Many people in Washington dread the summer because it is the time when ticks are the most active. Ticks are blood-feeding parasites that can cause harm to you and your pets. They are small and inconspicuous, which allows them to crawl on you and bite you without your knowledge. Most people don't even realize that a tick has bitten them until after the tick has started taking its blood meal.
At Prosite, we understand the seriousness of a tick infestation. We have a team of qualified Kittitas County pest control specialists that know how to quickly and effectively rid your yard of bothersome ticks.
What Exactly Is A Tick?
Ticks are known as external parasites because they must have a blood host to survive. Many people mistakenly think that ticks are insects. However, they are a type of arachnid.
A tick in Kittitas County will spend most of its life looking for food. It has no wings, can't run very fast, and cannot jump. But it is small and quiet, which are two factors it uses to its advantage to sneak up on unsuspecting hosts. The tick will use a variety of senses to help it find a blood host. They find a host by sensing carbon dioxide emissions from humans and animals. When it gets close to its victim, it stretches its long front legs and moves them around until they attach to a piece of clothing or a strand of fur.
Once it is on your body, it will find a soft, non-calloused place on your skin to bite. A tick has an elaborate mouth made up of many parts. One part has hook-like spikes on it used to dig through your skin. Once your skin is out of its way, it will insert its other mouthpiece into your body and drink your blood as if drinking from a straw. Once a tick bites you, it will attach itself to your body until it is full of blood, falls off, or is physically removed.
The Dangerous Diseases Tick Bites Are Known To Spread
A tick bite is extremely invasive. When a tick bites you, it is not just drinking your blood; it might also be transferring harmful bacteria to your body. Over 50,000 people are diagnosed with a tick-borne disease each year. Some of the most common types of illnesses that people catch from tick bites include Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis, Powaassan virus, and tularemia.
Five Helpful Tips To Protect Yourself From Tick Bites
If you want to keep ticks out of your yard this summer, some of the natural and effective tricks that you can try include:
- Make sure that your pet is on a tick-prevention medication
- Remove bird feeders to prevent wild animals from coming to your property
- Don't let the grass in your yard grow over six inches long
- Reduce the amount of vegetation that you have in your yard
- Don't leave stacks of firewood near your home
Ticks like areas with plenty of shade, so limit the shaded areas on your property.
The Most Effective Tick Control For Your Property
The easiest and fastest way to get rid of ticks on your property is to team up with professional home pest control in Kittitas County. At Prosite, we have extensive experience in tick elimination and prevention. Give us a call today to see how we can make your yard tick-free for good.