Sometimes also called the deer tick by Feasterville residents, the black-legged tick is an ectoparasite that feeds on blood. They also are the primary vector of Lyme disease in North America.
Lyme disease may be the foremost concern associated with black-legged ticks, but these pests also are known to carry diseases such as Ehrlichiosis, Babesiosis and Anaplasmosis.
Scientific studies demonstrate that approximately 90 percent of black-legged ticks in the Northeastern United States are infected with the pathogen that causes Lyme disease. Accordingly, people who venture into areas where black-legged ticks are likely to be found are wise to take essential precautions.
Notoriously difficult to control, prevention of black-legged tick infestations is recommended as the best method of protection. Fields and wooded areas are likely places to find these pests, so it is recommended that people take precautions such as wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts and tucking the hemline of pants inside socks when in these habitats.
When black-legged ticks are discovered in residences or commercial buildings, then the only sensible course of action is to call a professional pest management company. With their know-how and access to commercial-strength chemicals, exterminators are singularly well prepared to handle the problem.
WHAT DO
BLACK-LEGGED
TICKS LOOK LIKE?
This pest gets its name from the white-tailed deer, its reproductive host. The female's maximum size is about one-eighth of an inch, but males only grow to about one-sixteenth of an inch. Like other arachnids, it has eight legs. The body shape is flat and oval and the coloration is an orange-brown with darker legs. Upon becoming engorged through feeding, the female grows darker. Longer than they are wide, the black-legged tick features pointed, toothed mouthparts that can be clearly seen when the pest is viewed from above.
WHERE DO
BLACK-LEGGED
TICKS LIVE?
These pests are distributed throughout the eastern U.S. Primarily, their habitat is wooded areas or overgrown pastures and fields. Homes and commercial buildings that are located in rural or otherwise secluded areas are more likely places to find black-legged ticks. However, people can easily pick up a tick while on a hike and bring it back to a suburban or even urban area. It is not common to find the black-legged tick living indoors unless it is clinging to a pet.
Black-legged ticks remain a threat even if they do not come indoors. They may be living in the landscape surrounding a building where they are always questing to find a host.
DAMAGE CAUSED BY
BLACK-LEGGED
TICKS
Members of this species do not cause damage to property, but people may be made uneasy when they suspect that black-legged ticks are living in the landscaping or have even come indoors. With the risks of disease transmission so high, it is wise for people who believe they have a black-legged tick infestation to call for professional tick control in Feasterville without delay.
WHAT DO
BLACK-LEGGED
TICKS EAT?
Ticks really only need blood meals to survive. Blood may be obtained from amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals, including people. At each stage of the tick’s life, a new host is required so that the tick can move to the next life stage.
DO
BLACK-LEGGED
TICKS BITE?
Yes.
As with the bed bug, ticks feed on a blood diet obtained from human and non-human hosts which is needed for survival as it passes through its various life stages.
ARE
BLACK-LEGGED
TICKS AGGRESSIVE?
From a certain perspective, black-legged ticks may be viewed as aggressive pests. That is, they actively seek to attach themselves to a host, and they certainly like to feed upon people. The black-legged tick will not drop off of the host until it is fully engorged. If a person finds a tick attached to them, then they may choose to remove it.
Removing a tick is accomplished with a pair of tweezers. The tick is grasped with the tweezers as close the skin's surface as possible. With a firm yet gentle motion, pull backward on the tweezers until the tick is free. Take care not to touch the tick, but do take a moment to preserve it in rubbing alcohol. It may be necessary to take it to a medical professional for identification if symptoms of illness develop.
DO
BLACK-LEGGED
TICKS CARRY DISEASE?
When black-legged ticks are still larvae, their first blood meal is obtained from a rodent. Frequently, this rodent is a deer mouse, which is known to be a major reservoir host for the pathogen that causes Lyme disease. In the latter stages, the larvae may feed on larger animals, like deer.
By the time they find a human host, the vast majority of black-legged ticks are infected with the pathogen that causes Lyme disease. The first symptom of this illness frequently is a bull's-eye shaped rash surrounding the site of the bite. In the early stages, Lyme disease may be mistaken for a flu-like illness, but it is far more serious. This sickness is difficult to diagnose because the symptoms may vary so much from one victim to the next.
Anyone who has been in a tick-infested area and then develops mysterious symptoms is encouraged to seek immediate medical attention.
HOW TO DETECT
BLACK-LEGGED
TICKS
Signs of a tick issue include detection in the following places:
• On people • In clothing • Inside a building • In landscaping
HOW TO PREVENT
BLACK-LEGGED
TICKS
To help protect against ticks, the following steps should be taken:
• Wearing a hat when outdoors • Wearing long sleeves and long pants when in wilderness areas • Securing the hemlines of pants in socks • Applying tick repellent to clothing • Inspecting their body upon leaving an area where ticks may be present • Ensuring that children or pets do not have a tick attached to them • Washing all clothing worn in wilderness areas immediately upon returning home • Refraining from placing potentially infested clothing in a hamper with other clothing
HOW TO TREAT FOR TICKS
At Newtown Termite & Pest Control, we take tick problems seriously. That's why we employ a comprehensive system based on both treatment and prevention when providing tick control for your Feasterville home or business.
Our treatment process includes all of the areas where ticks ate known to hide, including cracks, crevices, around doors, windows, baseboards, carpeting, furniture, and pet areas.
We use only the finest professional-grade products available designed to kill ticks on contact as well as to provide long-lasting protection against future infestations.
Proper tick removal begins with a thorough inspection. If you suspect you may have a tick problem.
