Ticks Are Closer and Scarier Than You Think

It’s officially “tick season!” These eight-legged pests are most active from early spring through the summer months. This means everyone – including pet owners – must be vigilant when it comes to tick awareness and timely removal.

This time of year, it seems like ticks are everywhere – because they are. TickZapper® provided their take on ticks; where they are, an anti-tick strategy, their feeding process, and more. Keep reading to learn more about ticks.

While they can strike fear into pet owners, knowing more about these parasites makes them less intimidating, and much more avoidable.

Ticks are mini-monsters, closer and scarier than you might think. OK, maybe not as obviously frightening as zombies or a rampaging shark, but tick-borne diseases are on the rise, and ticks can be life-threatening to your dogs, cats, or other pets.

They’re similar to monsters in another regard. Ticks can be challenging to kill. Near-freezing temperatures won’t kill them, and, they can survive after being submerged in water for hours. Just when you think they’re gone, they’re back!

One of the best ways to avoid tick-borne disease (and other problems associated with these parasites) is to get educated on the ticks in your area, and, understand how best to address and remove them quickly, staving off tick-borne disease transmission.

Where do ticks live and thrive, and how can you prevent them from feeding on your pet?

How Close are Ticks to your Pet (and House)?

Ticks are opportunistic feeders. They use a “questing” method to attach and feed on your pets. This process involves waiting in high grass, shrubs, and other vegetation, for a host to pass by. They have an uncanny ability to detect vibration, odors, heat, as well as carbon dioxide, in their “quest” to find a blood host.

Once attached, ticks can feed for a few hours to a few weeks, depending on the type of tick, its gender, as well as its stage in its overall life cycle. Once they have become engorged, typically many times larger than their normal size, they simply drop off of their host. Engorged female ticks can lay thousands of eggs at one time.

Thus, ticks are certainly closer than you might think, and more numerous, too!

The Ultimate Anti-Tick Strategy

Every monster has its weaknesses, including ticks. Just like a crucifix and holy water repel vampires, ticks have their own kryptonite. It’s not as simple as grabbing an object and warding them away, but rather developing a multi-tier strategy to make your home as tick-repellant as possible:

Keep your grass cut and collected regularly. Ticks love cool, moist areas. A lawn with higher grass is an ideal environment for ticks to thrive, so keep your grass nice and low. In addition, keep piles of foliage collected and removed from the property, as these piles are a haven for tick infestations.

Make an anti-tick perimeter. Surround your habitat with things ticks hate. This includes low-moisture mulch. Typically a three-foot barrier of mulch will prevent ticks from crossing into your yard. Also, trim back any weeds or tall grass on the edges of your yard. Give a tick an inch, and it’ll take a mile – and quite possibly your pet’s good health!

Say so long to deer. Many dog-loving ticks are carried around by deer. While these gentle animals are a welcome, serene sight in backyards and nearby forests, don’t forget about the implications to your pet’s health. Many tick-borne diseases are increased by the presence of deer in and around your yard. A strategically placed fence or netting will keep them away.

Keep these tips in mind all year round. With a better understanding of ticks, including their preferred environments and hosts, they’re not so scary after all!

Thank you to TickZapper® for providing this information.

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