Where Does Lyme Disease Come From?

Posted by Mosquito Squad
Where Does Lyme Disease Come From?

December 20, 2023

If you live in the Northeast, odds are that you’ve heard of Lyme disease circulating through our communities. Predominantly caused by a bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi, Lyme disease is carried by ticks and, subsequently, to their unwitting hosts. Ticks rely on blood meals to survive and develop into adults, and this feeding behavior is culpable for the accelerating rates of Lyme disease cases in Long Island. Notoriously misdiagnosed, Lyme disease is far and away the most common tick-borne disease in the United States, and research suggests that the disease’s prevalence is only going to increase. This spells trouble for the Northeast and surrounding regions because tick habitat also appears to be expanding.

A combination of factors is probably responsible for the growing tick population numbers, including climate change, food sources, and habitat fragmentation. Before places like Long Island became the population hubs they are today, the natural environment flourished; tick-food included. Deer are one of the chief blood reservoirs that ticks use for feeding, and these large mammals were largely driven out of their habitat when we felled massive swaths of forest to create our farming communities in the 1800s. Ticks suffered a similar population reduction as they lost their favorite food. In the 200+ years since, however, forest restoration has encouraged deer to return to their historical habitat, and ticks followed. How does this animal behavior coincide with rising Lyme disease rates, though? Simple. Deer are one of the main hosts for Lyme disease in the U.S., and once a tick feeds on an infected deer, they are primed to infect their next human victim with the disease.

Huntington tick control: Help reduce potential Lyme disease encounters

There are already plenty of things to worry about in your daily life; Lyme disease shouldn’t be one of them. A suspected ~350,000 people contract Lyme disease every year, but professional tick control can vastly reduce the chances you will encounter an infected tick in your yard. At Mosquito Squad, we’ve been defending our customers against ticks for nearly 20 years, and we’re still going strong. We have a long record of satisfied customers who trust our expert services to defend their friends and loved ones from ticks. Using a specially formulated barrier protection mist, Mosquito Squad’s highly trained technicians use our mist to create an invisible barrier around your property. Furthermore, we treat areas on your property that are suspected tick hot spots where ticks likely lurk, waiting for their next victim.

Our mist provides protection lasting for up to 21 days, and with our ultimate protection plan, biweekly treatments will defend your family throughout the tick season.

Tick control is essential in our changing times, and Mosquito Squad of Long Island is here to help. Give us a call at (631) 203-1252 for all your tick control needs.