A Ticky Situation.
Just a couple of days ago, I was enjoying a walk at Hunting Island State Park. I had no idea that during this time I had become a host for six little creatures having a feast. That is right... six little, tiny creatures... Ticks.
Just before leaving, I noticed a speck of dirt crawling on my arm. That was a freak out moment for me to say the least because... Where there is one, there are MORE! Sure enough, I ended up finding six ticks that looked just like freckles on my skin.
I thought I would share some information on ticks, straight from Clemson University, Department of Entomology.
Ticks are closely related to scorpions, spiders and mites. They are not insects. They are external parasites that need a blood meal to survive and reproduce. Ticks can feed on humans and other mammals, reptiles, birds or even frogs. All life stages of ticks feed on blood. Ticks can transmit several diseases, such as Lyme disease, rocky mountain spotted fever, tick paralysis, and others, but most tick bites do not result in illness.
There are about 80 different kinds of ticks in the United States. However, more common in South Carolina are:
Wood Tick
The name wood tick is used for many ticks including the blacklegged or deer tick, lone star tick and American dog tick. These are usually found in woodland areas. If a home is built in an area that was recently a field or forest, there is a higher chance that these ticks will be close-by. They crawl around for several hours often before attaching themselves to a host, so they may be accidentally brought into a home on pets or clothing. Wood ticks do not establish populations indoors.
Brown Dog Tick
The brown dog tick can be a nuisance in the home. It is one of only a few ticks that will infest a structure. The brown dog tick prefers to feed on dogs, but will occasionally feed on other hosts, such as humans.
They usually are found only where dogs occur. They can be picked up in such common places as infested homes, kennels, veterinarian’s office, or outdoor areas frequented by an infested animal. On the animal, the larval and nymphal stages of the tick are normally found in the long hair along the back of a dog. The adult stage is found in the ear or between the toes. When an infestation occurs indoors, ticks will be found in cracks, crevices, behind baseboards and in other protected places close to the floor. Since the brown dog tick and adult female can lay as many as 5,000 eggs, the infestation can be very large.
Although avoiding tick infested areas is the best way to prevent tick bites, what happens when you have an infestation around your home or worse, in your home?
HERE ARE A FEW THINGS YOU CAN DO:
Just before leaving, I noticed a speck of dirt crawling on my arm. That was a freak out moment for me to say the least because... Where there is one, there are MORE! Sure enough, I ended up finding six ticks that looked just like freckles on my skin.
I thought I would share some information on ticks, straight from Clemson University, Department of Entomology.
Ticks are closely related to scorpions, spiders and mites. They are not insects. They are external parasites that need a blood meal to survive and reproduce. Ticks can feed on humans and other mammals, reptiles, birds or even frogs. All life stages of ticks feed on blood. Ticks can transmit several diseases, such as Lyme disease, rocky mountain spotted fever, tick paralysis, and others, but most tick bites do not result in illness.
There are about 80 different kinds of ticks in the United States. However, more common in South Carolina are:
Wood Tick
The name wood tick is used for many ticks including the blacklegged or deer tick, lone star tick and American dog tick. These are usually found in woodland areas. If a home is built in an area that was recently a field or forest, there is a higher chance that these ticks will be close-by. They crawl around for several hours often before attaching themselves to a host, so they may be accidentally brought into a home on pets or clothing. Wood ticks do not establish populations indoors.
Brown Dog Tick
The brown dog tick can be a nuisance in the home. It is one of only a few ticks that will infest a structure. The brown dog tick prefers to feed on dogs, but will occasionally feed on other hosts, such as humans.
They usually are found only where dogs occur. They can be picked up in such common places as infested homes, kennels, veterinarian’s office, or outdoor areas frequented by an infested animal. On the animal, the larval and nymphal stages of the tick are normally found in the long hair along the back of a dog. The adult stage is found in the ear or between the toes. When an infestation occurs indoors, ticks will be found in cracks, crevices, behind baseboards and in other protected places close to the floor. Since the brown dog tick and adult female can lay as many as 5,000 eggs, the infestation can be very large.
Although avoiding tick infested areas is the best way to prevent tick bites, what happens when you have an infestation around your home or worse, in your home?
HERE ARE A FEW THINGS YOU CAN DO:
- If you have noticed a problem with rodents or other wild animals, such as raccoons or opossums, take measures to remove them from your home and yard.
- Keep shrubs trimmed along the paths near your home.
- Keep grass mowed, and remove weeds, brush and leaf litter close to your house to reduce tick problems.
- Make sure you consult your vet for medication or collars to help with control of ticks for your pets.
- For your home and areas surrounding your home, the solution is to call Ecotec!