Andover MA Tick Control & Lyme Disease Prevention

Here in New England, the word “tick” is practically synonymous with Lyme disease.

It’s so bad here that it was officially declared an epidemic in Massachusetts in 2015. And while everybody wants to be No. 1 at something, Andover leading the region in Lyme disease cases isn’t exactly anything anybody wants to brag about around here.

Andover MA tick control

But ticks are more than just Lyme disease carriers, though that’s the most well-known tick-borne illness in these parts. There are actually much more serious things one can catch from infected ticks, such as the rare Powassan virus, which is indeed present in our state. Then there’s Babesiosis, which is dangerous to both humans and dogs. You can even get paralysis from a tick bite. The list goes on. The gist, though, is that ticks are nothing to mess around with.

The Massachusetts Health Department has some general information about ticks and tick-borne illnesses and how to check yourself for ticks which is good information to have, but wouldn’t you rather avoid these little suckers all together?

More information > How to make a tick kit

Knowing there are so many dangerous tick-borne diseases out there can be enough to make one not want to go outside at all. But nobody should live like a hermit because of this. While I always encourage tick safety precautions, there’s definitely a way to enjoy the outdoors without becoming a total shut-in, and that is with professional tick control.

tick control Andover MA

As it turns out, time-released traditional barrier sprays that are specially developed to eliminate mosquitoes by 90% also work to eliminate up to up to 95% of adult ticks and fleas on contact. But reputable tick control experts take it to another level when it comes to ticks, because the safety of you and your loved ones is top priority.

Step One in Andover MA Tick Control

Your Andover MA tick control professional will begin with the same tick control methods as a mosquito barrier treatment — they will treat your entire property from the perimeter inward, covering all surfaces including decks (including the underside of them), rocks, landscaping, wood piles, garden gnomes, and foliage (avoiding flowers, of course). Givinge extra special attention to the areas where ticks like to hang out, such as tall grassy areas, where they’re usually breeding, resting, and well . . . waiting for dinner. It’s their job to make sure you’re not on the menu.

Andover Mass tick control

A tick control barrier spray is time released, which means it eliminates ticks, mosquitoes, and other biting insects on contact and keeps on working for three weeks, because it sticks to whatever it’s sprayed onto. That way, it prevents mosquito and tick eggs from hatching and further populating your yard, while also acting as a “force field” that eliminates any new bugs that encounter it.

But Andover Mass tick control doesn’t stop there.

Andover MA Tick Control: Step Two

Lyme Disease Andover MA While it’s true that not all ticks are carriers of scary diseases, the only way to know which ones are and aren’t carriers is after you’re bitten, and then you wait to see if you get any symptoms. Why take that gamble at all? That’s why tick control professionals prefer to err on the safe side and use a proactive approach in the tactic of tick tubes, which are small, biodegradable tubes stuffed with a treated cotton that are strategically placed around you yard. Mice and other small animals love this stuff and bring it back to their nests/burrows to make them nice and cozy. When a tick decides to make a meal out of one of these small animals, it is eliminated shortly afterward. It’s with this strategy that you can go “straight to the source” and get rid of these little monsters before they come anywhere near you, your family, or pets. By using this two-step Andover MA tick control strategy, your’re able to eliminate the tick population in your yard by up to 90%.

If You’re More Into The “Greener” Way of Life

natural tick control Andover MA Professional tick protection products are EPA registered, but I understand there are some people who want to be as eco-friendly as possible. Not a problem. Reputable tick control companies have specially developed an all-natural tick control solutions with essential oils. While it’s more of a repellent than an eliminator, an all-natural formula is still highly effective — most folks notice a reduction in mosquitoes, ticks, and other yard pests by up to 80% using this method. Also time released, I highly recommend reapplication every two weeks instead of the three that our traditional barrier spray would need.

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

Simply, the best tick-borne disease prevention for your family in Andover, Mass, is with professional, year-round tick control efforts.

Take Sudbury MA Tick Control to the Next Level

Ticks. Just the word can make a person shudder. Especially here in New England, where Lyme disease is more prevalent than anywhere else in the country. In fact, between 2000-2015, Middlesex County had 8,366 confirmed cases of Lyme. It got so bad that in 2015, Lyme disease was officially declared an epidemic in Massachusetts.

Sudbury MA tick control Unfortunately, there are many other scary tick-borne illnesses that we need to watch out for, including Babesiosis of which Midldlesex County was declared a hot spot, and the rare, but fatal Powassan virus, which has been rising in our area.

So what’s a person to do? Nobody wants to see themselves or their loved ones get sick from a tick. The East Middlesex Mosquito Control Project has a bunch of educational material about ticks and the diseases they carry, but who’s going to sit and read through all of that? And if you’re already infected, that information doesn’t do you much good. The bottom line is, while many tick-borne illnesses are curable, the best protection is to avoid them altogether and stop ticks before they get comfortable in your yard and exposed to your family.

That’s where professional Sudbury MA tick control comes in.

Sudbury tick control Not only does professional barrier tick protection help eliminate up to 90% of mosquitoes with a specially formulated barrier treatment, it so happens that the same micro encapsulated solution eliminates up to 90% of adult ticks and fleas on contact, too. It’s pretty powerful stuff, but when it comes to Sudbury MA tick control, and you can go one step further to protect you and your loved ones from these little monsters.

The First Step in Sudbury Tick Control

tick control Sudbury MA Following the barrier treatment process used for mosquito control, your tick control professional will distribute a special bug-eliminating formula to treat surfaces in your yard that include shrubbery, foliage (avoiding flowers), around and underneath decks and patios, and especially tall grass. Special attention is given to the tall grass areas on your property for Sudbury tick control since this is typically where you can find them breeding, resting and waiting for their next blood meal. It’s a top priority to make sure it isn’t you!

Since a professional barrier treatment formula is time released, it eliminates ticks, mosquitoes, and other creepy-crawlies for three weeks before needing reapplication. This way it also prevents future ticks by stopping their eggs from hatching, which puts a halt to the population cycle.

The Sudbury Tick Control “Bonus Round”

Lyme disease Sudbury This is what I call our “going straight to the source” strategy. Babesiosis, Lyme disease, and other tick-borne illnesses are transmitted by deer ticks and others, and no, not all ticks are carriers. But you don’t really know if you’ve been bitten by an infected tick until it happens and you become ill. Is that a gamble anyone really wants to take?

Enter tick tubes. These are small, biodegrade tubes stuffed with a treated cotton that are strategically placed around your property for mice and other small animals to find and bring back to cozy up their nests and burrows. They love this stuff. When a tick bites one of these animals, it’s eliminated shortly afterwards. This extra, proactive step reputable tick control professionals take helps eliminate the tick population in your yard by up to 90%. By going “straight to the source,” this tactic of Sudbury tick control makes sure they’re gone before they come anywhere near people or pets.

Looking for an All-Natural Tick Control Option?

Sudbury natural tick control While professional tick control products are EPA registered, I know that some people prefer to be as eco-conscious and “green” as possible. That’s why tick control companies have developed special, all-natural barrier treatment formulas, based on essential oils. It acts more like a repellant than an eliminator, basically “chasing” these little buggers out of your yard. Also a time-released formula, I recommend re-treating with an all-natural solution ever two weeks. How effective is it? Pretty darn good. Most customers notice a reduction in yard pests anywhere between 65-80%

No matter if you decide on the ultimate professional barrier tick protection, or an all-natural solution, expert protection is always recommended for your Sudbury MA home and family. Don’t gamble on your family’s health. Choose year-round tick control in Sudbury!

Is gene editing the answer to Lyme disease prevention?

For the last couple of years, MIT evolutionary biologist, Kevin Esvelt, has been in discussions with residents and health officials of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, about the release of transgenic mice to fight Lyme disease.

His research and ideas are part of a new Netflix docu-series, Unnatural Selection. CRISPR is the name of the technology, which allows us to cut and paste DNA into any living thing – plant, animal, human – to change, or arguably improve the DNA of the recipient. CRISPR could be the answer to congenital disease eradication. Alzheimer’s and Cystic Fibrosis could become diseases of the past. But at what cost? Truth is, we don’t know. What does CRISPR mean for Lyme disease prevention?

Is gene editing the answer to Lyme prevention?

Esvelt presents a strong case when it comes to the idea of using CRISPR technology to prevent Lyme disease. It all begins with the white-footed mouse, conveyor of Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. When a tick feeds on the blood of white-footed mice, it contracts the bacteria. This bacteria is then transmitted to humans, who are bitten by an infected tick. About 50% of the residents of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket report having acute Lyme infection at least once in their lives. Currently, tick control is the only preventive measure we can take against Lyme disease.

white footed mouse

What will happen if we genetically edit the DNA of the white-footed mouse to prevent Lyme disease?

what will an engineered ecosystem look like? While all of this sounds like a wild science-fiction movie, it is real life. The idea is simpler than the science behind it, so I will explain the anticipated outcome of gene-edited mice. Esvelt says that they intend to edit the DNA of 2,000 mice, or less, and release them into the wild. The white-footed mouse already produces natural antibodies for the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. Because of these antibodies, not all mice are infected with the Lyme-causing bacteria. The idea is to edit the DNA of white-footed mice, so they naturally produce higher levels of the natural bacteria-fighting antibodies. These transgenic mice will reproduce new generations, who naturally have higher antibodies against the bacteria. When they are bitten by ticks, they will have no Lyme bacteria to pass on to the tick – essentially breaking the cycle of the spread of Lyme disease. The problems is, we are unsure of what an engineered ecosystem will look like. That will not be known until highly-controlled field trials are carried out – long before they can be released into the human population of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.

Deer ticks are the main culprits in the spread of Lyme disease. Why not edit the DNA of deer?

For that matter, why not edit the DNA of ticks? The white-footed mouse is the prime candidate for gene editing to prevent Lyme for a couple of reasons. There is a massive population of deer on Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. One deer can have up to 1,000 ticks feeding at once. Deer are not carriers of the Lyme bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi. They cannot spread Lyme disease.

gene editing to prevent Lyme disease

Ticks are not viable candidates, because they have a two-year life cycle, and do not become reproductive quickly. Mice can begin reproducing at the age of 8 to 10 weeks, making them the only viable candidate for gene editing to stop the spread of Lyme. Will these proposed measures come to be?

We are likely a couple of years away from field trials and the eventual release of DNA-edited mice – if the proposal is approved by residents and health officials. Until then, it is important that you practice personal tick protection when you are away from home. As always, I recommend professional tick control around your home – all year long.