One Tick Bite, a Lifetime of Lyme Disease

Like long-haul COVID, Lyme disease can become a lifelong challenge.

One tick bite from one tiny tick can be the end of a healthy life as you knew it.  Often found in plants and brush, ticks can attach to and bite people and animals. Their bites are usually not harmful; however, these insects can carry serious diseases including Lyme disease.

One tick bite, a lifetime of Lyme disease
One tick bite can result in a lifetime of Lyme disease.

What does Lyme disease rash look like?

A Lyme disease-causing bacterium is carried in the bug bite of the deer tick here in the Chelmsford region. In most cases, a tick – usually 3 to 5 mm long – must be attached to you 36-48 hours to spread Lyme disease.

Lyme disease rash from a deer tick bite
Lyme disease rash from a deer tick bite

A circular, red, expanding rash (a bulls-eye rash, if you will) may be one of the first symptoms of Lyme disease. Other symptoms include fatigue, chills, fever, headache, muscle and joint aches, and swollen lymph nodes. Treatment in the early stages with antibiotics is generally effective and critical to prevent lifelong complications.

Also read: Should I put anything on a tick bite?

What are the long-term health effects of Lyme disease?

Lyme disease can cause muscle aches, mental fog, and fatigue for years or even decades.  Researchers are still trying to figure out exactly how and why Lyme disease affects people in different ways and how best to treat them.  But evidence that the bacteria-borne disease sometimes sticks around in a person’s body long after they’ve gone through initial antibiotic treatments appears to be mounting.

Some pretty famous people have gone on the record with their own Lyme infection experiences.

As of two years ago, several celebrities have come forward to talk about their experience battling Lyme disease. Here are eight that you most likely are familiar with.

 

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Amy Schumer: For this comedic actor, Lyme disease has been no laughing matter. She admitted that it’s possible she could’ve experienced Lyme symptoms for quite some time without realizing it. In an Instagram post, she said she’s taken doxycycline, an oral antibiotic, to treat the condition and she also asked others for advice.

Justin Bieber: The singer wrote on Instagram that it has been a “rough couple of years” battling the disease. He explained that, for a long time, people speculated that he was “on meth,”  but failed to realize that he’d actually recently been diagnosed with Lyme disease.

Avril Lavigne: The singer went public with her Lyme battle in 2015 and is now an advocate for those with the illness. She called that the “worst time” in her life after seeing specialists and doctors who misdiagnosed her with chronic fatigue syndrome and depression.

Ben Stiller: Nine years ago, Stiller told The Hollywood Reporter about his Lyme disease saying, “I got it in Nantucket, Massachusetts, a couple of years ago. My knee became inflamed and they couldn’t figure out what it was, then they found out it was Lyme.”

Shania Twain: The renowned singer has said her battle with Lyme has impacted her career. She told Canadian news outlet CBC that she was bitten by a tick when on tour in Norfolk, Virginia. She said she saw a tick fall off her and she immediately began to see troubling Lyme disease symptoms pop up.

Kelly Osbourne: Undiagnosed for nearly a decade, her contact with the tick spread disease most likely came from a reindeer sanctuary back in England.

Alec Baldwin: The 30 Rock actor opened up about his years-long battle with Lyme in 2017. During an interview with The New York Times, he mentioned that he had chronic Lyme disease.

Kris Kristofferson: A Star Is Born singer/actor, Kristofferson experienced several misdiagnoses before being treated for Lyme. His wife, Lisa, told Rolling Stone magazine she believed he’d been bitten by a tick while filming the 2006 movie “Disappearances” in Vermont.

You can help stop the spread of Lyme disease with professional Grafton Tick Control.

With expert guidance and the latest tick bite prevention methodology, professional tick control is your best assurance against contacting the dreadful tick-spread Lyme disease.

Also read: When are ticks most active in Massachusetts?

Dave Macchia, tick control enthusiast
Dave Macchia, Central Mass tick control enthusiast

 

Tick Control Expert Recommendations for Avoiding Tick Bites

Ever pondered the best methods of avoiding tick bites and potential Lyme infection?

Recommendations for Avoiding Tick Bites and Lyme InfectionLyme disease is an infection transmitted by ticks.  The risk of Lyme disease is year round; but the highest risk window is late spring into early summer.

Over 300,000 new cases of Lyme disease are estimated to occur every year in the United States. That makes Lyme disease the most frequent tick-borne infection in North America. The ticks that transmit Lyme disease, deer ticks, are very small and difficult to see. They’re about the size of a pinhead when they come out in late spring and early summer.

Also read: Does vinegar repel ticks?

Here are five tips for avoiding tick bites and getting Lyme disease.

  1. 5 steps for avoiding tick bitesCreate a tick-free zone around your house: Keep your lawn well-manicured; the shorter, the better. Create a tick barrier between your lawn and taller grasses or brush by using materials unfriendly to ticks, like gravel. Eliminate mouse habitats throughout your property. And add a deer fence to protect your garden.
  2. Enjoy the outdoors safely: Avoid exposure to ticks in wooded, overgrown areas. Stay on marked trails when hiking and don’t veer off course into unknown vegetation. Stay clear of tall grass and un-cleared areas of the forest floor. When going for a hike, stay in the middle of the paths, away from the high grass and brush that may be on the edges of the trail.
  3. Protect yourself, your children, and your pets by wearing protective clothing treated with tick pesticides and treating your skin with insect repellent: Wearing protective clothing is often your best defense. Dress with long sleeves, long pants tucked into socks, and shoes. Do not wear sandals or open-toed footwear. And use insect repellent such as DEET on the body or Permethrin on clothes.
  4. Perform tick checks after coming in from the outdoors and showering: The risk of getting Lyme disease is greater the longer a tick is attached. Therefore, doing tick checks as soon as possible is important so they can be removed before they transmit Lyme disease. Be sure to shower daily. Common sites of tick attachment are behind your knees, underarms, scalp, navel, groin, buttocks and back. The most important thing to remember is to get ticks off of you before they attach and have the chance to transmit Lyme disease.
  5. Remove ticks immediately by grasping them with a tweezer and pulling them off of the skin: The quickest way to remove a tick is with tweezers. Grasp the tick between the head of the tick and the skin and pull firmly but gently away. Sometimes, this will leave behind small black mouthparts of the tick in the skin – but don’t be concerned, these small mouthparts do not transmit Lyme disease and should be left alone. Never try to dig out the mouthparts of the tick with any type of needle or blade, just leave them in place and they will work their way out on their own.

Practicing these five tips can help you enjoy our vast and great outdoors safely, help you to avoid tick bites, and consequently help you to avoid getting Lyme disease.

Leave Nothing To Chance By Subscribing To Professional Tick Control To Protect Your Yard And Home

Central Mass tick controlAs the age old axiom goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”  By employing the protective tick control services of your local expert, a little precaution before a tick-infested crisis occurs is preferable to dealing with a tick bite aftermath.

Also read: Can you get Lyme disease in the fall or winter?

Found a tick on your body? Don’t panic.

It’s important to remove a tick from your body quickly – but do not panic.

Living in Central Massachusetts, you have likely found a tick on your body at one time or another.  A typical scenario when someone finds a tick on their body is to freak out.  Don’t freak – but DO act fast.

Have you ever found a tick on your body?
Have you ever found a tick on your body?

Tick Bite Treatment Protocol

Remove The Tick: If the tick is attached to your skin, remove it immediately. Wearing gloves, grasp the tick with clean tweezers as close to the skin as possible to remove the head and mouthparts.  If some mouthparts remain, do not try to remove them, as your body will expel them naturally.  Pull the tick straight out gently and steadily.  Do not twist it.  Do not try to remove a tick with a hot match or petroleum jelly or peppermint oil.  This could cause the tick to regurgitate infected fluids into the wound.  Save the tick in a container of alcohol to show the doctor.

Also read: Are fleas or ticks more dangerous?

Cleanse and Protect the Area: Wash your hands and clean the bite area with warm water and gentle soap. Next, apply alcohol to the bite wound to prevent infection.

See a Health Care Provider: See your medical internist or health care provider immediately if the tick has burrowed into your skin or if the head, mouthparts, or other tick remains cannot be removed.

Also see a doctor if you have found a tick on you body and…

black-legged tick
Black-legged ticks are vectors of Lyme disease, the most common tick-borne illness

You think it might be a deer tick, which is especially prevalent in the Northeast United States. According to The Centers for Disease Control, these disease-carrying parasites can be found in both inland and coastal areas, including off-shore islands, such as Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts; Block Island in Rhode Island; and Shelter Island, Fire Island, and eastern Long Island in neighboring New York state. Your doctor may prescribe a single dose of an antibiotic to help prevent Lyme disease.

You develop flu-like symptoms including fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, and muscle aches, or a rash within one month after the bite. Take the tick to the health care provider’s office or the hospital if possible.

The bite area develops a lesion within 30 days. A sign of Lyme disease infection is a “bullseye” rash in which the center becomes clearer as the redness moves outward in a circular pattern.

There are signs of infection such as redness, warmth, or inflammation.

Follow Up To Ensure Your Well Being: Your health care provider may prescribe antibiotics if you have symptoms of Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, or another tick-borne disease.

Year-Round Tick Control Is Your Best Bet For Total Protection From Tick Bites

tick control tubesEnlist help from a reputable tick control company, you’ll have access to year-round protection for ticks.  And, if you’re not aware, ticks are definitely a year-round problem in our area.  The brown dog tick is able to complete its entire life cycle indoors.  f this tick gets into your home during the summer or fall, you could have a full-blown infestation in the winter. It’s good to know that expert help is just a call away.  Ticks can also enter your home during the colder months of the year by hitching a ride on rodents. Mice and rats carry ticks and spread them to unexpected locations.  Tick treatments will reduce ticks around your perimeter and reduce the exposure of mice and rats to ticks on your property and, through the winter, the addition of rodent control can keep rodents out.

Also read: What is a tick control tube?

How do ticks get in your house?

Ticks Can Invade Your Life and Your House By Latching Onto Your Pet Dog

Your dog can transport ticks inside your home
Your dog can transport ticks inside your home

It wasn’t until I became an adult that I realized how simply sinister and awful ticks are.  Growing up in the city, our prey du jour were mice.  I have since learned that ticks frequently attach themselves to furry animals, including pets, when outdoors, especially in backyards when they frequent damp, tall grassy areas of your property.  Then the ticks hitch a ride on your pets and are transported into your home – something none of us want!

How Ticks Catch Free Rides On Your Pets

One way ticks get in your house by attaching to your dog by inserting their mouthparts into their skin. After attaching to your dog, ticks begin feeding on your dog’s blood. The places where ticks attach can become red and irritated.

How do ticks end up in your home?
How can you keep ticks off your dog?

On occasion, ticks can consume enough of your dog’s blood to cause a deficiency called anemia. Certain female ticks can also cause a rare paralysis in dogs as a result of a toxin they produce while feeding. More importantly, ticks are capable of causing many diseases in your pet. The disease with which most people are familiar is called Lyme disease. Another is Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

Why Is Lyme Disease A Danger To My Pets?

Tick transmitted Lyme disease can cause arthritis and swelling of your dog’s joints, resulting in painful lameness. Rocky Mountain spotted fever can cause fever, lameness, and other symptoms. There are also other diseases that ticks can transmit to your dog. Your veterinarian can answer questions about the diseases that are important where you live.

How Can I Prevent My Dog From Getting Ticks?

Unfortunately, it is very difficult to prevent your dog’s exposure to ticks. Ticks can attach to your dog when he or she goes with you on walks, hikes, or during any outdoor activities. The longer your dog is left unattended in your backyard, the greater the risk.

The best way to prevent ticks from attaching to your dog is by the regular use of tick control products. Your veterinarian can advise you about the best product for your dog and your situation. Your veterinarian is also aware of diseases that are common in your area and can pose a risk to your dog.

If you have a tick problem in your yard consider:

  1. tick controlHaving your backyard and surrounding property professionally treated with professional Wilmington tick control. This is the best alternative to second-guessing what over the counter solutions may be best for tick control and eliminating concern for how you may be negatively impacting the environment.
  2. Make a landscape or seasonal decor change to make the environment less tick friendly.  This can be done by providing a 3-foot buffer between your lawn and any wooded areas in your yard.  Mulch, wood chips, or gravel work well, and help to decrease the migration of ticks into yards.

Also read: Does Lyme disease have a season?

The Impact of Lyme Disease Bacteria in Massachusetts

When It  Comes To Ticks And Tick Bites, It’s What You Don’t Know That Can Hurt You — Badly

Lyme disease bacteria in Massachusetts estimated to impact 87,000 per year. In the United States, Lyme disease most commonly occurs in the Northeast, the mid-Atlantic regions and in the upper Midwest. In Massachusetts, Lyme disease occurs throughout the state. Experts estimate that 87,000 people per year in Massachusetts are infected with the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi which causes Lyme disease.

Due to increasing urban and suburban sprawl, forests are being parceled into smaller pockets of vegetation”, said Northeastern University Distinguished Professor of Biology Kim Lewis, who directs Northeastern’s Antimicrobial Discovery Center.

Read: Does Lyme disease have a season?

Parks and backyards in the suburbs are now the perfect size to sustain mice, but not quite large enough to sustain foxes. That means mice can run rampant with no natural predators to keep their population at bay. And with mice, come ticks.

Lyme disease bacteria is rampant in Massachusetts
Lyme disease bacteria is rampant in Massachusetts.

How To Put Mice To Work To Fight The Spread Of Lyme Disease

tick control tubesPutting those mice to work is no Cinderella story when it comes to fighting the horrors of Lyme disease. Using tick tubes, installed by your local tick control professional around your home – especially in higher grassy areas – is part of the tick control solution. Filled with a desiccant that kills ticks, the tick tubes welcome visits by mice to snatch up the treated cotton fibers inside to build their nests. And when the ticks hop on the mice for easy transport – voila – they’re toast. Dead and gone.

Tick Tubes Are Just One Part Of the North Reading Reading Tick Control Solution

To seriously fight the spread of Lyme disease, a North Reading tick control spray should be applied to your property by a tick control professional after the tick tubes are placed in areas deemed the most worthy by expert applicators.

When Are Ticks At Their Worst Here In Massachusetts?

Tick activity and tick-borne diseases like Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Borrelia miyamotoi, and Powassan virus, occur year-round in Massachusetts. Although tick activity is weather-dependent, there are two peak times during the year; the first begins in March/April and lasts through August, and the second occurs in October-November. The majority of cases of tick-borne disease occur in June through August, so timing is crucial that you start tick control right now.

In addition to having a professional treat your property with a tick control barrier spray and tick tubes, here is how to stay safer when not at home:

To prevent tick bites:

  1. Use insect repellents that contain an EPA-registered active ingredient like permethrin or DEET
  2. Wear light-colored clothing to spot ticks more easily
  3. Do daily tick checks
  4. Promptly and properly removing any attached ticks

If you want dependable, proven tick control, contact your local tick control specialist. Be sure that your tick control service sprays your yard and surrounds your property with tick tubes. This tick double-trouble control and elimination method will ensure it’s one less thing you’ll have to worry about.

Also read: How can I protect my dog from Lyme disease?

No Hot Dog or Hamburger Ever Again

The Tick Awareness Kiss Of Death For The Likes Of Bobby Flay And Guy Fieri – What is Alpha-Gal Syndrome?

As we bask in the beautiful days and stellar evenings of spring heading into summer in just a few days, one thing is continually on my mind … firing up my Weber grill. At the end of the work day, there is nothing quite like the crunch of a well-grilled hot dog on a gluten-free bun smothered in mustard, hot sauce, and dill pickle relish. Not your fave? No worries. There’s plenty of room on the grill for plump hamburgers, hiding a pillow of butter and herbs. Ah … heaven.

alpha-gal, AGS, meat allergy
Imagine never eating another hotdog or hamburger.

But imagine, just imagine, if you could never, ever enjoy these meat delicacies again. Unthinkable for those of us who are devotees of sausages, ribs, steaks, and more.

Guess what? It happened to my son-in-law.

High Grasses Can Be The Trigger For Tick Infestations That Lead To AGS – Alpha-Gal Syndrome

Two years ago, my son-in-law, let’s call him Dennis, felt awful. Shortly after enjoying a New York strip steak – perfectly grilled, I may add – he broke out in a severe rash that covered most of his body and he had extreme difficulty breathing.

“What could have possibly been the trigger?” he asked aloud. “Was the meat spoiled?”

After a trip to the emergency room, a full exam, and multiple blood tests later, he was diagnosed with AGS – or Alpha-Gal Syndrome, something he, and the rest of our family, had never heard of.

What Is The Alpha-Gal Syndrome Caused By A Tick Bite?

Signs and symptoms of an alpha-gal allergic reaction are often delayed compared with other food allergies. Most reactions to common food allergens — peanuts or shellfish, for example — happen within minutes of exposure.

With alpha-gal syndrome, reactions usually appear about three to six hours after exposure. Red meat, such as beef, pork or lamb; organ meats; and products made from mammals, such as gelatins or dairy products, can cause a reaction.

Signs and symptoms of alpha-gal syndrome may include:

  1. Hives, itching, or itchy, scaly skin (eczema)
  2. Swelling of the lips, face, tongue and throat, or other body parts
  3. Wheezing or shortness of breath
  4. A runny nose
  5. Stomach pain, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting
  6. Sneezing
  7. Headaches
  8. A severe, potentially deadly allergic reaction that restricts breathing

Doctors now think that the time delay between eating red meat and developing an allergic reaction is one reason why the AGS condition was overlooked until recently. A possible connection between a New York strip steak with dinner and hives at midnight was far from obvious.

How Can I Be Sure If A Tick Bite Caused Me To Contract Alpha-Gal Syndrome?

See your primary care doctor or a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of allergies (allergist) if you experience food allergy symptoms after eating — even several hours after eating.

Don’t rule out red meat as a possible cause of your reaction, especially if you live or spend time outdoors in high grassy areas of the United States or in other parts of the world where alpha-gal syndrome is known to occur.

Seek emergency medical treatment if you develop signs or symptoms of anaphylaxis, such as:

  • Difficulty breathing
  • Rapid, weak pulse
  • Dizziness or light-headedness
  • Drooling and inability to swallow
  •  Full-body redness and warmth (flushing)

The Effects Of Alpha-Gal Syndrome Can Sneak Up On You – Even Well-Educated Folks

So here’s a sad but true story. My wife makes an incredible pot of Sunday Sauce – or Gravy – laden with fresh heirloom tomatoes, spices, spareribs, Italian sausage, meatballs, and lamb. It simmers for hours and the aroma while it’s on the stove is simply intoxicating.

alpha gal means no sausage
Alpha-gal means no Italian sausage.

But Dennis can no longer enjoy it – and we would never think of enjoying it when he could not possibly enjoy it, too, at the same dinner table.

So my wife thought, “CHICKEN and TURKEY!” Not from four-legged mammals, surely they would be safe in the sauce, so she reinvented it with safe substitutes.

Long story short, Dennis and his family came for Sunday dinner and we proudly announce our meatless solution – chicken sausage and turkey meatballs in lieu of the Sunday Sauce core meat ingredients.

When we saw the look on his face of sadness and disappointment, we asked what was wrong.

Is the chicken sausage in a natural casing from the supermarket market?” he asked. “Why yes,” we answered.

And that was it. The chicken sausage casing was from pig casings – and he can’t have anything from a pig – or any other four-legged animal.

Trying to be lighthearted about his misfortune, we tossed the contents of the pot into the trash and feasted on charcuterie cheeses, vegetables, and relishes with no sign of cold cuts in sight.

The Only Way To Exterminate The Tick Carriers Of AGS Is With Professional Canton Tick Control

To escape the dangers of contracting AGS of other tick spread diseases like Lyme Disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Ehrlichiosis, and other devastating illnesses, get Canton tick control before it’s too late.

Also read: How bad are ticks in Massachusetts?

Ticks vs. Mosquitoes: Which is worse?

Like Mosquitoes, Ticks Are At The Top Of The List For The Most Dangerous Animals On Earth

When asked to think about deadly animals, it is easy to conjure images of large predators and sharp teeth. We can thank the movies for that. But the deadliest animals that can cause the most long-term harm and havoc are actually much smaller. Vector pests, such as ticks and mosquitoes, are way up on the list due to their ability to vector disease.

ticks vs. mosquitoes
Ticks vs. mosquitoes: Mosquitoes are the most dangerous animal on Earth. Ticks can be considered the most dangerous arthropod.

With the ability to vector diseases such as Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, the backyard tick can be considered the most dangerous arthropod in the United States.

Which Ticks Are The Most Dangerous From An Illness Perspective?

black-legged tick
Black-legged ticks are vectors of Lyme disease, the most common tick-borne illness

The most common ticks of medical significance include the black-legged tick (or deer tick), brown dog tick, American dog tick, and the lone star tick.

Exactly What Are Ticks?

Contrary to what you may have thought, ticks are arthropods. They are not insects. Ticks are in the arachnid family, making them more closely related to spiders and mites. Insects are commonly defined by having one pair of antennae, three body segments, and six legs.

Ticks do not have antennae and have two body segments instead of three. One of the easiest ways to distinguish ticks from insects is to count the legs. Adult and nymph ticks have eight legs, while insects have six legs. Tick larvae throw that rule out the window by only having six legs but can still be distinguished from insects by examining the body segments.

Also read: Are drought conditions conducive to tick and mosquito control?

Where Do Ticks Live?

Throughout your backyard and often found in parks and camping grounds, ticks are commonly found in tall grasses, woody/brushy areas, and leaf litter.

What else can be found in these areas? Rodents and other animals can be found there, too. All ticks feed on blood from vertebrate hosts. Mice are a good example of an extremely common host (especially for tick larvae).

Ticks cannot fly or jump, so they will not wander too far away from areas where their hosts may be found. They need carriers – think Uber for the animal world.

They wait for their host to pick them up and grasp on, a process called questing. If you find a tick well outside their typical nesting places, there is a good chance that it hitched a ride from its host.

How Can I Prevent Tick Bites?

Randolph tick control
Choose professional Randolph tick control for optimum protection at home.

Tick prevention is the smartest route for ongoing tick management. Take control of tick infestations by understanding where ticks are commonly found, then modify those areas to make them less appealing to ticks and their hosts.

Be familiar with tick species and their preferred hosts in your area to better target your approach. Like other pests, ticks have crawled the earth for many years and have become relatively well-known in communities across the country.

While their populations are widespread, public knowledge and awareness of the threats they pose to our health and well-being are unfortunately not as commonplace. Rather than just a nuisance or warm weather inconvenience, ticks are dangerous pests capable of transmitting debilitating diseases at increasingly alarming rates.

tick tubes for tick bite prevention
Embolden your tick control efforts with tick tubes.

For this reason, proven, trustworthy tick control is an excellent idea. With a combination of a tick control barrier spray and the placement of tick tubes, this one/two powerful punch will serve you well.

For dependable, proven tick control, contact your local tick control specialist. And again, be sure that your Randolph tick control service sprays your yard and surrounds your property with tick tubes.

Also read: Do I need Randolph tick and mosquito control spray?

Campgrounds Are The Perfect Storm For Tick Infestations

Ticks love camping – who knew?

Campgrounds are a perfect storm for tick infestations.  They didn’t get that outdoor adventurer gene from me, but my kids love to go camping. Especially my daughter, her husband, and their young daughter. So recently we took one for the team and joined them. My wife joined them in the tent. I slept in the car – and not well.

Ticks love camping! Campgrounds are perfect storms for tick infestations.
Ticks love camping – or they love that you love camping!

After an enjoyable outdoor fireside breakfast of sunny side up eggs, warmed over brioche buns, and instant coffee we ventured back to our respective homes. My entire family knows what it takes to be tick aware, so as soon as we got back home, my wife and I headed to the shower.

As she was washing her legs she noticed a teeny black spec on top on her right foot. After further inspection, it confirmed her worst fear. A tick was burrowing into her skin. Luckily, I was in the bathroom with her and immediately went to the drawer that had needle-nose tweezers in it. Trying to be as gentle as I could – and yet still capture that tiny beast – I successfully removed it and gave it a proper burial at sea. After being squished in nearby tissue paper, I flushed it down the toilet.

How To Remove A Tick

remove tick with tweezer
Remove the tick with tweezers.

For a more clinical, pragmatic method, here is what The Centers for Disease Control Recommends on how to remove a tick:

If you find a tick attached to your skin, simply remove the tick as soon as possible. There are several tick removal devices on the market, but a plain set of fine-tipped tweezers works very well.

To Remove A Tick

  1. Use clean, fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible.
  2. Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouth-parts with tweezers. If you cannot remove the mouth easily with tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal.
  3. After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.
  4. Never crush a tick with your fingers. Dispose of a live tick by:
  • Putting it in alcohol
  • Placing it in a sealed bag/container
  • Wrapping it tightly in tape or
  • Flushing it down the toilet

Get Rid Of Ticks At Home with Ipswich Tick Control

tick control tubesWhen camping, ticks dry up easily so they prefer shady, wet areas. While you might also prefer some shade over your tent, you’ll be able to avoid ticks better if you set up camp in a sunny area. They also like to hide in tall grass or piles of leaves, so pitching your tent in a cleared area will prevent ticks.

The same variables apply to your backyard, especially it the perimeter has tall grasses and wood piles where moisture lurks well after rainstorms and irrigation watering.

If you want dependable, proven tick control, contact your local tick control specialist. Be sure that your tick control service sprays your yard and surrounds your property with tick tubes. This tick double-trouble control and elimination method will ensure it’s one less thing you’ll have to worry about.

Also read: Where do ticks live in Massachusetts?

Tick Control or Turning Vegan – The Choice is Yours!

If a tick bites you, you may never enjoy meat again.

Are you the kind of person that lives for celebrating summer outdoors?  Do you look forward to heading to see the Boston Red Sox take on their hardball adversaries at Fenway Park while chomping down on a delicious, sizzling hot dog, smothered in sauerkraut, onions and mustard?

Alpha-Gal Syndrome means no hotdogs!
Alpha-Gal means no hotdogs – ever again.

If yes, you better pray you don’t get a tick bite.

Or if summer means outdoor grilling a well-marbled New York Strip or gourmet burger cooked to medium rare perfection on your Weber grill, make sure a tick never lands on you – or it may be the last piece of red meat you’ll ever enjoy.

Tick control or going vegan - the choice is yours!
Tick control or going vegan – the choice is yours!

Not more than a week ago, The New York Times published a story which has opened the eyes of many meat-eating outdoor enthusiasts. Titled “The Tick That Causes a Meat Allergy Is on the Move,” it tells the horrific true story of how a Lone Star Tick bit a nurse (of all people) and what ensued afterwards.

She woke up one morning in bed only to find that her legs had tuned “beetroot red.” What was the trigger for this past unknown malady? A cheeseburger. Swear to God.

After being bitten by the tick, she was diagnosed with Alpha-Gal Syndrome, an allergic reaction to mammal meats like pork, beef and lamb, which growing evidence shows can be triggered by a tick bite.

Researchers have traced the syndrome to the Lone Star Tick, named for the signature white splotch, or “lone star,” on the female’s back. They’re historically found in the southern United States, but increasingly, these arachnids are being spotted in parts of the Midwest and the Northeast, even Central Massachusetts.

This species is still present in Massachusetts and is responsible for the spread of tularemia, ehrlichiosis, and southern tick-associated rash illness. Exposure to the Lone Star tick often results in allergies to red meat as well, as documented by The Times.

The tick’s territory is expanding, thanks in part to global warming. With more hot days each year, the ticks, which thrive in warm and humid conditions, have more time to feed on their hosts and reproduce. At the same time, alpha-gal diagnoses appear to be rising.

Enjoy meat forever – get Shrewsbury tick control now.

Dave Macchia, tick control enthusiast
Dave Macchia, Central Mass tick control enthusiast

Concern is one thing, but proactive tick awareness and tick control is best. Be sure that your Shrewsbury tick control professional sprays your yard and surrounds your property with tick tubes. This double whammy will ensure it’s one less thing you’ll have to worry about.

Also read: What repels ticks naturally?

Fighting Ticks with Fire – Will it work?

I have written in the past about ticks and fire, but this is altogether a different story.

We know that you cannot burn a tick to remove it from your skin.  One farmer in Maine, is ready to employ fire to fight ticks on her farmland.  Elizabeth Jimenez moved to Maine from Florida, and was astonished at the number of ticks she would encounter once springtime rolled around.  Springtime in the Northeast is the time when ticks emerge from their overwintering.  And emerge, they did!

Can you burn ticks out?
Can you fight ticks with fire?

Elizabeth reports a veritable tick apocalypse on her property, saying that if you even consider sitting down in the field, you will be aggressively pursued by ticks.  She and her fellow farmers began saving the ticks that they took off their clothing after visiting the field – and she notes the, “jar is filling fast.”

Fighting Ticks with Fire

Thing is, Elizabeth moved to her three-acre Maine property in order to start an organic farm.  To be classified “organic” you must raise your crop without the use of synthetic fertilizers or pest control products.  For this reason, she has decided to extensively burn her field to kill ticks that reside there.  Prescribed burns are nothing new to farmers.  Many farmers burn their fields to rid them of plants that are already growing there, and to prepare the soil for new plantings.  This is the first time I have heard of a controlled burn specifically to eradicate ticks.

Can you burn ticks out?

dog ticksLocal tick experts report that 2021 was even worse than 2022 for exploding tick populations.  There were more dog ticks in Maine in 2021 than had ever been reported.  There is no doubt that fire will work to this farmer’s benefit.  It will most assuredly kill ticks.  One expert says that Elizabeth’s effort to eradicate ticks in her field will be successful specifically for dog ticks.  This is because dog ticks can predominantly be found in flat fields.  However, for our friend the deer tick, that lives typically in woodland areas, the fire might not be as successful.

After she burns, she plans to create a visual barrier of wood chips around her field in hopes of keeping ticks away.  Though, experts implore that this barrier is more for humans than ticks.  It lets us know when we are leaving or entering the area where ticks are or are not.

The aftermath of burning ticks out.

Burning underbrush in wooded areas to fight ticks is nothing new.  It is effective in the short-term, but what happens after the burn?  As vegetation begins to regenerate, it creates a very tick-friendly environment.  As wildlife reenters the area to feed, they will bring ticks back with them.

deer will bring ticks back after burning underbrush
Deer will bring ticks back after burning underbrush

This farmer also has an out-of-season tick control approach.  She intends to plow to keep her fields free from snow in the winter.  As we know, a blanket of snow will act as insulation to protect ticks from freezing to death in the winter.  She believes that she can get ahead of the springtime tick rush next year by allowing cold Northeast winter weather to kill ticks that might be trying to overwinter in her field.  Another great method of fighting ticks in the winter is through the use of tick tubes.  Tick tubes, which contain an EPA-registered insecticide applied to cotton, are placed in potentially tick-friendly and rodent-friendly environments.  Mice scrounge for the treated cotton and carry it back to their nests.  Ticks that encounter these mice or their nests will be killed by the insecticide.

Natural Pawtucket tick control.

Dave Macchia, tick control enthusiast
Dave Macchia, Central Mass tick control enthusiast

While many farmers and land owners protect their fields with EPA-registered tick control solutions, there are tick repellents available that are comprised of natural products.  Professional Pawtucket tick control companies offer natural tick protection through products that are created with essential oils, made by Mother Nature herself.