Lyme disease has been in the news in Massachusetts for quite some time now. Deer ticks and dog ticks are common here and they seem to be everywhere. And now the Lone Star tick has joined this nasty group of inhabitants. Lone Star ticks are distinguished by the shiny white spot on there back. They are about the size of a seed, they have great vision, and they are aggressive. Unlike their slower counterparts they are known to swarm and attack. They have long mouths and their bites can be quite painful. According to the Cape Cod Times, Entomologist Larry Dapsis compares a swarm of Lone Star ticks to “running into a nest of fire ants.” Worcester tick mist is going to be more necessary than ever in controlling this growing tick population.
Becoming This Tick’s Meal Might Ruin Your Next Meal
So what makes them strange you ask? Just like other ticks, they carry illnesses. Not lyme disease as the deer ticks do, but instead they can infect you with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, tularemia, human ehrlichiosis and STARI (southern tick associated rash illness). When treated quickly and properly, all of these illnesses can be cured.
So here is the twist: Bites from a Lone Star Tick have been associated with a sudden onset of allergy to red meat. A PERMANENT allergy. No more steaks. No more burgers. Pork can also be a trigger if you become affected. Allergy symptoms range from hives, stomach issues, sneezing and runny nose, headaches, and asthma, to something as severe as anaphylaxis which inhibits your ability to breath. This allergy may be hard to pin down at first. Symptoms do not necessarily happen immediately. Monitoring your symptoms, what you ate and when you ate it will be important information for an allergists diagnosis. Symptoms may also vary with every trigger encounter. Just because your first symptoms when coming into contact with red meat were mild it does not mean they will always be. This uncertainty will make red meat something that you need to avoid rather than try to simply manage symptoms.
With Backyard Tick Spray The BBQs Can Go On
Mosquito Squad of Worcester tick control services can protect you from this latest species of tick to make Massachusetts home. Our barrier treatment can eliminate 85-90% of existing ticks in your yard and our tick tube systems help keep the next generation from ever making it there. Take the time to check out our 6 Cs of tick protection as well. As the saying goes “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. Let us work with you to keep your home and yard a safe place for your family and pets and lower the risk for suffering consequences that can come with tick bites. Call us today!