Wooded Great Neck Properties and an Emerging Tick Species

Ticks can pose several health risks to people and pets, and in New York State, an emerging tick species residents and homeowners should know about is the Asian longhorn tick. Researchers first identified this tick species in New York in 2018, and it is now found across New York City, Long Island, and the Lower Hudson Valley. 

However, more research is needed to determine what kind of threat this particular tick species poses to people. In the meantime, New Yorkers are encouraged to take simple precautions, such as wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants when spending time outdoors and checking kids, pets, and themselves for ticks before going back inside.

Where Tick Pressure Is Usually Highest on Great Neck Properties

Ticks’ presence in certain areas of your property isn’t coincidental, but rather determined by the habitats they need to thrive. You’ll most likely find them in shaded, humid, brushy, or wooded edge habitats, especially those with regular activity from potential hosts like deer, squirrels, bunnies, and other wildlife. 

Since ticks don’t jump or fly, these low-vegetation spots let them wait for hosts and attach to any that brush past (including pets and humans). Then, they can live on them, essentially acting as external parasites, until the host deposits them somewhere else.

Ticks dry out and die in direct sunlight, which is why they need shaded, damp areas to survive. The upside for people and pets is that the open, sunny areas of your lawn are much less exposed to ticks, whereas areas with leaf litter, tall vegetation, stone walls, brush, ornamental groundcover, wood lines, and wildlife travel areas can concentrate encounters. 

While tick checks are always a good idea after spending time outdoors, take extra care checking kids, pets, and yourself if any of the activity happened near or in those shaded, woodline areas. 

How to Reduce Tick Exposure Around the Property

Since ticks are capable of carrying and transmitting harmful diseases to people and pets, it’s important to take precautions when spending time in your backyard. If you’d like to take steps to mitigate your family’s risk of a tick encounter, here are some measures we recommend:

• Keep your grass maintained
• Remove unnecessary leaf litter and brush from high-use areas
• Keep play/patio zones away from dense wooded edges where practical
• Use EPA-registered repellent according to the label directions
• Perform tick checks after outdoor time
• Consult a veterinarian about pet tick prevention

When to Call for Professional Tick Control in Great Neck

If you’re ready for more peace of mind, tick control in Great Neck, NY can help. When you call Mosquito Squad Plus, we’ll perform your first treatment within 48 hours, or it’s free, and maintain a 3-week treatment cycle throughout the season. 

With our team by your side, you can count on a significant reduction of ticks in your yard. We back all of our work with a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee, and we’ll never surprise you with hidden fees or pesky contracts.

Need help with tick control around your Great Neck property? Call Mosquito Squad of Nassau - Queens at (516) 874-3003 or request a free quote online.