3 Things You Might Not Know About Ticks
Posted by Mosquito Squad
December 20, 2023
Although it feels like the insects that pester us in the spring and summer are a distant reality now that winter has arrived, it will only be a few months before we have to deal with them once more. Particularly in our part of the country, ticks pose a serious threat to both our health and everyday enjoyment of the outdoors. Ticks are little, elusive parasites that are to blame for the rising number of tick-borne illnesses in the United States. Ticks can be difficult to spot since they are so minuscule, but it pays to be as knowledgeable as possible about these tiny critters. So let's start from the beginning and learn what ticks are and how they work!
A few tick facts
1. Ticks are true parasites that depend on other animals' blood and bodily fluids to survive, most often sourced from mammals. However, unlike vampires, they only have a short lifespan in the wild, don’t move incredibly quickly, and like to stay close to the ground where other animals congregate.
2. Unlike mosquitoes, which typically die off after a single season, ticks are far more hardy. With the help of their strong carapace and ability to find shelter during the winter, ticks have a typical life cycle of around 2 years. For such a tiny organism, this is quite a while! There is a downside to this for humans, though. Over the course of their lifetime, ticks are far more likely to come in contact with something like Lyme disease, which a tick may transmit to us if they stay attached to us for long enough, about 24 hours. For this reason, frequent tick checks are essential during the spring, summer, and fall!
3. Ticks don’t hang on to their hosts indefinitely. Ticks burrow their heads into their hosts to gain access to blood and fluids, but once the tick is fully engorged it will detach. If you discover a tick before it has detached, use a tool like tweezers to grasp its head and gently but firmly pull it out. A sudden yanking motion may leave the tick’s head embedded in your skin, an event that can result in you contracting a tick-borne disease.
Tick control North Shore from the experts
At Mosquito Squad, we’ve worked for nearly 20 years to defend our customers against the numerous threats we face from ticks. With the help of our powerful tick treatments and our highly trained technicians, we can guarantee a pronounced reduction in the tick population on your property.
Ticks and their diseases are never gone for long. To defend yourself, tick control North Shore is available from the experts at Mosquito Squad of North Shore. Give us a call at (978) 597-7168.