Tick Prediction: 2022 Forecast to be the worst year for ticks?

As springtime emerges each year, there is potential for that year to become the worst ever for ticks.

And just like 2020 and 2021, 2022 is subject to become the worst year for ticks on record. That’s a pretty big statement, because as we know, tick-borne illnesses are already running rampant. Especially in the Northeastern United States – so here in Central Mass, we run a higher risk for enduring the worst year for ticks ever. That isn’t because there are less ticks in other areas of the country, but there are less tick diseases in other areas. Florida for instance, is a pretty ideal climate for warm weather loving ticks. However, Lyme disease cases in Florida are far less than places like Massachusetts and Minnesota. That’s because the available tick feeders out in some parts of Florida nature are mostly lizards, which are not great vectors for Lyme infection. So, a bad tick year for Florida residents looks a lot different than one experienced by Central Mass residents.

What sets us up for the worst year for ticks?

There are a few things that can create a tick population boom. One that I often write about is shorter, warmer winters, and climate change. But there is one element that you might not be aware of. Here in the Northeast, woodland creatures that feed ticks their first blood meal are mainly white-footed mice. What do white-footed mice eat? One woodland delicacy is the acorn. In 2020 oak trees produced record number of acorns – a.k.a. mouse food. With thriving white-footed mice population, so too could be the Lyme-infected tick population!

Now is the time for Acton tick control.

tick tubes for Lyme diseas prevention There is very little time left for planning your Acton tick control. Don’t get caught in the middle of the worst year for ticks on record. You can stop them in their tracks. Nip them in the bud by scheduling your professional Acton MA tick control at your earliest convenience. Reputable tick control experts are ready to help you get a handle on the potential tick situation in your yard. If this does become the worst tick year on record, the earlier you begin, the better off you’ll be.

What’s more, your tick control efforts don’t have to end with autumn. Tick tubes extend tick control to a year-round affair. Because the only way to thwart a tick apocalypse is to prevent it.

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

Deer Tick Virus is Invading the Northeast

Could we have a Powassan virus invasion in Central Mass again in 2022?

Deer tick virus is rare, but in terms of where it is more likely to rear its ugly head…Central Mass could be a target once more in 2022. Officials in Pennsylvania are warning residents to protect themselves this year, as the virus has been found in 16 counties across the state. There have only been about 100 confirmed cases of Powassan virus in the U.S. in the last decade. That doesn’t sound too bad, huh?

16 of those 100 Powassan virus cases were in Massachusetts.

Even though deer tick virus is generally rare, if you live in the Northeastern or Upper Midwestern United States, you are more likely to encounter the illness. And since there is no vaccine and no cure, protection is 100% about tick bite prevention. What we know now, is that the disease is in our region, just a couple hundred miles away. Deer tick virus could be here already, lying in wait with the nasty ticks that transmit it.

How dangerous is Powassan? It’s potentially fatal. What’s more, unlike Lyme infection, which takes 24 to 48 hours of attachment, deer tick virus can be transmitted from a tick to a human in only 15 minutes! And Central Mass residents could be a bit complacent about deer tick sightings. After all, they seem to be everywhere. But if you are thinking, “Oh, it’s just another tick,” think again. It could be a deadly tick that has attached itself to you or your family member.

Visit the CDC’s website for information about symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of Powassan virus here.

Decrease your risk of infection with Wellesley tick control.

When I say that professional tick control is more important than ever with each new spring, I mean it. That is because whether Powassan has been diagnosed in our area or not, tick populations are expanding. Warmer winters, earlier springs, and deforestation all contribute to the increase in ticks throughout Central Mass. The more ticks we have, the better the chance that one of our family members encounters a tick-borne illness. Enlist the assistance of a trusted Wellesley tick control company, who can help keep your family protected from the threat of tick bites all year long. Tick yard spray is super important this time of year with the emergence of ticks from their overwintering domain. If you wonder when you should begin your Wellesley tick protection spray regimen, a great rule of thumb is April through the end of October.

Will a flash freeze affect ticks?

Can a flash freeze work in our favor against ticks?

At the time of this writing, Massachusetts is under a winter storm warning. This means different things for different parts of our state. Some temperatures are below freezing, others are hovering right above. Can a winter storm, a flash freeze specifically, kill ticks?

Will a flash freeze kill ticks? — Will ticks survive winter storms and flash freeze scenarios?

What is a flash freeze exactly?

A flash freeze is simply explained. Areas, where temperatures were (or are) right above 32°F, woke up to rain this morning. A cold rain, but rain nonetheless. A flash freeze happens when the above-freezing temperature falls below freezing, causing precipitation that is on the ground and other surfaces to freeze. The glaze produced by this weather event is extremely slippery and spells bad news for commuters. But is a flash freeze bad for ticks?

Winter weather does not kill ticks.

The type of winter weather we have in Massachusetts, though cold and uncomfortable, is not enough to kill ticks. Over the past decade or more, black-legged tick populations have grown and thrived, much in part due to the warming climate here and everywhere. And even though ticks thrive in warm climes, they are hearty enough to survive the winter, unless that winter delivers sustained days of extreme cold. If you are thinking that today’s winter weather will help reduce the number of ticks in Massachusetts, think again. Ticks will survive a flash freeze. And as for snow, well, it can help insulate ticks, which are burrowed beneath the soil, bedded down for the season.

Tick control is as essential as ever.

tick control There is no need to call off the assault, because you will still need to make a concerted effort to kill ticks around your home this spring, summer, and fall. As nice as it would be to count on Mother Nature to eliminate ticks for us, she is not in the tick control business in Massachusetts these days. This is not all bad news, because professional tick control companies are gearing up for their spring season. What’s more, there are steps you can take to help your property become less appealing to ticks. Spring is the time for renewal and outdoor maintenance projects. Be sure to follow the 6 C’s of tick control as you take care of lawn maintenance and install new landscaping.

What are the 6 C’s of tick control?

Clear out
Clean
Choose plants
Check hiding places
Care for family pets
Call the tick control pros

Also read: How bad are ticks in Massachusetts?

Dave Macchia mosquito conrol and tick control enthusiast — Dave Macchia
Central Mass enthusiast for effective season-long mosquito and tick protection

The Tick That Lived for 27 Years

I have often written about the tick life cycle, which is two years for black-legged ticks.

You might be surprised to know that there are more than 850 species of ticks throughout the world. We are unfortunate to have about 90 species living in the United States. And while we are familiar with deer ticks and dog ticks in Massachusetts, which transmit illnesses, many species do not pass on infection. However, that is not the only interesting tick fact you will find in this article.

A tick native to Africa lived 27 years. — The lifespan of one African tick might surprise you.

The African tick that lived for 27 years, even without feeding.

Entomology Today recently posted an article about one tick species’ 27-year lifespan. The Argas brumpti is a soft tick, native to the drier climates in southern and eastern Africa. What is already known about this tick, is that it does not carry any known disease pathogens. However, the bite from the Argas brumpti can result in painful skin lesions, which are believed to be caused by a chemical anticoagulant in their saliva. One Binghamton University associate professor has studied a group of Argas brumpti ticks for more than four decades.

Julian Shepherd, Ph.D., has spent the last 45 years studying the Argas brumpti African tick. He created an ideal tick habitat in his lab, set at a sustained 69.8°F and 81% relative humidity. This study began in 1976 by chance, after Dr. Shepherd was given the ticks. Though unrelated to any of the research he was doing at the time, he made them the focus of anew study. And so it began. Unlike their disease-carrying counterparts, not much research had been done on this soft tick species.

In the early years of his study, Shepherd provided a blood meal food source for the ticks by way of rabbits. However, around the mid-1980’s, devoid of an available food source, he stopped feeding the ticks altogether. This began an eight-year starvation period – which they survived! Some of the first group of ticks lived for 27 years. Some of their descendants are alive still, aged 26 years. Shepherd believes this is, “apparently a record for any species of tick.”

At about the fourth year in starvation, the last male tick died. When Shepherd resumed feeding the female ticks, at least one produced a batch of fertilized eggs. While it was known that female ticks can store sperm until they obtain a blood meal to fertilize their eggs, it was only previously studied over a period of weeks. Shepherd’s study proves that these female ticks can still produce offspring by taking a blood meal four years after mating! If nothing else, the study provides proof that ticks are patient, resourceful, and exceptionally resilient.

Though his research is coming to a close, Shepherd is passing on his findings to South African researchers, who are studying the evolutionary development and diversification of ticks through DNA sequencing.

Follow my blog for more interesting tick facts, as well as tick-borne illness prevention information.

Can cats catch vector-borne illnesses?

There are an estimated 30.5 million cat-owning households in the United States.

And while there are more households with dogs, the number of cats as pets in the U.S. is higher than the number of dogs. As a matter of fact, there are an estimated 5 million more pet cats than dogs – that’s 75 million cats total! There have been many studies regarding dogs and vector-borne illnesses over the years but not so many for cats. But with more cat-owning households than ever, medical science is working to catch up studies of cats and vector diseases.

Should cat owners be concerned about vector-borne illnesses?

Cats are an investment into our well-being. Like dogs and other pets, they are considered family members. As such, cat owners should be concerned about the potential for vector-borne ailments. But which ones and how concerned? Here are three vector-borne illnesses that your cat might be susceptible to.

Cytauxzoonosis – This illness is transmitted to cats by the American dog tick and lone star tick. Cats that live in a rural areas, where ticks are more prevalent, are at the highest risk of contracting cytauxzoonosis from the bite of an infected tick. The good news is that the only transmission of this disease is through a tick bite. Cats cannot pass this disease to each other, nor is there solid evidence that the illness can be passed from mother to kitten in the womb.

Symptoms of cytauxzoonosis include pale gums, lack of energy, loss of appetite, and difficulty breathing.

Anaplasmosis – Vectors of this illness are the black-legged tick and western black-legged tick. Since the black-legged tick is also responsible for passing the bacterial that cause Lyme disease, it is possible that a cat can carry a co-infection of Anaplasmosis and Lyme. Neither of these diseases can be passed between cats.

Symptoms of Anaplasmosis in cats can include joint pain/limping, lethargy, loss of appetite, and fever.

Heartworm – Cats are an atypical host for heartworm disease, but they can become infected. Heartworm infection occurs from a mosquito bite. When a mosquito bites a wild animal, whose blood is infected with microscopic worms, it is then able to pass those worms onto its next host. The tiny worms are able to enter the bloodstream of the new host through the tiny hole left by the mosquito’s proboscis – the mouth part used to siphon blood from the host. A cat might have heartworm infection with no symptoms, but that does not mean that the infection cannot be dangerous. HARD, or heartworm associated respiratory disease, is one serious condition caused by infection in cats. There is no cure for feline heartworm infection – prevention is key.

Symptoms of feline heartworm infection include vomiting, diarrhea, and difficulty breathing.

Protect your cats from vector-borne illnesses with mosquito and tick control.

As with any disease that is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito or tick, prevention is better than the cure – and let’s not forget there’s not always a cure available. Protect your home and property from mosquito and tick invasions with effective Burlington tick and mosquito control. Even if your cat is 100% indoors, they are still susceptible to encountering a wayward tick or mosquito inside your home.

Is Lyme disease the worst illness spread by the deer tick?

It really depends on your definition of “worst.”

When it comes to sheer numbers, Lyme disease is by far the worst tick-borne illness. At the time of this writing, the CDC estimates that annual cases of Lyme infection in the United States lies somewhere between 300,000 and 400,000. If you have ever become infected with Lyme disease, you might say it’s the worst. If you or someone you know suffers from Chronic Lyme infection, you might assuredly believe it’s the worst. But there is another tick-born illness, which is passed by the deer tick, that is rearing its ugly head.

Is Lyme disease the worst tick-borne illness?

Powassan virus is worse in other ways.

Powassan virus disease is certainly not the worst in case numbers. Over the last decade, the United States has had about 100 confirmed cases of this tick-borne illness. However, if you or someone you know has been infected with Powassan virus, you would call it the worst. What makes it so?

Powassan symptoms are sporadic.

Symptoms of Powassan virus range from no symptoms at all to severe neurological affliction. The illness can be perplexing to medical professionals. Many patients are admitted to the hospital, where a battery of tests are run, which finally result in a confirmed case of Powassan virus disease. Symptoms can occur one week after a tick bite, or a month later. Symptoms can be vomiting, fever, loss of coordination, seizures, and even death.

No treatment, no vaccine.

Like Lyme disease, there is currently no vaccine for Powassan virus. And while Lyme disease can be treated and cured if diagnosed early, there is no treatment for Powassan. Doctors must intervene with treatment of symptoms, which can include IV fluids and respiratory support.

Powassan virus can be fatal.

Approximately 10-15% of severe cases of Powassan virus disease result in death. What’s more, those, who survive infection, are often left with lingering effects. One Barnstable Mass resident says he feels lucky to be alive after his run-in with this rare tick-borne illness.

What should you do to reduce your risk of exposure to tick-borne illnesses, like Lyme or Powassan?

Steps can be taken to reduce tick bite risks. These include very simple habits, like keeping your lawn cut short, and clearing brush, leaves, and yard waste from your property. If you are going out in nature, wear sleeves and pants to create a barrier between yourself and ticks. It is also recommended that you wear a repellent containing 20% DEET.

Central Mass tick control The CDC also recommends augmenting your tick bite protection by treating your yard for ticks. Professional tick control companies offer solutions for tick elimination. Hiring professionals to treat your property means that you will be optimally protected. This is because tick control technicians are trained to seek out high-risk areas throughout your property to ensure that they are areas of focus for treatment. Reputable companies not only offer yard sprays on a rotating schedule from spring through fall, but extend their offering with tick control tubes. Tick tubes are placed in the fall and work to control the emerging tick population in the spring.

Could a painful tick bite be the key to Lyme disease prevention?

A painful tick bite? What a Novel idea!

I recently wrote a blog about a new Lyme vaccine that uses antibodies, but this could be the most interesting method of Lyme prevention yet. A new Novel Lyme disease vaccine is being tested in the lab with great results. The same mRNA technology used for the COVID vaccines is being used to deliver this vaccine to guinea pigs at Yale University. This idea is so simple, it’s genius – make us sensitive to a tick bite!

Could a painful tick bite prevent Lyme disease?

This vaccine does not target pathogens.

Unlike other vaccines that directly target disease-causing pathogens, this potential vaccine targets tick saliva. Ticks attach to our skin, at which time disease-causing bacteria are passed into our blood stream through their saliva. Scientists have created a vaccine that causes a skin reaction to tick saliva. This reaction causes us to actually feel a tick bite. And as we know, it takes 36 to 48 hours for a tick to infect a host with Lyme disease. If we feel the tick bite immediately, the tick can be found. Therefore, negating attachment or disease transmission.

But it’s not just for Lyme disease prevention!

dog tick — Novel vaccine could prevent myriad tick diseases.

This same technology could prevent a variety of diseases that are passed through infected tick bites. Having identified 19 proteins in black-legged ticks, which can be targeted with such a vaccine, the same could be done with other tick species to prevent the illnesses they spread. This is great news for New England residents, where we have a few species of ticks – black-legged (deer) ticks, dog ticks, and lone star ticks.

What if the tick gains attachment anyway?

Nothing is fool-proof. Imagine that you have had this Lyme vaccine, but failed to feel it right away because you are moving around – doing yard work, hiking, etc. Guinea pigs in the lab showed resistance to Lyme pathogens even when the tick gained attachment. Half of the non-immunized guinea pigs were infected with Lyme disease in the study – all having been bitten by infected ticks. None of the immunized guinea pigs were infected when the tick was removed at the time of the skin reaction (redness, pain). Allowing a tick to remain attached to immunized guinea pigs also resulted in zero Lyme infections. Due to the skin reaction, ticks were not able to feed voraciously on these pigs. However, when three infected ticks were left attached to all guinea pigs, some infection did result in immunized pigs.

Until vaccines are lab tested, approved, and widely available, your only sure method of Lyme prevention is by preventing tick bites in the first place. This means personal tick protection when you are outdoors away from home and professional tick control at home.

Dangerous Pests That Pet Owners Should Know About

Pet adoptions increase around the holidays.

Whether you’re adopting for the first time or you are an experienced pet owner, your goal is to create a safe and happy home for your new pet. You will likely research the best food recommendations, safest toys, and required vaccinations. You should also be aware of potentially dangerous pests that could make your pet sick, or worse.

dangerous pests

Spiders are potentially dangerous pests for humans and pets.

Not all spiders are dangerous. But more than that, spiders are not necessarily as dangerous as we make them out to be. Most are not venomous, actually. However, if our pet were to encounter a brown recluse or a black widow, they could suffer pain and tissue damage.

spiders can be dangerous pests for pets — Spiders can be dangerous pests for pets.

Spider fun fact: All black widow spiders are venomous, but like mosquitoes, only females are harmful to humans and pets.

The best way to protect your pet from potentially dangerous spiders is to make sure they stay clear of spider habitats. This includes wood piles and dark spaces, such as areas beneath decks.

“Kissing bug” might sound cute, but they are dangerous pests.

While higher concentrations of kissing bugs are found in southern states, such as Texas and New Mexico, the disease they spread has been reported in Massachusetts. Like ticks and mosquitoes, kissing bugs feed on warm blood. Their host, including humans and pets, actually get a parasitic infection from this pest’s fecal matter. The infection is call Chagas disease. If your dog or cat likes to chase bugs or eat them, this activity could result in severe illness or even lead to death. Symptoms of Chagas disease include lethargy, loss of appetite and neurological problems.

Mosquitoes are not just a nuisance.

Mosquitoes can be very dangerous pests to our pets too. The bite from one infected mosquito can result in heartworm infection for dogs and cats. Heartworm is particularly dangerous for dogs. If left undiagnosed and untreated, the infection can lead to the death of your precious pup. Sadly, even when a dog is diagnosed with heartworm disease, the treatment can cause death. This is because the medication used to treat the infection kills the heartworms. As they die, they begin to decay and break apart. This process can cause a piece of a dead heartworm to move into your dogs heart or lungs. Additionally, dogs can have a dangerous reaction to the medication itself. Therefore, North Reading mosquito control is essential in the spring, summer, and fall.

Ticks are dangerous pests too.

fall and winter tick control Ticks are some of the most widely known dangerous pests to humans and our pets. Not unlike a mosquito bite, a bite from a disease-infected tick can result in sever illness and death. Many believe that ticks do not quest or bite in the winter, but this is untrue. For this reason, we must be sure to employ North Reading tick control year-round. This means barrier treatment spray in the spring, summer, and fall – and tick control tubes in the late fall and winter.

Ticks are arachnids, like spiders, and live in similar habitats. They shy away from sunny areas, opting for dark outdoor spaces, such as wood piles and leaf litter. In addition to Lyme disease, ticks can cause paralysis in dogs. They can also infect your precious pet with Babesiosis, which can result in sever anemia.

So, protect your pets, new and old and have a safe and happy pet-loving home!

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

What Deer Hunting Season Tells Us About the Spread of Tick and Mosquito Diseases

Deer hunting is underway in Massachusetts. Some Northeastern states are getting a glimpse of the real threat of disease-carrying ticks. But that’s not all.

Whether you are a fan of deer hunting or not, tagging stations are offering insight into the spread of ticks across the Northeastern United States. Right now in York County, Maine, researchers are spread out between deer tagging stations. Their goal is to collect and identify ticks from deer carcasses and to also obtain blood samples to test for mosquito-borne illnesses, like EEE.

What does deer hunting tell us about ticks?

Tick populations have reached record numbers.

Hunters in the Northeast report that they are seeing more ticks on their trips into the wooded wilderness than ever before. Some avid small game hunters are even skipping those seasons due to the increase in tick encounters. In years past, you might find a tick or two during your hunt. Today, it is reported that your hunting trip will undoubtedly bring you in direct contact with ticks – plural. It’s not if but when.

Like Massachusetts, York County, Maine, is a hotbed for Lyme-carrying ticks these days. Deer ticks were first found in Maine in 1980. But unlike some Massachusetts locales, they have not yet reported lone star ticks, which carry a variety of tick-borne illnesses other than Lyme disease. However, experts believe it’s only a matter of time before these ticks arrive on the scene. It is more important than ever that hunters, hikers, and campers protect themselves. The best personal protection methods include wearing treated clothing to repel ticks.

Warmer winters mean more ticks, new ticks, and even new mosquito diseases.

The researchers at Maine deer tagging stations are out to identify mosquito-borne illnesses too. Blood samples are being taken from deer in hopes of identifying the prevalence of mosquito diseases, such as Eastern Equine Encephalitis and West Nile virus. The state’s only reported case of EEE this year was in York County. Massachusetts has had no reports of Eastern Equine Encephalitis so far in 2021. There were a few cases of West Nile virus in Massachusetts this year, but because of drought-like conditions from last fall through spring, even those cases began reporting later into the year than normal. Effective mosquito control must be given credit for the decrease in potentially deadly cases of Eastern Equine Encephalitis.

Tick control is a year-round concern.

Due to warmer winters in Massachusetts, ticks can and do quest even during the winter months. It is possible to be bitten by a tick in the fall and winter, and we should be concerned with ample protection during those months. Fortunately, reputable tick control professionals offer ‘out-of-season‘ methods of tick protection by way of tick tubes.

You can take personal protection measures while hunting or hiking this time of year, and leave the at-home protection to the pros!

Ticks Are All Trick, No Treat

It’s Halloween Eve eve. Have you invited ticks into your yard?

Pumpkin patches are abuzz and fall vibes are present everywhere we look. This includes ours and our neighbors’ front yards. Pumpkins, hay stacks, and fallen leaves – OH, MY!

pumpkins and ticks — Ticks are not just in pumpkin patches. They could be in your yard too!

Be wary of ticks through the end of fall.

ticks are all tick, no treat — Ticks are all trick, no treat!

Adult female ticks, much like Dracula, are out for blood. Your blood, your dog’s blood, any old blood will do. Why are they so hungry this time of year? It’s actually not hunger that drives these ticks to take a blood meal. It’s more primal than hunger. It’s an innate need for a protein that is found in blood, which is consumed by adult female ticks (more in the fall than ever), in order to fertilize her eggs. Their inborn drive to reproduce is what drives adult female ticks. And if you are not careful, you will drive them right to your front door!

It’s less likely that you have a tick on your skin if you are wearing pants and long sleeves. But one great way to bring a tick home from the pumpkin patch is on your clothes. Your kids and pets are different stories. They are closer to the ground, and are often on the ground this time of year. Leaf piles are ever-present and far too tempting for kids and dogs to pass up in the fall. Small stature makes our little ones more susceptible to tick bites any time of year, but many forget that ticks are still out in the fall. When we return home from fall festivals, hay rides, pumpkin patches, or our own front lawns, it is essential that a full tick check be performed. On ourselves, as well as our kids and pets!

TICK TIP: You can place your clothing on high heat in the dryer for 10 minutes just in case your clothing might have a tick after being outdoors.

Here’s a bit of tick control hocus pocus!

I would never recommend not decorating your home and yard for the fall season to prevent ticks from entering your yard. What I would recommend is effective tick control measure be taken. Since our yards are even more agreeable tick habitats in the fall, you should enlist the help of a professional tick control company. You can have your entire yard treated with barrier tick protection, and embolden protection with tick tubes. Tick tubes will continue to work through late fall and winter.

It’s easy to forget about ticks when it’s cooler outside. Let this be your friendly reminder that they are out there. They are on the move. Be sure your home and family are protected!