What are ticks?
Ticks are eight-legged parasitic pests that rely on human or animal blood to survive. Blood is their only source of nutrition! Ticks are a type of arachnid, and like other arachnids, they lack wings and antennae. They have oval bodies that expand and grow as they consume their blood meals.
Ticks don't live on their hosts but do spend long periods there. Ticks are slow feeders and feed over many days; once they have had their fill, they will fall off the host and drop to the ground. When they are ready for their next meal, the tick will crawl to the top of a piece of vegetation and crawl onto whatever person or animal brushes past them. Preventing ticks from entering your home is essential for protecting yourself and your family from tick bites.
Are ticks dangerous?
Ticks are dangerous because of their ability to successfully transmit diseases to the people and animals they feed on. Diseases ticks spread include the very serious Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, and ehrlichiosis.
Why do I have a tick problem?
There are two main ways that ticks become a problem for people. Either they are introduced onto your property by an animal, or you or your pets come into contact with them in an outdoor area and bring them back to your property.
Some of the most common places people come into contact with ticks include wooded areas, hiking trails, meadows, athletic fields, and grassy yards.
Wild animals traveling across your yard, feeding at bird feeders, or using your home as a nesting spot will introduce the ticks they are carrying on their backs onto your property.
Where will I find ticks?
You will find that ticks are mainly a problem in outdoor spaces. Most tick species are incapable of completing their life cycle indoors.
When not attached to an animal host and feeding, they are found on the ground in damp, shady spots. Some of the most common places you'll discover ticks are in the soil under leaf piles, bushes, mulch, and in the tall grass along fencelines and walkways.
How do I get rid of ticks?
If you have ever tried to get rid of ticks from your property and keep them from returning, you know how frustrating it can be. Don't try to eliminate ticks on your own; partner with us at Morton's Pest Control. We know the ticks common to our region and will provide you with high-quality home pest control and commercial exterminator services and use EPA-approved products to eliminate and control ticks while keeping your family safe. We know that each property has its own unique needs and will provide the customized tick control services necessary to keep these biting pests out of your yard and away from your family.
Reach out today to learn more about the benefits of choosing Morton's Pest Control to take care of your Alabama property's tick problems!
How can I prevent ticks in the future?
Preventing problems with ticks is difficult because they live and breed outdoors and are constantly being introduced onto our properties by animals. However, there are some things that you can do around your property to make it less habitable to ticks.
- Remove piles of leaf litter, grass, and other debris where ticks and their animal hosts can hide.
- Keep the grass in your yard cut short.
- Deter rodent activity by keeping lids on trash cans and removing bird feeders.
- Cut back weeds, grass, and other vegetation away from your home's exterior, walkways, and outdoor steps.
If you are tired of finding ticks in your Alabama yard, reach out today so we can help you maintain a property that is free from these biting, unwanted pests.