Climate change, the prevalence of Lyme, and nature’s ally in Lyme prevention.

I recently wrote about how opossums are an important part of tick prevention – nature’s not-so-cute ally in tick-borne illness avoidance. Opossums are more essential than ever before, but why?

tick population is spreading and ticks are living longer — *Engorged tick after a blood meal*

According to the CDC and Quest Diagnostics, tick prevalence has reached higher levels than ever, and they are attributing it to climate change. It is believed that higher temperatures are creating the “perfect storm” for the spread of tick populations. It is believed that ticks are living longer and spreading to areas in the United States, which they have previously not inhabited. If you ask me, opossums have their work cut out for them in Lyme prevention!

Where is Lyme disease most prevalent, and where is it notably increasing?

Tick-borne illnesses used to be concentrated mainly in the Northeast United States and upper Midwest. All 50 states and the District of Columbia now have reports of tick-borne disease. In 2017, Quest Diagnostics reports that 61% of Lyme cases were in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Though, notable increases were seen from 2015 to 2017 in Georgia, Arizona, Ohio, Texas, Tennessee, and Virginia.

prevalence of Lyme in the U.S. - Lyme prevention — *Lyme trends across the U.S.*

Nature’s little exterminator eliminates garden pests, worms, slugs, and disease spreading ticks – talk about natural Lyme prevention!

opossums are important for tick control and Lyme prevention in Central Mass — *Don’t harm opossums – let them do their job eliminating ticks from your property*.

I write about tick control and Lyme awareness, because it’s THAT IMPORTANT to Central Mass residents. Our state is among those with the most reported cases of Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses. It is just as important that we spread the word of the importance of the opossum’s role in tick prevention.

Many of us see them as nasty rodent-like nuisances, but they are tick magnets! Ticks love to attach themselves to opossums, and opossums are big-time groomers. They can have up to 200 ticks on them at one time, attempting to attach for a blood meal. Opossums will effectively eat most of the ticks before they attach. Opossums prevent ticks in two ways. First, ticks are attracted to them, and try to infest them. Secondly, opossums devour the offending ticks. We need not attempt to eliminate opossums from our yards – shew them away if you see them, but do not harm them!

nature's tick protection — *Mother opossums carry their babies while foraging for food – tick exterminators in training!*

Plus, it could be argued that opossums are actually pretty adorable!

Dave Macchia, tick control enthusiast — Dave Macchia, Tick Control Enthusiast

As always, I hope that you have considered the importance of tick control for your Central Mass home and family. There are EPA-registered and all-natural tick control methods available in our area, which will eliminate up to 95% of the tick population around your home for up to three weeks between treatments!

Will your dog be vacationing with you this summer? Beware of Hepatozoonosis.

It’s a pet-friendly world out there! Many of us will seek out the perfect vacation spot this summer, and carry our pets with us. We must be vigilant of potential hazardous tick-borne illnesses that exist in the areas we visit. If you plan to head to the southern or south central United States this year, be aware of Hepatozoonosis.

Keep your best friend safe when you take him on vacation this year! Check for ticks, and be aware of his attraction to chasing/ingesting birds or rodents.

Hepatozoonosis is a dangerous and potentially deadly tick-borne disease, if left undiagnosed and untreated. If you have never heard of it, that’s because it is prevalent in areas much farther south than Central MA. There are two separate strains of this illness – H. canis and H. americanum – and there have actually been some reported cases in our part of the world. How? Pets have visited or moved with their family from a region, where the disease is prevalent.

How do dogs contract Hepatozoonosis?

Your dog could contract Hepatozoonosis by ingesting a tick!

Quite simply, actually. Dogs are curious creatures, and can easily come in contact with a Hepatozoon-infected adult tick or a host animal carrying a infected larval tick. What’s interesting about this tick-borne illness, is that it doesn’t take a tick bite for infection. Dogs ingest a diseased tick, and contract Hepatozoonosis when the Hepatozoon organism attaches itself to their gut wall. The disease is then carried through the bloodstream to the spleen, lungs, pancreas, and even the skeletal muscles.

H. americanum is transmitted by the Gulf Coast tick.

https://tickencounter.org/tick_identification/gulf_coast_tick

H. canis is transmitted by the brown dog tick.

https://tickencounter.org/tick_identification/brown_dog_tick

What are the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment for Hepatozoonosis?

While H. americanum can present with many symptoms, such as fever, muscle pain and stiffness, eye discharge, lethargy, and weight loss, H. canis will likely have no symptoms. However, in instances of extremely high parasite numbers, H. canis can have similar symptoms, accompanied by anemia and an enlarged spleen.

Always inform your Veterinarian where you have traveled with your dog during a sick visit.

It’s very important that you be aware of Hepatozoonosis. If you ever take your dog out of the Central MA region, and they become ill, please tell your Veterinarian where you have been. Tick-borne illnesses that are not common to Central Mass might not be tested for or even thought about otherwise!

Blood smears under a microscope will reveal the existence of Hepatozoon. H. americanum is treated for life, without a cure. H. canis is easier to treat, and can be cured with a couple of shots.

As always, keep your Central Massachusetts home and family safe from the threat of tick-borne illnesses with professional tick control, and always check your pets after they have been outdoors!

Ticks are much like Game of Thrones’ Night King!

Ticks are no good for ANYONE. They prey on our families, our pets, and even our livestock. Will you be stuck trying to remove a tick from yourself or a loved one this year, and hope that said tick has not left devastation behind?

As we inch towards the series finale of Game of Thrones, I started thinking about how I might compare Central Mass ticks to the once-feared, mysterious Night King. Here are some comparisons between the two!

Central Mass ticks and the Night King are u-g-l-y, and they ain’t got no alibi!

Most obvious of all, the Night King is hideous and scary looking. The same can be said of ticks! Not only are ticks gross on the outside, but they have a mouthful of hooks that allow them to DIG IN to your flesh, and borrow!

Your sacrifice is required for their reproduction, just like the Night King built his army of Wights!

Female ticks take a few blood meals during their life cycle. They require their last blood meal in order to reproduce, and create more blood-sucking, disease spreading ticks! In search of their blood meal, they will latch on to your flesh, sink their hooks in you, and can transfer very harmful diseases, like Lyme disease.

Tick bites are your blood sacrifice!
Your sacrifice could be Lyme disease!

Central Mass ticks can survive the winter, just like the Night King!

Contrary to popular belief, ticks do not die in winter. Reputable Central Massachusetts tick prevention professionals have solutions, such as tick tubes, which will continue to eliminate ticks “out of season” and control the tick population in your yard during the next spring and summer!

Do ticks survive winter? — Like the Night King, Central Mass ticks easily survive winter!

Don’t say, “Dracarys!” Fire will not help you remove a tick – just like dragonfire won’t kill the Night King!

You do NOT want to burn ticks to get them out of your skin. Never put yourself, your loved one, or your pet in harm’s way by trying to burn a tick to remove it. This cannot end well! How should your remove a tick?

Steel vanquished the Night King, and will help you vanquish your tick!

Tweezer tick removal — Proper tick removal requires tweezers.

Valyrian steel not required! For that matter, please not your most effective weapon will not be a dagger. All you need is a nice pair of tweezers to remove and dispose of your tick.

My goal is always to inform you about the dangers of ticks in Central Mass. The best way to control them, and to keep your family safe, is to prevent them in the first place. As they say, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Westford MA Tick Control is a Job for the Professionals

Ticks are gross. Not just gross — these ugly bugs can be very dangerous, as they can carry multiple serious diseases, some being potentially fatal.

Westford tick control — *Ticks are gross and dangerous to your Westford MA family.*

Diseases like Babesiosis, Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and more. Nobody wants to see themselves or their loved ones deal with a tick-borne illness, and nobody wants to deal with ticks. Well, almost nobody. Consider a tick control specialist for your Westford home and family.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Lyme disease in Massachusetts and all over the Eastern U.S. has reached unprecedented levels in recent years. Middlesex County actually had 779 reported Lyme disease cases in 2016 (the most in the state), an unfortunate distinction nobody wants to brag about. The Town of Westford has some basic information on ticks and what to do if one of them bites you, but wouldn’t you rather avoid them all together?

That’s when you call in the pros.

It just so happens that the same barrier spray treatment used for professional mosquito control also eliminates adult and ticks and fleas. This tick control treatment is wicked effective — it can eliminate up to 95% of ticks on contact. But there is a two-pronged approach that takes tick control to a whole new level, because tick-borne illnesses are no joke and we need to get rid of ticks before they come anywhere near our families.

The Process: How Westford MA Tick Control Works

The first step in a thorough Westford MA tick protection strategy entails spraying a special micro-encapsulated tick control formula around the perimeter of your yard, making sure to get all the shrubbery, foliage (not flowers, though), and surfaces around and underneath patios and decks. But for the ticks, more focus is given than usual around the tall grassy areas, because that’s where ticks usually hang out — breeding, resting, and well, waiting for their next blood meal.

*Time-released tick barrier spray will protect your family for about three weeks.*

A barrier treatment formula is time released, meaning that after mosquitoes and ticks are eliminated on contact, it will keep on doing its job for up to three weeks after it’s disbursed. Because of this, it has the added benefit of preventing tick eggs from hatching and thus stops the next generation of blood-sucking little monsters. I suggest re-treating your property everything three weeks for season-long protection.

Next is the tick control “bonus round”

Lyme Disease and other tick-borne diseases are usually caused by bacteria transmitted by the deer tick (Ixodes scapularis), but there are other ticks and diseases we need to worry about these days as well. While it’s true that not all ticks are carriers of these illnesses, the only way to tell if a tick is a carrier of anything scary is after we’re bitten. (If you do get bitten, please save your tick after safely removing it and send it to UMass Amherst’s tick testing service, especially if you get sick.) Ticks become infected when they feed on mice and other small animals that are infected. By going “straight to the source” and implementing tick tubes, we’re stopping the cycle of disease before it even starts.

*Take your Westford tick protection to the next level with tick tubes!*

Tick tubes are small tubes made of biodegradable material that are filled with cotton treated with a solution that is fatal to ticks. Mice find these and carry some of the cotton underground to build their nests. When a tick bites one of these mice, they’re eliminated shortly after. Tick tubes are an extremely effective proactive measure to take. It can reduce the ticks in your yard by up to 90% because it destroys the tick population before they’re able to multiply.

Prefer an Organic Tick Treatment Approach?

*All-natural Westford MA tick control is available.*

While professional tick control products are EPA-registered, there are also all-natural tick treatment solutions for those of us who prefer to stay as eco-conscious as possible. This barrier spray solution was developed based on essential oils, focuses more on repelling pests than eliminating them. It’s not quite as effective as a vtraditional mosquito and tick control treatment, but it’s still pretty powerful — most customers notice a reduction in yard pests between 65-80%. Also a time-released formula, this all-natural approach lasts for up to two weeks before needing reapplication.

Hello, May. Hello, Lyme Disease Awareness Month!

Central Mass Lyme disease prevention is critical, and that is not figurative language. Literally critical – urgent – dire!

May is a beautiful time of year in Central Mass, and with the warm weather folks begin to spend more time outdoors with their families. We begin to work in the yard, host cook-outs, and spend mild evenings relaxing on our back patios. Many across the U.S. get moving for the cause of Lyme disease. 5K runs in the name of Lyme? Yes, it’s that important! Why? See the trailer below for the critically acclaimed documentary, Under Our Skin!

See more about Under Our Skin.

In honor of Lyme Disease Awareness Month, I would like to cover some important aspects of Lyme.

Lyme Disease Symptoms

An estimated 30% to 80% of Lyme patients will develop a rash related to the disease. The bullseye rash is most commonly associated, but did you know that other rashes can be associated with Lyme? Did you know that some patients don’t develop a rash at all? In a CDC report, more than 40% of Lyme Carditis patients did not have Lyme related rash. Early symptoms include: fever, chills, nausea, sweating, and joint pain.

Read about 3 steps to determine your Lyme disease risk after you have been bitten by a tick.

Children and Lyme

*Central Mass tick protection is critical for your child*

Detecting Lyme disease in your child might be difficult, as symptoms can present behaviorally, without a prevalence of sickness symptoms. Children with Lyme can have insomnia, difficulty communicating thoughts, fatigue, short attention span, and severe mood swings. Because children as susceptible to tick bites, it is essential that you hire a licensed tick control company to spray your yard, your child’s playground. Check your child each day for ticks or tick bites, and if you find evidence of either, follow these tick removal instructions, and be vigilant in watching for symptoms, including those mentioned above.

Pets and Lyme

Your pets are also extremely susceptible to ticks and tick bites. They too, can get Lyme disease. In addition to tick protection for your yard, please check your dogs, cats, and horses for ticks regularly, and watch for symptoms, such as lethargy, and unexplained limping.

Check out this video to learn how to properly check your pet for ticks.

Ticks CANNOT burrow and move under your skin undetected!

Social media is a blessing and a curse. I use social media to spread Central Mass tick awareness each week, and some of my time is spent debunking viral myths. Sometimes, the information that has been passed, seems like outright fearmongering.

You have probably seen this post, or similar posts circulating on Facebook over the last two years, claiming that ticks can burrow under your skin and move around undetected. I expect that this fallacy will begin making its rounds again soon, if it hasn’t already. Do ticks burrow? Yes. Do they completely move underneath the layers of your skin, crawl around, and spread illness? NO!

Where does tick misinformation come from?

Though the origins of the story are unknown to me, I can only assume that it came from reports surrounding the “seed tick” (slang for a tick in the larval stage of life) a couple of years ago. The CDC posted this photo on their social media, warning of the dangers of nymph ticks, the most likely to spread disease.

ticks can be virtually un-detectable — *Can you see five ticks on this poppy seed muffin?*

The small size of the nymph is alarming, as one tick is about the size of a poppy seed, making them difficult to detect or identify. Nymph ticks are in the second stage of their lives, having taken their first blood meal from animals, such as white-footed mice, often carriers of Lyme Disease, in their larvae stage. Nymph ticks are dangerous – VERY dangerous, often diseased, and ready to make your family or family pet their next blood meal, at which time they can transmit diseases.

Watch this tick burrow into human skin, aided by a “mouth full of hooks!”

Leominster tick protection is essential to your family’s health!

protect your family from ticks — Leominster tick protection is important for your whole family.

With the dangers of an increased tick population in Central Mass, tick control is not an option, but a necessity. I urge you to be proactive in the fight against the spread of tick-borne illnesses, such as Lyme Disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Tularemia, and even tick paralysis in dogs. Illnesses contracted from ticks are dangerous in a few ways. Some have terrifying symptoms, such as temporary blindness. Lyme Disease can be misdiagnosed for other diseases, like dementia, and produce lifelong ailments. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is difficult to diagnose, and if not treated properly and early, it can be deadly.

ticks cause Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever — *Rash produced by Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever*

If you do find a tick on yourself or a family member, follow the CDC’s recommended tick removal instructions.

Keep your family and guests safe from ticks and the harmful diseases they carry by calling a professional tick control company!

Take Your Chelmsford Tick Control to the Next Level

Ticks really suck. Literally. But more than that, these bugs, though small, can have a giant impact on the lives of you and your loved ones if they find you on the dinner menu. Here in Chelmsford and all over Massachusetts, we’re familiar with the dangers of Lyme disease, but there are many more serious tick-borne illnesses on the rise in our area, including Babesiosis and the rare but fatal Powassan virus.

While not all ticks are vectors of dangerous diseases, why take a chance? While Chelmsford is part of the Middlesex Tick Task Force, they basically tell you what to do after you get bitten by a tick. Even Chelmsford Wicked Local has been publishing articles about how officials are urging vigilance about ticks. However, their suggestion of “A little bit of vigilance, and some bug spray, can go a long way in reducing the health risks associated with ticks” is a nice sentiment, but it takes more than “vigilance and bug spray” to prevent tick-borne illnesses.

Wouldn’t you just rather avoid these little monsters all together?

Professional tick control is essential.

Chelmsford MA tick control — With all the potential dangers posed by tick-borne illnesses, call in the professionals to keep your home and family protected.

Not only will a reputable tick control company eliminate up to 90% of mosquitoes with our specially formulated barrier spray treatment, the same micro encapsulated formula also eliminates up to 90% of adult ticks and fleas on contact. It’s pretty powerful stuff, but when it comes to your Chelmsford tick control, you can go one step further to protect you and your loved ones from ticks and tick-borne illnesses.

Step 1:

The first line of defense for Chelmsford tick control is treating the perimeter of your yard, working inward, just like a traditional barrier treatment. It is important to treat all the foliage while avoiding flowers, plus surfaces around and underneath patios and decks. But for ticks, extra attention should be given to the tall grassy areas, because that’s where they generally spend the most time breeding, resting, and well, waiting for dinner. Don’t allow your family to be on the menu!

tick control is essential for your family — Chelmsford tick control is best with a two-step treatment approach.

With a time-released formula, your property will be protected for three weeks before needing reapplication. Barrier treatment has the added benefit of preventing the eggs of ticks from hatching and thus puts a stop to the next generation of these pests.

Step 2:

Lyme Disease and other tick born diseases are most often transmitted by the deer tick, but other ticks are vectors, too. Not all ticks are carriers of these illnesses, but it’s best to err on the safe side. Ticks become infected when they feed on small animals, such as mice, that are infected. By going straight to the source through the implementation of tick tubes, you can stop the cycle of disease where it would normally start, by eliminating ticks before they come anywhere near people and pets.

Central Mass tick control for your dogs — Man’s best friend requires ample Chelmsford tick protection too!

Tick tubes provide added tick protection.

Tick tubes are small, biodegradable tubes that can be placed strategically around your yard. They are stuffed with a treated cotton that entice mice to bring back to their nests. When a tick bites one of these mice, it is eliminated shortly afterward. This extra, proactive step can be taken for your Chelmsford tick control to help eliminate the tick population in your yard by up to 90% before they’re able to multiply.

Reputable tick control companies’ products are EPA-registered, but some will also offer an all-natural treatment for your unwanted yard bugs. Based on natural oils, this more “crunchy” approach focuses more on repelling these little monsters than eliminating them. It’s not quite as effective as traditional mosquito and tick control solution, but it’s pretty close — most folks notice a reduction in yard pests between 65-80%. Also a time-released solution, this application is recommended to be repeated every two weeks, instead of the traditional three.

What’s Long and Slithers and Had Ticks All Over?

You might have a difficult time believing the answer to this riddle! Recently, Gold Coast and Brisbane snake catcher encountered a truly unusual snake. When these professional reptile re-locators found this carpet python, he was covered in ticks – 511 blood-suckers, in fact!

Talk about an animal in need of tick protection!

Nike the snake is now in the care of Currumbin Wildlife Hospital Foundation in Queensland, Australia, where he continues to recover. When Gold Coast and Brisbane Snake Catcher rescued poor Nike from a pool in Coolangatta, he was nearly unrecognizable and severely anemic, because these ravenous blood-suckers were feasting on him. Usually, snakes will fight off invading ticks and insects, but Nike did not. Once these hungry ticks latched on, they weakened the carpet python past the point of defense.

What does a cup of 511 ticks look like?

Feast your eyes on this! Even though more than 500 ticks were meticulously removed from the snake’s body, more remained intact under his scales, and had to be treated with medication.

ticks all over - 511 ticks — More than 500 ticks feasted on the snake’s blood until he became severely anemic

Days later, this baby koala required a blood transfusion after having 100 ticks removed!

To further illustrate the damage these nasty invaders cause, and the danger they pose to our families – pets – wildlife – livestock!

Ticks eat to live and live to eat! Don’t allow your family to become a “blood meal.”

Ticks must have their blood meal in order to survive each stage of life. In the larvae stage, they often take their first blood meal from Lyme infected hosts, like the white-footed mouse. Nearly the entire population of this mouse is infected with Lyme Disease, which is how ticks become infected. In the next stage of life, ticks are in search of a larger host with a lot of blood and nutrients – which make us humans an ideal feast! During this feeding, ticks actually filter and regurgitate the water content from our blood right back into our bloodstream, introducing the threat of disease. Don’t become a blood meal.

When it comes to tick-borne disease prevention, tick control is the key. Be sure your family is protected this year by calling a tick control professional!

Happy and healthy living in Tewksbury MA means providing essential tick control for your family

Ticks suck. Literally. What’s worse is that these little bugs, although small, can have a huge impact on the lives of you and your loved ones if they hitch a ride, looking for a free meal. In Tewksbury and all over Massachusetts, we’re all familiar with the dangers of Lyme disease, but there are many more tick-borne illnesses on the rise in our area, including Babesiosis and the rare, but fatal Powassan virus.

While not all ticks are infected with and carry scary diseases, do you really want to get bitten by one and take the chance? Even Wicked Local has been publishing things about how officials are urging people to be more vigilant about ticks, but their suggestions of “using tick and mosquito repellent, wearing long sleeves and long pants outdoors, and performing periodic checks for ticks on your body” simply aren’t realistic. When the weather is nice out, who wants to be bundled up in their own yard? Consider a time-released Tewksbury Mosquito Control treatment from a reputable Tewksbury tick control company. Barrier tick treatments help eliminate up to 90% of mosquitos and up to 90% of adult ticks and fleas on contact, too.

The Game Plan: How Tewksbury Tick Control Works

tick control Tewksbury MA — A happy Tewksbury family is one free from the threat of ticks

Lyme Disease and other tick-born illnesses caused by bacteria transmitted most often by the deer tick, but other ticks are carriers, too. Not all ticks are carriers of these illnesses, but it’s best to err on the safe side. Ticks become infected when they feed on small animals, such as mice, that are infected. By going straight to the source through the implementation of tick tubes, cycle of disease can be stopped where it would normally start. What’s a tick tube? Well, it’s a small tube with biodegradable tubing that’s filled with cotton treated with a solution fatal to ticks. The tubes are strategically placed around your property, and small animals like mice and rabbits will find the cotton and use it to build their nests. When a hungry tick bites and feeds off one of these small animals, it’s gone from this world and one fewer tick to worry about potentially causing anyone damage. These Tewksbury tick control tubes are a proactive measure, and reduce up to 90% of tick populations before they’re able to multiply.

Prefer an all-natural tick control approach for your Tewksbury MA home and family?

Tweksbury MA tick control — Protect your Tewksbury home and family from tick borne illnesses

Not a problem. A reputable Tewksbury tick control company will offer products that are EPA-registered, but some people prefer to go as “all-natural” as possible. That’s why all-natural treatments are available for your unwanted pests. Based on natural oils, this more “crunchy” approach focuses more on repelling these little buggers than eliminating them. It’s not quite as effective as traditional mosquito and tick control solutions, but it’s pretty darn close — most people notice a reduction in yard pests between 65-80%. Also time-released, this application is recommended to be repeated every two weeks, instead of the traditional three.

It’s simple, really. If you want to keep your home and family safe from ticks, you must hire a reputable company, who will formulate complete protection.

What do tick eggs look like? Those are NOT tick eggs!

What do tick eggs look like?

Do you know how to spot imposter tick eggs?

this is not what tick eggs look like — These are NOT tick eggs!

Informing the public about tick-borne diseases and tick behavior has become much easier and faster thanks to the popularity of social media. With the easy sharing of multiple media types, more people know the symptoms of Lyme Disease and how to avoid tick bites. However, on occasion, a misinformed social media post can spread like wildfire. As spring arrived, I noticed a picture in my news feed that showed what was dubbed “tick eggs” laying on the forest floor. Most of the posts advised readers to burn the tick eggs if they should stumble upon them.

Not All Social Media Posts Are True

this is what tick eggs look like — These ARE tick eggs!

The problem is that the image shown does not show tick eggs. First of all, tick eggs are much smaller. They also are not typically the color shown in the image above. See the images to the right. Thanks to Tick Encounter Resource Center, you can see deer tick eggs and wood tick eggs are tiny and tan/brown/orangeish. There are no known tick species that lay eggs as shown above.

Central Massachusetts Tick Eggs

You could potentially stumble upon tick eggs in the forests of Central Mass. The adult female tick will take its last blood meal to gain nutrients needed to lay 1500-2000 tick eggs before dying. These eggs will remain in leaf litter until hatching into tick larvae where they will attach themselves onto small rodents or some bird species. Larvae will get their first blood meal from the rodent, allowing them to molt from larvae to nymph form. This first blood meal is many times when a tick becomes infected with a pathogen (such as Borrelia burgdorferi which causes Lyme disease) that can allow them to spread tick-borne diseases to their next host. While I agree with destroying tick eggs, I want to make sure you know what tick eggs look like.

Also read: How do ticks mate?

Dave Macchia Mosquito Squad square 2 — Dave Macchia, Tick Control Enthusiast