Many people are aware that ticks can cause Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Q fever, hemorrhagic fever, and other transmittable diseases. Yet homeowners are still often don’t know where to look for ticks in their homes and yards and how to prevent them in these places.
Here are some details about where ticks live and how to keep your family and pets tick-free.
Where Do Ticks Live in Your Yard?
Ticks love areas of a yard that are full of moisture, but you don’t have to go hiking in a remote part of the backcountry to get a tick. In fact, most people actually get ticks right around their very own houses.
Ticks often take up residence in border areas of your yard where you’ve been collecting tree branches or don’t mow as often. Ticks are also common in dog runs, around driveways, around play structures, and surrounding tree houses.
Where Do Ticks Hide in House Areas?
Ticks frequently move from these yard areas to the damp interiors of homes, especially in basements, attics, and wall spaces. Cracks and crevices are favorites areas to hide among ticks, and certain types ticks can lay thousands of eggs very quickly to create serious problems for homeowners. Tick eggs may be found around windows, near baseboards, and around curtains and rugs.
How and Where Ticks Attach to Your Body
Ticks are parasites and require blood to survive. They attach to the body of a person or a family pet and burrow their heads into the skin to suck out blood.
Ticks can attach to any part of the body, but they are very common under the arms, in the groin area, behind the knees, inside ears, and inside the belly button. These are all naturally warm areas where ticks thrive.
How to Prevent a Tick Infestation
The first step to preventing ticks around the house is to reduce clutter and keep your lawn trimmed and neat. Keep weeds and brush away from your home and keep the environment as dry as possible. Create a barrier with gravel or wood chips that spans about three feet between recreational areas of your yard and wooded areas.
Also, check your pets regularly for ticks, and make sure everyone in the family showers and puts their clothes into the laundry with hot water after going for a wooded hike.
Precise Termite & Pest Control Your New Jersey Tick Issues
At Precise Termite & Pest Control, we’ve seen a lot of ticks over the past 25 years, and we know exactly how to handle them in yards and homes in New Jersey. If you are experiencing an issue with ticks, please call us at 866-971-2847 for a free inspection, and one of our experienced tick control experts will be happy to schedule with you.