Where are ticks most likely to live?

Where Ticks Might Be Hiding on Your Property

Ticks are small parasites that can transmit diseases to humans and pets. These pests are commonly found in outdoor spaces, especially in wooded or grassy areas. If you live in an area, where ticks are prevalent, it’s important to be aware of potential tick habitats to minimize the risk of bites. So, where are ticks most likely to live around your home?

Tall grass and brush:
Ticks love to hide in tall grass and brush, as they wait for a host to pass by. If you have areas of your property with overgrown grass or brush, especially in shaded or moist areas, ticks are most likely to live there. These areas are high-risk zones for tick bites. To reduce the risk, keep your grass mowed short and trim back any overgrown brush or vegetation.
Wooded areas:
Ticks thrive in wooded areas, as they can easily climb onto low-hanging branches and latch onto passing hosts. If you have wooded areas on your property, be cautious when walking through them, especially during peak tick season. Wear protective clothing, such as long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and closed-toe shoes. You can additionally wear clothing that has been treated with repellent.
Leaf litter and debris:
Ticks can also hide in leaf litter and debris on your property. Fallen leaves, piles of wood, and other debris can provide an ideal environment for ticks to lie in wait for a host. Regularly clean up leaf litter, keep woodpiles elevated, and remove debris that may accumulate on your property.
Perimeter of your yard:
Ticks can also be found along the perimeter of your yard, especially if you live near wooded or grassy areas. They can crawl onto grass or shrubs near the edge of your property, waiting for an unsuspecting host. Keep the grass trimmed short along the edge of your property and create a barrier with gravel or cedar chips to help reduce the risk of ticks moving into your yard.
Gardens and flower beds:
Ticks can also hide in gardens and flower beds, especially in areas with dense vegetation. They can crawl up plants and wait for a host to brush against them. When working in your garden or flower beds, wear protective clothing and check for ticks on your body and clothing afterward.
Outdoor play areas:
If you have outdoor play areas for children or pets, be vigilant about checking these areas for ticks. Ticks can hide in the mulch, grass, or shrubs in these areas and pose a risk to your loved ones. Keep play areas clean and well-maintained, and regularly check for ticks on any equipment or toys. You can also have professional tick treatment applied to these areas for additional protection.
Animal resting areas:
Ticks can also be found in areas where animals rest or sleep, such as dog houses, kennels, or outdoor pens. They can easily crawl onto animals and hitch a ride into your home. Keep these areas clean, dry, and well-maintained. And regularly check your pets for ticks.

Gardner Tick Control is Essential

In conclusion, ticks can be found in various areas on your property outside, and it’s important to be aware of their hiding spots to reduce the risk of tick bites. Enlist professional tick control to reduce the number of ticks around your home. Regular yard maintenance can help minimize your tick bite risk. Wearing protective clothing and using tick repellent when spending time outdoors, especially in wooded or grassy areas, is also essential.

What attracts ticks to humans?

Understanding the Science of Tick Attraction: What Makes Ticks Target Humans?

As we venture into nature, enjoying outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, or simply spending time in our backyard, we may unknowingly encounter one of nature’s stealthiest pests – ticks. These blood-sucking arachnids are notorious for transmitting diseases, making it crucial to understand what attracts ticks to humans. Let’s delve into the science behind tick attraction to humans and uncover the factors that make us an irresistible target.

Body Heat and Odor Attract Ticks to Humans

Ticks are sensory creatures that use their keen sense of smell to locate hosts. They are attracted to the heat and odor that our bodies emit. Ticks are equipped with tiny organs called “Haller’s organs” that can detect heat and moisture in the air. When we exhale, we release carbon dioxide, which ticks can detect from a distance. Additionally, our skin produces various chemicals that can be attractive to ticks, such as lactic acid, ammonia, and fatty acids. These combined factors create a trail that ticks can follow to locate their next blood meal.

Movement and Vibrations Attract Ticks to Humans

Ticks are highly sensitive to movement and vibrations, which can signal the presence of a potential host. When we walk, run, or engage in other physical activities, we create vibrations that ticks can detect. Ticks are also known to be attracted to the edges of trails or paths where hosts are likely to pass by. Therefore, areas with increased human activity are more likely to have ticks.

Clothing and Color Attract Ticks to Humans

Ticks are known to crawl up on tall grasses, shrubs, or trees, and wait for a host to pass by. They are sensitive to visual cues and are known to be attracted to certain colors, such as white and light colors. Wearing light-colored clothing can make it easier for ticks to spot and latch onto us. Ticks can easily climb onto clothing that brushes against vegetation as we walk by. Taking precautions, such as wearing long sleeves and pants, and tucking in our clothes can help reduce the risk of ticks crawling onto our skin.

Blood Type Might Attract Ticks to Humans

Ticks might also be attracted to certain blood types. While research on this topic is still ongoing, some studies suggest that ticks may have a preference for certain blood types, such as type O. Blood type may affect the odor and chemicals we release through our skin, which could influence tick attraction. However, more research is needed to fully understand this factor.

Employ Professional Hingham Tick Control at Home – Protect Yourself Away From Home

Ticks are complex creatures that rely on their sensory organs to locate their hosts. A combination of factors such as body heat, odor, movement, clothing, personal hygiene, sweat, and possibly blood type can make humans attractive targets for ticks. Understanding these factors can help us take precautions and reduce the risk of tick bites. If spending time in tick-infested areas, it’s essential to use tick repellents, wear appropriate clothing, conduct thorough tick checks on ourselves and our pets, and promptly remove any ticks that may have attached to our skin. Consulting with a healthcare professional for further guidance on tick bite prevention and tick-borne diseases is also advisable.

How do I know if my dog has Lyme disease?

There are many signs that your dog has Lyme disease — and you need to respond to them accordingly.

Fever, loss of appetite, and swollen joints are common signs that your dog has Lyme disease. If you notice your dog has any of these issues or displays other signs of illness, consult with a veterinarian. When you do, your veterinarian can perform tests to determine if your pet is dealing with Lyme disease or another illness. If your vet finds your dog has Lyme disease, you can get help to treat this issue before it gets out of hand.

What are the long-term symptoms of Lyme disease in dogs?

Lyme disease that goes untreated can cause your dog to experience damage to their kidneys, nervous system, and heart. In some instances, dogs with Lyme disease experience facial paralysis and seizures. The disease can cause a dog’s heart rate to escalate. In the worst-case scenario, Lyme disease that goes unaddressed can be fatal.

How does a dog get Lyme disease?

Ticks transmit Lyme disease to dogs and other animals. For instance, a tick carrying the disease can climb onto a dog’s body at any time. The dog may have no idea the tick is on its body, and the tick will bite the dog and feed off its blood. Meanwhile, the tick can infect the dog with Lyme disease. The tick may remain on the dog for an extended period of time or find another host. Regardless, the dog can be infected with Lyme disease, which can cause it to experience long-term health problems.

Can cats get Lyme disease?

Research suggests cats may be able to get Lyme disease, but the disease has not been discovered in a cat to date. However, ticks can still climb onto the coat of a cat, get close to its skin, and feed off of it. They tend to bite cats on the neck, ears, feet, and head. Thus, if you have a cat, you should keep a close eye out for ticks on it. If you don’t, the tick may continue to feed off your cat long into the future.

What is the best tick control option for dogs?

Tick prevention products are available for dogs. These products are designed to keep ticks from getting on your dog or kill ticks. Some tick prevention products consist of medication that you give your pet monthly. Others are applied topically to your dog’s skin. Along with using tick prevention products, you can check your dog frequently for ticks. You can do so as soon as your dog comes indoors from a wooded area or any other space where ticks may be present. Look around your dog’s ears, face, and across the body and remove any ticks immediately.

How can I prevent ticks from reaching my dog at home?

A tick control company can offer tips and recommendations to help you keep ticks outside your home. The company’s technicians can assess your home and see if there are any areas where ticks can populate. Next, the technicians can apply a treatment to limit the tick population on your property. They can complete ongoing treatments to help you combat ticks moving forward.

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

Babesiosis is on the Rise, and Tick Control is More Essential Than Ever

Babesiosis can cause life-threatening symptoms in humans.

You can spend a long time outdoors. But, when you’re in an area with ticks, there’s the risk that you’ll come into contact with some that carry babesiosis. If one of these ticks bites you, you can get infected with babesiosis. At this point, you might not experience any symptoms right away. In the weeks and months to come, you can experience fatigue, nausea, and other symptoms. In the worst-case scenario, Babesiosis can put your life in danger.

Babesiosis

What tick passes babesiosis?

Blacklegged or deer ticks carry babesiosis. These ticks are commonly found in the Northeast portion of the United States. They are often in wooded areas and fields, along with secluded or rural areas. Deer ticks are very small — they reach the size of a poppy seed as adults. Regardless, a blacklegged tick can bite you and infect you with babesiosis at any time. If left unaddressed, your tick bite can cause long-lasting health issues.

Can pets be infected with babesiosis?

Along with people, pets can be infected with babesiosis. For example, a tick carrying babesiosis can climb onto a dog without the animal realizing it. From here, the tick can bite the dog and infect the animal with babesiosis. The tick can continue to feed on the animal for a long time. As it does, the dog may start to have a reduced appetite, show signs of fatigue and lethargy, and display other symptoms of illness. At this point, the pet owner should bring their dog to the veterinarian. Then, the vet can perform testing to determine if the animal is dealing with babesisos and treat it properly.

What is the best way to treat babesiosis?

If you are asymptomatic, you may not require treatment for babesisosis. On the other hand, if you display symptoms of babesisosis, go to a doctor. When you do, your doctor can evaluate your symptoms and determine if they are related to babesisosis. In many instances, a doctor will prescribe you will need to take over the course of seven to 10 days. Follow the doctor’s instructions to manage your babesisosis symptoms. If your symptoms worsen or you experience any health issues as you treat your babesisosis, notify your doctor immediately.

Are there tick control options to protect against babesiosis?

The best things you can do to guard against babesisos include avoiding areas where ticks are present and taking precautions during outdoor activities. For example, rather than walk or hike in a wooded area where you may encounter deer ticks, choose another spot where ticks are less likely to be present. Meanwhile, you can wear long-sleeved shirts and pants in any areas where you may find ticks. You can also check yourself regularly for ticks.

What are the tick control options for your home?

A tick control company can help you keep ticks away from your home. The company can send technicians to your home to find out where ticks populate. These technicians can perform a treatment to reduce the tick population. Finally, they can complete regular tick control treatments to help you manage the tick population at your home now and in the future.

Also read: What is a tick control tube?

Do Ticks Take Blood?

Ticks need blood to survive and feed from a wide range of hosts.

Your blood is valuable, especially to ticks. Once a tick hatches from its egg, it needs a blood meal at every stage of its life. Without this meal, a tick cannot survive. Ticks feed from mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles. They frequently look for blood hosts and are willing to do whatever they can to feed from them. With the right planning, you can guard against ticks and prevent them from biting you and taking your blood.

Tick Blood

What the Life Cycle of Ticks Looks Like

The life cycle of ticks includes four stages: egg, larva, nymph, and adult. This cycle lasts about two years. The one constant during each of these stages: ticks need blood. In order to move from one life stage to the next, a tick must find blood hosts. If a tick is successful, it’ll be able to reach adulthood. At this point, it can help foster a new generation of ticks before it reaches the end of its life.

How Ticks Identify Hosts

A tick can detect a potential host through its breath, body odor, moisture, and other factors. Oftentimes, a tick will find a well-used path as it looks for prospective hosts. For example, a tick may wait on the tip of a piece of grass or shrub. It’ll hold its front legs outstretched, while its third and fourth pair of legs remain attached to the grass or shrub. If a human being, animal, or any other potential host brushes the grass or shrub, the tick climbs aboard. From here, the tick can bite the host and get blood from it, without the host likely realizing it is doing so.

Will You See Blood If You Squish a Tick?

If you squish a tick, be prepared for a splatter of blood. It’s common for an engorged tick to be filled with infected blood. Thus, when you squish the tick, it will pop. When this happens, blood can splatter, and you may get blood on your hands.

How to Remove a Tick Without Having to Deal with a Splatter of Tick Blood

Using tweezers is the best option if you have a tick on your skin and want to remove it without a splatter. Pinch the tweezers to grasp the tick from your skin. Next, pull upward with steady pressure. The tick may have a strong grasp on your skin. Regardless, if you pull consistently, you can remove the tick.

Tick Control Tips You Need to Know

Expect ticks if you’re going outdoors in brushy, grassy, or wooded areas. Apply an insect repellent on your skin, clothing, and footwear when you visit these areas. This helps you keep ticks off of you. Also, check for ticks and shower within two hours of going to areas where ticks may be present. Of course, if you’re dealing with ticks at home, you may need extra help. In this instance, you can partner with a tick control company.

Don’t Wait to Get a Tick Control Treatment

A tick control company can apply a treatment across your property. This treatment helps you limit the tick population. You can receive regular tick management treatments. As you do, you can keep the tick population at bay long into the future.

Also read: Can a Tick Bite You in the Winter?

Is the Asian Longhorned Tick in Massachusetts?

The Asian longhorned tick has made its way to Massachusetts — here’s what you need to know.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Asian longhorned tick has been reported in Massachusetts and several other U.S. states as of August 22, 2022. If you encounter a longhorned tick, there’s no need to panic. There are many things you can do to protect against this type of tick. And, there are several ways to prevent the Asian longhorned tick from becoming a long-term problem.

What is the Asian Longhorned Tick?

The Asian longhorned tick was first reported in the United States in 2017. Since that time, it’s been found on people, pets, and livestock. The female Asian longhorned tick is capable of producing up to 2,000 eggs without mating. In some instances, thousands of Asian longhorned ticks can be found on an animal or in grass and shrubs. Research suggests the Asian longhorned tick is less attracted to human skin than other potential targets. Regardless, the tick can bite you.

The Life Cycle of an Asian Longhorned Tick

An Asian longhorned tick has a life cycle that lasts about two years. The tick goes from egg to larva to nymph to adult. It needs blood to grow and survive. At each life stage, the tick finds a new host for blood.

What an Asian Longhorned Tick Looks Like

It can be difficult to distinguish an Asian longhorned tick from other types of ticks. The Asian longhorned tick is light brown in color. It is typically the size of the head of a pin as a larvae. The tick eventually grows into a nymph, which is roughly the size of a poppy seed. As an adult, an engorged Asian longhorned tick can reach the size of a pea.

What Diseases Do Asian Longhorned Ticks Carry?

Asian longhorned ticks carry bovine theileriosis and babesiosis, both of which can impact a variety of animal species. Scientists continue to study the Asian longhorned tick and learn about other diseases it may carry. They are also monitoring the spread of diseases by the Asian longhorned tick.

What to Do If You Get Bitten by an Asian Longhorned Tick

If you see an Asian longhorned tick on your skin, remove the tick immediately. Whenever possible, place the tick in rubbing alcohol in a jar or Ziploc bag. Then, contact your local health department or veterinarian to report the tick.

Hubbardston Tick Control Tips You Need to Know

A proactive approach to Hubbardston tick control is key. For those who are planning to visit wooded areas, beware the Asian longhorned tick. You can wear long-sleeve shirts and pants and apply insect repellent before you visit these areas. Also, it helps to explore tick control solutions for your property. That way, you can combat the Asian longhorned tick and other types of ticks moving forward.

Move Forward with Tick Control in Hubbardston

For the best Hubbardston tick control, look for professional help. You can work with a Hubbardston tick control company that helps you fight off the Asian longhorned tick and many other types of ticks. The company’s friendly, knowledgeable tick control professionals are happy to help you at any time.

Also read: Can Ticks Live in Your House?

Do Tick Bites Hurt?

Don’t expect severe pain from a tick bite, but you should treat your bite properly.

A tick bite may seem like the end of the world at first. Yet, tick bites are often painless. And, in many instances, a tick bite may only cause minor symptoms like a slight change in skin color or a sore on the skin. However, you need to be careful if you suffer a tick bite. Otherwise, you could risk long-lasting health issues.

Charlestown Tick Control

What Diseases are Transmitted by Ticks?

Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever are two of the most common diseases transmitted by ticks. These diseases and others spread by ticks can result in a fever, chills, aches, body pain, and a rash. The symptoms of the diseases may develop within a few weeks of tick bite.

How to Care for a Tick Bite

As soon as you see a tick on your skin, remove the tick. You can use tweezers to grasp the tick and pull it off your skin. Also, wash your hands and clean the site of your bite after you remove the tick from your skin. When you do, wash your hands and clean the bite site with soap. If possible, take a picture of the tick as well. In the event that you need to go to a doctor, you can share the photo.

When to Go to a Doctor for a Tick Bite

If you experience a severe headache, difficulty breathing, paralysis, or heart palpitations following a tick bite, call 911. This allows you to receive emergency care and support. In addition, you should reach out to a doctor if you experience flu-like symptoms in the weeks after your tick bite. When in doubt, it is best to be cautious. By meeting with a doctor, you can find out if any symptoms you’re experiencing are related to a tick bite. Most importantly, you can receive proper treatment for any medical issues.

How Do I Know If My Tick Bite Is a Possible Infection?

It is common for a tick-borne infection to cause a pink or red circular rash around the area of a bite. The rash won’t necessarily disappear on its own. If you suffer an infection from a tick bite, the symptoms can worsen over time. The symptoms can reach a point where it makes it difficult for you to function and enjoy living life to the fullest extent.

How to Protect Against Tick Bites

The clothing you wear can have far-flung effects on your ability to avoid ticks. You can wear long-sleeve clothing and pants to minimize your risk of ticks getting onto your skin. On top of that, you can apply insect repellent before you go into wooded areas or any other spots where ticks may be present. You can also hire a tick control company to help you keep ticks away from your Charlestown home.

Get Started with Charlestown Tick Control

When it comes to Charlestown tick control, be proactive. You can connect with a tick control company in Charlestown right away. Then, the company’s tick control professionals can assess your property and figure out the best way to help you keep ticks at bay.

Also read: How Fast Can a Tick Make You Sick?

Why Do We Have So Many Tick-Borne Illnesses in the Northeast?

Several factors contribute to the tick population increasing in the Northeast.

If you’re wondering why there are so many tick-borne illnesses reported in the Northeast, you’re not alone. Some research suggests the high volume of forests in the Northeast contribute to a high tick population. Meanwhile, research also indicates that land use and climate change are also impacting the tick population and tick-borne illnesses in the Northeast.

Merrimack Tick Control

Environmental Changes are Giving Ticks More Places to Live

Ticks need hosts they can use for blood. In the Northeast, ticks are prone to feed on white-tailed deer and white-footed mice, both of which tend to travel. These deer and mice travel short and long distances alike. As such, they have helped ticks expand their habitat range in the Northeast.

Mild Winters are Helping Ticks Thrive

Tick season is getting longer in the Northeast, according to some experts. Mild winters are helping ticks survive for longer periods of time than ever before. If ticks do not die out in winter, their populations will grow. Thus, ticks can cause serious problems for people in the Northeast year-round.

People Face Heavy Exposure to Ticks

Spring and summer are popular times to get outdoors and explore, particularly in wooded areas where ticks are present. Yet, many people continue to ignore the health risks associated with tick-borne illnesses. If people are not careful around ticks, they risk getting tick bites. When a tick bites a person, it can spread Lyme disease or other diseases that cause long-lasting health problems.

What Tick-Borne Illnesses Should We Be Worried About Besides Lyme Disease?

Anaplasmosis and babesiosis are two of the most common tick-borne illnesses outside of Lyme disease. With anaplasmosis, a person can experience a fever, headache, and other flu-like symptoms. In severe cases, a person may need to be hospitalized due to a weakened immune system. Like anaplasmosis, babesisosis can weaken a person’s immune system. It can also be especially harmful to people who do not have a spleen.

How to Guard Against Tick-Borne Illnesses in the Northeast

Education can play a key role in your ability to protect against tick-borne illnesses. If you know the dangers associated with tick bites, you can remain diligent in areas where ticks may be present. These areas include bushy, grassy, or wooded areas where ticks tend to hide. Also, you can protect your skin by wearing long-sleeve shirts and pants in spaces where there may be ticks. You can apply insect repellent that helps keep ticks away from you, too.

What Merrimack Tick Control Options Are Available?

For the best Merrimack tick control, you can hire professionals. A tick control company has professionals on staff that can evaluate your property. From here, they can apply a tick control treatment that helps you reduce the tick population on your property by up to 90%. This treatment can deliver results that last up to three weeks.

Explore Merrimack Tick Control Options Today

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

If you want to avoid a tick-borne illness, it helps to invest in tick control for your Merrimack property. With a top-notch Merrimack tick control company at your side, you can limit the tick population on your property. On top of that, you can lower your risk of contracting a tick-borne illness.

Also read: Are Ticks Prevalent in New Hampshire?

What animals are responsible for the rise in Lyme disease?

Animal overpopulation of any type can have adverse effects on human existence.

The overabundance of black-legged ticks is one such detriment to human and animal life. But have you ever considered what animals cause more black-legged ticks? Perhaps that is not even the most important factor to consider.

What animals cause more Lyme disease infections?

What animal results in a larger number of Lyme-infected ticks?

I have spoken about this critter before. The quiet and unassuming character that is responsible for Lyme infected ticks is the white-footed mouse. Why is this mouse so integral in the spread of Lyme disease? They are natural carriers of the bacteria that cause Lyme infection. Not only that, but it is reported that up to 90% of them carry these bacteria. Their place in nature, on forest floors and woodland spaces, make them prime candidates for larval ticks to latch onto. Once that happens, larval ticks become nymphs, which are the biggest spreaders of Lyme infection to humans and their pets.

White footed mouse is responsible for increases in Lyme disease. — The white-footed mouse is responsible for increases in Lyme disease.

Do more of these mice result in an increase in Lyme disease cases? Unlike the overpopulation of deer, which can result in more ticks, but not necessarily more cases of Lyme disease, these mice can be directly responsible for an increase in cases.

Which other animals can be responsible for more Lyme cases?

Having too few, rather than too many, rodent predators can indirectly affect Lyme disease cases. Fewer foxes have resulted in more Lyme-infected mice running around your home or outdoor areas that you frequent. This decrease in small prey predators is directly affected by an increase in coyotes across the United States and Canada. The increase in these dastardly fox killers is a direct result of the elimination of larger game, such as bears and wolves.

Tick control is one answer to increases in Lyme disease.

While we do not all hold the power for decreasing or increasing the predators or prey required to decrease Lyme disease cases, we do have some power in the matter. By employing professional tick control methods, available throughout Central Massachusetts, we can help prevent the spread of Lyme infection. This is not to say that every tick eliminated through these efforts will be a carrier of Lyme bacteria, but the fewer ticks you encounter, the less likely you are to contract any tick-borne infection. The best part is, you can maintain this protection all throughout the year, and help interrupt the life cycle of droves of ticks that live around your home.

Also read: Is dear overpopulation responsible for more deer ticks?

Do opossums really eat lots of ticks?

Hold the phone, sound the alarm – this is a piece of contradictory news!

Do opossums really eat large quantities of ticks? Over the last 13 years, articles, blogs, and Social Media posts have been written and shared millions of times. These bits of information, including my own blogs, stated that one opossum could eat up to 5,000 ticks in one season. Notable sources, such as PBS, have reported on findings from a 2009 study, which suggested that opossums were insatiable tick eaters. But are they really?

Do opossums eat large quantities of ticks? — Are opossums tick-destroying machines, wrought by Mother Nature’s own hand?

A new study for a new age.

In 2021, researchers performed specific analyses of the contents of the stomachs of opossums, taken from their natural habitats. Black-legged ticks have been of particular interest, because they transmit Lyme disease, most often from the white-footed mouse, to humans. When the contents of their stomachs were viewed via dissecting microscope, zero tick body parts were identified. Zip. Zilch. Nada.

Does this mean that opossums don’t eat ticks at all?

Further studies must be performed on opossums in their natural habitats to determine whether they eat available ticks. However, the 2021 study certainly suggests that opossums do not prefer ticks over other food sources.

Where did the previous study go wrong?

The 2009 study to determine if opossums eat ticks ran afoul of logic in a couple of ways. First, the study was performed in a lab. Secondly, the conclusion that the studied opossums ate 90% of the 100 ticks in the lab with them was reached without examination of the opossums bodies or stomach contents. Over a four-day period, 100 ticks were placed in a laboratory with opossums. At the end of the study, the number of ticks that had fallen off the opossums were counted. The conclusion that they actually consumed the ticks was reached via assumption that any ticks not found had been eaten.

There is hope with tick control methods beyond Mother Nature’s own.

tick control tubes The circle of life, predator versus prey will always be. By Mother Nature’s providence, there are natural tick eaters. These include chickens, frogs, lizards, and other wildlife. Perhaps the opossum is in that category too, or maybe not. But one thing is for sure. There are effective tick control methods that you can employ to help your family avoid the threat of ticks. Professional, year-round tick control companies provide families peace of mind with barrier protection spray in the warm months, followed by tick tubes in the late autumn and winter.