Warm weather means a plethora of insects are going to become active yet again. We’re sure you’ve seen a host of bugs around the home or outside in recent weeks, and it’s only going to escalate from here. We are no strangers to the hosts of pests we have here, including ticks. Unfortunately, ticks are just an annoying part of our lives that we know we must deal with. These blood sucking parasites can cause diseases and become a real problem in our homes if we don’t have plans in place to prevent an infestation or treat an infestation in the early stages. A Five Star Termite & Pest Control is here to discuss the most common types of ticks we have here in Texas, where they live and how to avoid tick bites this Spring.
Types of Ticks Found in Texas
There are more than 20 tick species found in the U.S. The most common types of ticks found here in Texas are the Lone Star Tick, the American Dog Tick, Deer Tick and the Brown Dog Tick. These are all hard-shelled ticks.
Tick life Cycle Stages
Ticks morph through four life stages. A hard shelled female tick can lay thousands of eggs at one time, after feeding from a host, a female hard-shelled tick will drop from the host and lay several thousand eggs at one time. After the eggs hatch, they enter into the six-legged larval stage, then the eight-legged nymph stage and finally onto the final adult stage. In order for a tick to complete each stage of life, they must be able to gorge themselves on a blood meal from a warm-blooded host first. Many ticks do not make it into the adult stage.
Where Do Ticks Live & Hide?
Ticks do not have the capability to drink water, therefore they require 3 things to survive;
1: High humidity
2: Warm weather
3: A plethora of hosts to feed from
The ideal environment for a tick is a humid area with low lying vegetation where they can effectively seek out a host. This means a moist, slightly overgrown lawn or walking path on your favorite trail are the perfect spaces for a tick to lie down and await its next meal. Ticks can go months between feedings, with typical feedings lasting 2-10 days at a time. They are known to hide near walls, fence lines, next to houses as well. Ticks don’t fly or jump; they rely on tall blades of grass or other vegetation to assist them in mounting their host. They lie and wait for a warm-blooded host to pass by and then using special organs in their front legs, they sense body heat, Co2, shadows and vibrations from a host and transfer to the host. This can be dogs, cats, humans, deer, rodents etc.
Tick Borne Diseases
Tick borne pathogens are transferred to a host by the bite of an infected tick. They can be carriers of harmful parasites, bacteria and viruses that can make one extremely ill. Some of the most common tick borne diseases are Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Lyme Disease, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Anaplasmosis, Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness, and Tularemia. The most serious and often most diagnosed of these diseases are Lyme Disease. According to the Texas Lyme Disease Association, the number of diagnosed cases of Lyme Disease in the state of Texas are an average of 50-100 each year. Nearly 500-600 cases are reported each year.
Tick Prevention
Prevention is the best line of defense against ticks. A Five Star Termite & Pest Control recommends:
-Keeping your yard free of debris, such as leaf clippings, grass shavings, garbage and other clutter.
-Keeps lawns and other vegetation trimmed back regularly.
-Keep wood piles as far from your home as possible.
-Don’t place children’s play areas near wood piles, fences, trees and lawn edges.
-Hire a licensed and experienced pest control company like A Five Star Termite & Pest Control to keep your home sprayed regularly for ticks and other unwanted pests.
-Keep pets groomed regularly and taken to the vet regularly to check for ticks.
-Wash pet bedding in hot water often.
-Vacuum home weekly.
Tick Pest Inspections, Control, Removal & More in Canyon Lake, Spring Branch, Bulverde, Timberwood Park, Leon Valley, Alamo Heights, New Braunfels, Selma, Live Oak, Converse, Universal City, Cibolo, Seguin, New Berlin, St Hedwig, Adkins, La Vernia, Elmendorf, Losoya, Von Ormy, Macdona & San Antonio, Texas
A Five Star Termite & Pest Control has years of experience in controlling tick populations. We also offer pest control services for a variety of other nuisance and dangerous pests. If you have not yet scheduled a Spring pest treatment for your home or would like to set up a regular pest maintenance schedule for your home or business, don’t hesitate to call us.
