Time for Ticks to Go Away

Just a couple of weeks ago, a new holiday was launched. Sort of. We know it sounds like a momentous event, but until Congress or the United Nations steps up, it’s not as big a deal as you’d think. If you do a quick Google search, you’ll discover several calendars, each with multiple holiday’s you’ve probably never heard of – and many of them clustered around the same dates. We’ve even published an article or two celebrating a few of these “special times.”

In this case, the special occasion was May 10-16 – Tick Awareness Week! The timing, of course, was done to coincide with the approaching end of the school year and beginning of the summer camping season. Whether your child is in a scouting group or it’s just family tradition, a lot of people will be venturing into the woods in the next couple of months.

And of course, the woods are where the Ticks are.

More Dangerous Than You Think

While people who live anywhere close to a wooded area are aware of ticks, it seems many people don’t know as much about them. For starters, Ixodida are arachnids. That means they’re closely related to spiders and scorpions, not mosquitoes or ants. Their favorite form of sustenance is blood. They feed by drawing blood out of another animal, like with a straw. But slowly – ticks only need to feed about once per year to survive. So they can live for a very long time on just one host. Along with sucking up blood, they also take up any bloodborne diseases the host animal suffers from.

But “their straw” goes both ways. While they feed, the ticks also transfer small amounts of saliva into the host. So any disease or microscopic pathogens they might have picked up from a previous host get mixed into the new host’s blood. As the saying goes, “you don’t know where that (tick’s mouth) has been!”

While Florida is not as bad as some states, on average, we still see a lot of activity from ticks – and year round. Some tickborne diseases take as little as two to three days after the initial bite for symptoms to show.

The Wrong Lyme Light

Just in the last 10 years, close to 5-million people have been infected with Lyme Disease from a tick bite. The most prominent visible sign of infection is a circular red, bulls-eye like rash that appears around the bite area. But the symptoms can include fever, chills, dizziness, and light to severe joint pain.

Tick Talk, the awareness site (not the social media sensation) even lists several celebrities who have succumbed to Lyme disease.

Artists like Shania Twain and Daryl Hall of Hall & Oates had to put their careers on hold because it affected their ability to perform. Pop singers Avril Lavigne and Justin were misdiagnosed and suffered before their Lyme disease came to light. And 30 Rock’s Alec Baldwin has suffered chronically for almost 20 years.

The site maintains many videos and infographics on ticks and Lyme disease to help educate the public.

Check, One, Tick

Most ticks live outdoors. But because they are parasites, it’s not unusual for them to make their way into your home. They ride on the back of a pet or exploring child. Rodents and wildlife that wander close to, even if not inside, your house can also bring ticks close enough to “hop” to a new host. And once they’re inside – they’re laying eggs and you can end up with a full-blown infestation.

The good news is there are professionals who can help.

Here at Good News Pest Solutions, we utilize a proprietary strategy to eliminate all adult ticks, and we treat known hiding places within the infested areas. Because this is one of our stronger solutions, we have some special requirements for the treatment process to keep your whole household safe.

One of our highly trained technicians would be happy to walk you through the entire process. Just give us a call!