Avoiding Ticks & Lyme Disease

There’s not much creepier than finding a tick trying to lodge itself in your skin. However, the real danger associated with ticks is the potential for Lyme disease. Hiding in the dark corners of shaded woods and dense vegetation, ticks lurk waiting for the time to sneak up on potential hosts, possibly infecting them with bacteria that will lead to serious long-term ailments. To keep yourself safe from ticks and their diseases, it’s crucial to learn about their habits so that you can confidently keep away. Read on to learn more about ticks and Lyme disease in Eastern & Central VA with the tick exterminators at Loyal Termite & Pest Control!

What You Should Know About Lyme Disease

Deer ticks, also known as blacklegged ticks, are the species of ticks that spread Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease in humans and animals. People usually contract the bacteria when they are bitten by a deer tick nymph, which is a much smaller, younger stage of the deer tick’s life cycle. At only 2mm in length and equipped with anesthetic saliva, ticks (and especially their nymphs) deliver inconspicuous, stealthy bites that can have dangerous repercussions.

The first symptoms of Lyme disease show up as headache, exhaustion, rashes, fever, joint pain, and muscle pain. If you leave the condition untreated, though, these symptoms progress into nerve damage and arthritis. If you are experiencing any of the initial symptoms following a recent tick bite, talk to your doctor right away.

Strategies for Preventing Tick Bites

Ticks will bite and infect our pets with Lyme disease, too, so it’s important to learn how to avoid their bites. They often hide out in shaded and humid areas full of dense vegetation, waiting for small animals or human legs to cling onto. Remember these steps to stay safe from ticks:

• Stay on the trail when hiking and prevent your pets from running off
• Wear pants and long socks to keep ticks off of your legs while spending time outdoors
• Conduct a tick check on yourself and your pets when coming back inside
• If you find any ticks on your body or your pets, use tweezers, pinching closely to the skin, to remove them

Tick Control in Eastern & Central VA

You shouldn’t be finding ticks on your pets or your own body often. If this is a regular problem for you, you might be dealing with a high population of ticks around your property. In this case, have the tick exterminators at Loyal Termite & Pest Control take care of them. We can perform a property-wide inspection, set up a barrier treatment to keep them away for months, and help you maintain your tick-free property. Contact us today for a free quote!