revolves around these areas - filing the bird feeder, stacking and collecting firewood, discarding brush, etc.
Targeted Pesticide Control
Reeves Pest Control's barrier spray is effective for killing immature and mature ticks on the move, while leaving a residual in place to protect you in the future.
Call Vicki at Reeves Pest Control for a free estimate today
615-290-2228
www.ReevesPestControl.com
