How Lyme Disease Spreads from Tick Bites

Ticks aren’t born with diseases. They feed on diseased animals before biting us, spreading Lyme disease in the process. Rely on West Chester PA tick control to fight back

Have you been following the news about ticks in the Northeast this year? The headlines regarding these tiny arachnids haven’t changed much, but they are often discussing the same problem: tick-borne diseases. Throughout our region, a public health emergency is unfolding thanks to the feeding behaviors of ticks, which are responsible for the spread of various illnesses in Pennsylvania. Over the last decade, tick populations have exploded each year thanks to favorable climate conditions that allow them to thrive and remain active beyond summer, putting our health at risk. Ticks can tolerate temperatures just above freezing, and they are quite active at 40-50 degrees Fahrenheit and above, which means they can continue looking for hosts in the early spring and well into the fall. Thus, proactive measures are essential to handle ticks, but what should you know about Lyme disease and how it spreads?

While ticks are something to be avoided, they are not born with bacterial illnesses like Lyme disease. In fact, they pick this disease up from their hosts, like deer, birds, and most often, rodents. These critters are disease reservoirs, meaning they carry quite a few diseases that aren’t necessarily detrimental to them, but are quite dangerous when they infect other animals that don’t have natural protections against these illnesses. A tick can feed many times over its lifetime, which can span several years in the wild, and they pick up diseases on the way. When a Lyme disease-infected tick latches onto you, it’s not an immediate issue. To be clear, you should always remove ticks as quickly as possible, because other tick-borne diseases can transmit within minutes, but Lyme disease is different. A tick needs to remain attached for 24-48 hours for Lyme disease to successfully enter our bodies, giving us a moment to search for them and remove them. Lyme disease often manifests in different ways, including a telltale bullseye rash at the site of a bite, as well as cold or flu-like symptoms. In chronic cases, joint pain, memory issues, and powerful lethargy are common. For obvious reasons, proactive measures are essential to keep these parasites away from you and your family, making professional intervention essential.

Expert West Chester PA Tick Control Nearby

At Mosquito Squad Plus, we understand the constant threat ticks pose to your health and happiness, and we are ready to help you keep these parasites at bay. With the help of our highly trained technicians, powerful tick control treatments, and thorough property inspections, we can guarantee a dramatic reduction in the tick population in your yard. Results from our targeted, tailored West Chester PA tick control treatments last for weeks at a time, so you can head outside with confidence every time we come by. We offer scheduled services to ensure regular tick population management, meaning we will come by, deliver efficient treatments, and get out of your hair as quickly as possible. We’re happy to apply treatments when you are away on vacation or other travel, so you can come home to a yard that offers far less exposure to ticks than the surrounding neighborhood. 

Don’t let ticks near you or your family. Give our team at Mosquito Squad Plus of Southeast PA a call today at (610) 463-0507 to learn more about our work and what we can do for you!