Monster Hyalomma tick spotted in the Netherlands

Central Mass ticks and tick-borne illnesses are a hot topic. Between dog ticks, black-legged ticks, and deer ticks, we have enough to worry about with regard to tick-borne diseases. This monster tick will make you glad that you live in Central MA!

The Hyalomma tick is said to have originated in Iran or the southern part of the former Soviet Union, and it’s making its way throughout parts of Europe, which have not before seen it. Two Hylomma ticks have recently been identified in the Netherlands. I call it a monster tick for a few reasons.

montster tick — *Can you imagine a monster lurking in the Central MA woods?*

Reason #1 the Hyalomma tick is a monster

The size of the Hyalomma tick is literally monster-size! This thirsty blood-sucker is about twice the size of more common ticks in the Netherlands – measuring 1/5″ until it feeds, at which time it measures over 1/2″. We have discussed some nymph ticks that are native to our area, which are about the size of a poppy seed. Can you imagine encountering this big guy?

Hyalomma tick vs sheep tick size — *Take a look at the size difference in a Hyalomma tick versus the sheep tick.*

The second reason I call this tick a monster

Since the Hyalomma tick is native to regions with harsh-desert environmental conditions with few hosts available on which to feed, it has adapted in a truly unusual way. This monster tick will literally chase its host to get its blood meal!

Found in woodlands, dunes, gardens, and meadows, Hyalomma ticks sense body heat, vibrations, or scents of hosts when nearby, and run towards the host to feed on their blood. It is said that they will stalk their hosts for up to 10 minutes, and travel hundreds of feet.

The third reason these ticks are monsters

As with our Central MA native ticks, the Hyalomma tick is a disease carrier and spreader. Most commonly, they spread spotted fever to humans and Equine Piroplasmosis (EP) to horses. Though, they have tested negative for Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, common to agricultural workers in eastern Eurpoe, the Mediterranean, parts of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

Protect your family from Central Mass ticks and the diseases they carry with effective tick control measures

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

While we have not yet be invaded by the monster Hyalomma tick, the ticks that are commonly found here in Central Mass are still monstrous in their own rights. They threaten the health of our families with nasty tick-borne illnesses, such as Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and Babesiosis. As always, your best bet at protection is with total professional Central Mass tick control.

Imagine if doctors in Central Mass denied Lyme disease treatment

For years, a debate has been in the forefront of the Australian medical community. Do they have ticks that cause Lyme disease? Are they continuing misdiagnose or refusing to diagnose and treat Lyme disease for those infected in Australia?

Many physicians and those in the medical community in Australia are still acting under the notion that residents cannot contract Lyme disease from domestic species of ticks. Those, who believe it impossible, believe that there are no domestic instances of Lyme disease – that anyone in Australia with Lyme or “Lyme-like” disease, contracted it from a tick bite received outside of Australia. If you ask me, these folks have blinders on, and their citizens are suffering for their beliefs. This story broke to worldwide attention in 2017.

“Perth-based doctor Hugh Derham diagnosed Ms Bool with Lyme disease after sending her blood tests to Australian…

Meanwhile, Rebecca Bool’s health continued to plummet.

Perth resident, Rebecca Bool, suffered a tick bite while vacationing in Kalbarri over the Christmas holiday in 2014. Even though this tick bite produced an immediate bullseye rash, soreness, and loss of bladder control, the doctors she sought medical attention from, dismissed her symptoms as a simple viral infection, and sent her on her way. Lyme was not a consideration.

Lyme disease bullseye rash — Rebecca Bool immediately presented a bullseye rash after her tick bite – doctors did not investigate

Ms. Bool was so sick and distraught after being dismissed as “not sick” or “mentally ill” that she attempted suicide three months after being bitten by a tick. I wish that Lyme disease didn’t exist in Central Mass, but I am glad that there are effective treatments and ongoing research for those infected!

In 2018, The Lyme Disease Association of Australia began a pilot Lyme study, much to the relief of patients like Rebecca Bool.

Thousands of undiagnosed Lyme disease sufferers in Australia are breathing a collective sigh of relief now that steps have been put into motion to begin properly diagnosing and treating Lyme. This effort will save lives, and give those, who have had little hope for their future, a more positive outlook.

Lyme disease study

Essential tick control in Central Mass

As Central Mass residents, we must all be mindful of effective tick control for our homes and families. Even though we have effective Lyme treatments, it’s much better to offer proper tick protection to our families that to treat this horrible disease. Prevention is key!

Did the U.S. government use ticks as biological weapons?

On July 12, DC lawmakers passed the fiscal 2020 defense authorization bill, which contained an amendment that would require the Department of Defense inspector general to investigate and report whether ticks, mice, and mosquitoes were weaponized with diseases to be used in biological warfare from the 1950’s to the 1970’s.

Lyme disease as biological warfare

There will be an estimated 300,000 to 400,000 confirmed new reports of Lyme disease cases this year. Could our own government have played a part in the mutation and spread of Lyme disease? How can this be possible? Did scientists for the Department of Defense weaponize insects and animals, and were they purposefully or accidentally released into the American population?

Research, development, and possible deployment methodology in the towns of Frederick MD and Southold NY are in question.

Did this happen, and to what extent? Fort Detrick in Maryland housed a laboratory, whose focus was weaponizing insects, such as ticks and mosquitoes, to be used as biological weapons against U.S. enemies. Plum Island, the federally-funded animal disease research facility, is also implicated in the potential development of diseases and animals to be used in biological warfare.

Did the U.S. government weaponize diseased rats and mice?

In 1990, it was said that Fort Detrick had been accused in 1952, of infecting rats and insects, and releasing them in North Korea during the Korean war. At that time, it has since been reported that Fort Detrick labs had the capabilities to breed 130 million Yellow Fever mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti) per month, and inject them with the disease. It is said that these diseased mosquitoes were proposed to be delivered across enemy lines via warheads.

Are Lyme infected ticks biological weapons? — Research into biological warfare could still be used to help protect our soldiers.

In 1969, President Nixon ended biological warfare research, but research in how to protect American soldiers against it could have continued.

Why do we need to know if ticks were used as biological weapons so long ago?

Understanding how Lyme disease might have been developed or mutated to further or more quickly pass to humans could hold the clues to tempering the spread of the disease. To truly grasp the disease we have today, we must understand its evolution. Congressional budget approval could make or break new research into Lyme and developments in how to lessen or eradicate spread of Lyme.

Protect your Central Mass family from the threat of Lyme disease.

Mosquito and tick-borne diseases are a true threat to our families. I always recommending protecting your home and family with Central Mass tick protection and mosquito control. Hire a reputable tick control company to allay your chances of a negative tick encounter, resulting in Lyme disease or other illnesses.

Deer tick fully attaches to man’s eyeball!

Wow! Can ticks really do that?

Just when I thought that I had seen it all when it comes to ticks, I come across a post like this one. Though, Healthline.com states that ticks commonly attach and embed themselves on the groin, behind the knee, under the arm, inside the ear or bellybutton, or in the hair, it looks like this gentleman stumbled upon new tick frontiers when one attached and embedded itself to his eyeball.

Outdoor workers are very susceptible to tick invasions.

small ticks — Small nymph ticks are hard to identify with the naked eye!

Even this vigilant serviceman in Paintsville Lake, Kentucky, who practices proper tick protection while at work, was the perfect tick target! This tiny tick, purported to be no larger than the tip of a writing pen, made its mischievous way right into his eye. He, of course, noticed that something was in his eye. After repeated attempts to rinse out what he thought was some sort of debris, the barely-visible speck was not budging and so painful that he had to seek medical attention. The photos we see in the post are from the eye doctor. Even magnified, this poppy seed-sized tick is difficult to identify!

What can outdoor workers do for personal tick protection?

It is always recommended that those, who work outdoors, practice personal tick safety. Using a repellent, such as DEET or permethrin on your clothing. Wear long sleeves – the less exposed skin, the better! Keep long hair pulled back, and be sure to check for ticks throughout the day, which might be hiding on your body. Per this recent tick eyeball invasion, safety glasses are a great idea whenever possible, even if not required for outdoor workers!

What if you bring home a tick anyway? Read about Central Mass tick removal and testing.

As always, I urge all Central Mass residents to take advantage of professional tick control and protection for their home. Keep your family and pets safe from the threat of ticks by eliminating up to 95% of ticks on your property with an EPA-registered tick control spray.

This is is not science fiction: ravenous, self-cloning tick invading the US

This might sound like a sci-fi summer movie, but it’s real life for US residents now. The Asian longhorned tick is feeding on America’s wildlife and livestock – and it’s the scariest tick you ever heard of!

Warmer wintertime temperatures are allowing ticks to live longer in the United States, and that includes accidentally-imported ticks, such as the Asian self-cloning tick that I have been reading about.

Reputable tick control companies are now offering tick tube programs, which effectively eliminate ticks by-proxy through nesting efforts of mice in the “off season.” Mice will create their nests with cotton that has been treated to kill ticks. The cotton does not hurt the mice, but when a tick bites one of the mice, who have nested with this treated cotton, it receives a lethal dose of the tick control treatment. These extra measures are becoming commonplace measures in the Central Mass fight against these blood-sucking invaders, including the Asian longhorned tick that has us more worried than ever about effective tick protection.

What’s so scary about the Asian longhorned tick?

Not only does this thirsty tick having cloning abilities – females can reproduce without a male – but these tick clone armies are killing livestock by blood loss! A recent report of young bull in Surry County, NC, who was covered with one thousand longhorned ticks, was drained of his blood supply, causing acute anemia (usually associated with hemorrhaging). If this doesn’t scare you, I don’t know what will!

longhorned ticks

This deadly, self-cloning tick was first reported in the United States in 2017, and has since been identified in at least 10 US states, including: North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland, and Arkansas. It’s likely already in other states too, including Massachusetts, but just has not yet been reported and identified!

Asian longhorned ticks

Longhorned ticks also spread diseases!

Though their cloning abilities and blood-sucking capabilities are the scariest bits about this hungry Asian import, the longhorned tick is known to spread tick-borne illnesses, such as Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted fever.

The good news is that these thirsty tick-clone armies are eliminated with the same Central Mass tick control treatments used to kill other ticks! I recommend protecting your home and family year-round with professional tick protection measures, including a tick control program! An effective tick control spray can be applied to your property, eliminating ticks on contact, and continuing to work for up to three weeks – killing up to 95% of the ticks in and around your property.

These Lyme disease symptoms might surprise you!

Most Central Mass residents are familiar with common Lyme symptoms to watch for, such as the bullseye rash that follows a tick bite. These Lyme disease symptoms might surprise you!

headaches are a symptom of Lyme disease Lyme disease has only been recognized as an illness since 1975, and over the last four decades, many a breakthrough has been made in treating Lyme. Fact is, if symptoms are caught early, and a diagnosis is made, you have a great chance of ridding yourself of long-lasting effects. Unexpected Lyme disease symptoms can be headaches, sensitivity to light and sound, slurred speech, numbness in extremities, and even heart palpitations! Here are some other symptoms of Lyme that you might not have expected.

Sleeplessness can be a Central Mass Lyme disease symptom
Are you usually a restful sleeper, but have recently found it difficult to fall asleep? Believe it or not, sudden sleepless nights could be an early-stage Lyme symptom. Due to the prevalence of ticks and tick-borne illnesses in Central Mass, if you are experiencing sudden sleeplessness, your doctor will want to test you for Lyme disease.

sleeplessness is a Lyme symptom — *If you are suffering from sudden and prolonged sleeplessness, see your doctor.*

Chills can be a symptom of Lyme disease
It’s 85 degrees outside, but you cannot seem to get warm. Most of us have experienced fever and chills, most times attributed to common illnesses, such as flu, but uncontrollable chilling can be a Lyme symptom. If you find yourself switching off the air conditioning, and wrapping yourself in blankets, see your doctor to be on the safe side.

Dizziness can be a Lyme disease symptom
All of a sudden feeling like you’ve just gotten off a carnival ride, even though you haven’t? Dizziness is a tricky symptom, because it can be caused by other less urgent issues. Maybe you feel light-headed if you skip breakfast, or if you stand up too quickly. That’s why dizziness is commonly missed as a Lyme symptom – because we chalk it up to something else. If you’re fighting dizziness, see your doctor.

dizziness is a symptom of Lyme disease — *If you are suffering from unexplained dizziness, see your doctor.*

Fatigue can be a symptom of Lyme disease
Are you a great sleeper, who gets the prescribed uninterrupted seven to nine hours of sleep per night, but still cannot seem to fight extreme fatigue? Lyme disease can creep upon us under the guise of not getting proper rest, resulting in fatigue that interrupts your daily life. If you are feeling extreme, unexplained fatigue, your doctor might want to test you for Lyme disease.

fatigue is a Lyme disease symptom — *Feeling unusually fatigued? See your doctor.*

Central Mass tick control is essential to the prevention of the spread Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses. I always recommend enlisting a professional Central Mass tick control company to ensure your family’s good health. Remember to see a doctor if you are having any of these commonly missed Lyme disease symptoms. It is always better to be safe than sorry.

Lyme disease: scientific breakthrough lays groundwork for new Lyme treatment

Lyme disease treatment — *Treatment of persistent Lyme disease symptoms is a lifelong battle for some.*

There are 30,000 new reports of Lyme disease to the CDC each year in the United States, but that does not account for the annual estimated occurrences of Lyme. One CDC report estimates 329,000 Lyme disease diagnoses per year in a five-year span!

The higher incidence of Lyme is both due to higher tick populations, as well as improvements in diagnosis. But what happens after diagnosis? Do patients receive treatment, and go back to life as usual? Well, some do. Others, regrettably suffer from persistent Lyme disease symptoms, one of the most common is Lyme arthritis. Sufferers of Lyme arthritis endure a lifetime of joint inflammation and life-altering pain.

Lyme arthritis shows the presence of a particular cellular component of Lyme bacteria, called peptidoglycan.

Persistent Lyme arthritis is a lifelong battle for many, with life-altering pain. Some patients, who have tried all available medical treatments seek out holistic methods of pain relief, spending thousands of dollars out-of-pocket each year.

Thanks to Virginia Tech biochemist, Brandon Jutras, there is hope in treatment or even a cure for Lyme arthritis on the scientific horizon! Jutras has found that during the multiplication of Lyme-causing bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi, it sheds a cellular component, peptidoglycan. Peptidoglycan exists in synovial fluid of Lyme arthritis sufferers, causing inflammation.

“We can actually detect peptidoglycan in the synovial fluid of the affected, inflamed joints of patients that have all the symptoms of Lyme arthritis but no longer have an obvious, active infection,” Jutras said.
Medical Xpress

The next phase of treatment of Lyme arthritis will be to find ways to destroy or eliminate the body’s response to peptidoglycan that comes from Borrelia burgdorferi, effectively eliminating Lyme symptoms!

While these scientific breakthroughs are spreading hope throughout the population of those, who suffer with persistent Lyme disease, there is but one sure method of Central Mass Lyme disease protection, and that is by prevention.

Tick control methods are available, and should be a top priority for Central Mass residents, to prevent ticks from invading their yards and homes. A barrier spray will eliminate ticks on contact, and an additional comprehensive tick tube treatment will further prevent ticks by eliminating them when they take their first blood meal from mice. Call a professional tick control company to protect your home and family!

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!

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!

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.