Don’t allow ticks safe passage this Halloween.
You know how kids are. It’s always all about the candy. Especially at this time of year, with it getting darker increasingly earlier, these little ghosties and goblins may not be paying special attention to where they are walking on their quest for edible treats. So if you have ticks hiding out in the perimeter of your home, don’t give them a free ride courtesy of the kiddies. Stop them in their tracks with fall tick control.
Tick Activity Is Picking Up, Hopkinton Tick Control is a Must
Earlier this year, WBUR News reported that experts fear climate change could extend peak seasons for tick activity. Central Massachusetts generally experiences two peaks for tick activity, according to the Department of Public Health: from late March or early April through August, and then from October to November. And with October just days away, we need to remain vigilant.
Even worse, those peaks could get longer in the future as temperatures increase due to climate change. Ticks are the ultimate freeloaders, actively looking for food unless they are buried under snow or temperatures drop below freezing. Warmer days and less snow would mean that activity starts earlier in the spring, and extends deeper into the fall and winter.
Also read: Can you bring home a tick on your Christmas tree?
“If you extend peak tick season, you could end up with more cases of disease,” State Epidemiologist Dr. Catherine Brown said, even if the tick population remains the same. “We’ve actually already seen that happen a little bit with our mosquito population … which certainly creates more opportunity for more disease transmission.”
In Massachusetts, ticks are known to be carriers of several diseases, including Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and tularemia. Different tick species spread different diseases.
There are no population-wide mitigation efforts effective for ticks the way there are for mosquitos, according to Brown, so prevention comes down to individual action.
The Department of Public Health recommends using tick repellent when outside, checking your body for ticks after spending time outdoors, and staying within established paths while hiking.
Stay safe at home and away from home with personal tick protection measures, and professional Hopkinton tick control.