Springtime on the Cape not only attracts a lot of tourists but also pesky critters. One of them, especially prevalent at this time of the year, is ticks. There isn’t technically an actual tick season, these insects can become active any time when it’s not freezing cold outside. Ticks carry a number of diseases, Lyme disease being the most infamous. There are several affordable ways to interrupt their life cycle and prevent ticks from being born in your own backyard. Stay alert and take note of these 6 useful tips to avoid coming across ticks this spring.
Protect Your Pets
Different species of ticks carry different types of diseases, thus, pet owners are at a higher risk. There have been many cases when a dog or cat would bring ticks into the home and infect the owners. Make sure to keep your pet’s coat lubricated with a tick repellant when they go outside.
Invest in a Tick Remover
Since ticks screw themselves into the skin, pulling them out can be tricky. A tick remover can make the process easier and eliminate the potential pain of having to pull them out without one. If you are not sure how to remove a tick, seek medical assistance.
Spray your Clothes
Make sure to stop by your local pharmacy to grab an insect-repelling spray that contains permethrin. Permethrin is quite safe, easily purchased, and is one of the most effective ways of repelling ticks. Spraying your clothes with this compound increases the chances that ticks will not climb onto you.
Regular Checks
Once on a person, ticks tend to travel into key spots rather than burrow immediately, so you will have time to react before it pierces the skin. If you have an itch in the same place within a short time span, check for a tick since you might be feeling it crawling up towards your armpits or the back of the ear, for instance.
Prevention is Best
Besides using permethrin, simple habits like wearing a hat or tucking your pants into your socks make it much more difficult for a tick to get into direct contact with skin. It also increases the time you have to locate any climbers and get rid of them.
Is your property rodent-free? Interestingly enough, mice and rats can bring ticks on them! The first thing to do is to make sure there are no unwanted guests that might counteract our pest control efforts.
A & M Pest Control provides unique tick prevention and removal services. Our qualified technicians can keep your yard tick-free all year around after just 3 applications! No matter the size of your property, we can cover the entire outside perimeter, your gardens, and lawns. Call (508) 237-9536 or contact online for details and scheduling!
