Are the Ticks out, or have they been here all along?

Spring is in the air. You are probably thinking about planting flowers and having barbeques. But you may also be thinking about ticks. The onset of warm weather is generally the time that we become more diligent in protecting our pets and family against these disease carrying pests. But did you realize that they can be in your yard all year long?

Tick Species in Louisville

First, it is important to recognize the types of ticks that we have here in Kentucky. We hear a lot about Lyme disease these days and the dangers, but according to the University of Kentucky, Lyme disease is carried by what are commonly known as deer ticks. Deer ticks are prevalent in the Northeast, but are less common here in Kentucky, for now. American dog ticks and Lonestar ticks are the most common species of tick found here and they do not carry Lyme disease. Instead, they can carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF), Ehrlichiosis, Southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI), Tularemia and Heartland Virus. RMSF is the most common of those and the CDC refers to it as a severe and even fatal illness when not treated immediately.

Tick Life Cycle

So how do we help protect ourselves? The best protection is tick control at home, where you spend most of your outdoor time. To eliminate ticks we must understand their life cycle and how they move about among us. Adult ticks lay eggs in spring and these eggs will hatch into larvae in summer. Because a blood meal is required with each stage beginning at the larval stage, the CDC says it can take ticks up to 3 years to complete their lifecycle. This means they can be present at any time of the year. They grow from larvae in the summer, to nymphs the following spring, and then to adults that fall. It stands to reason the best way to reduce the tick population is to eliminate them in the earliest stages of the tick life cycle. At Mosquito Squad of Louisville, we do this best using our tick tube system.

Louisville Tick Tubes

Ticks lay their eggs in the nests of small mice or other small mammals. Twice a year Mosquito Squad places tick tubes strategically throughout your yard. Filled with a treated cotton material, the tubes become a resource of nesting material for these mammals. By pulling this material into their nests, ticks that hatch there and larvae or nymphs that live there are eliminated. Larvae and nymph ticks that do not make it to adult stage do not lay eggs, therefore making a break in this life cycle.

We want to help

Yes, ticks are an unpleasant, disease carrying pest that we must concern ourselves with for the sake of our pets and the health of our families. However, Mosquito Squad of Louisville can eliminate 80-95% of ticks from your yard. We look forward to finding the most effective solution for your home. Call for a quote today. We stand behind every service with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.