When It Comes To Ticks And Tick Bites, It’s What You Don’t Know That Can Hurt You — Badly
Lyme disease bacteria in Massachusetts estimated to impact 87,000 per year. In the United States, Lyme disease most commonly occurs in the Northeast, the mid-Atlantic regions and in the upper Midwest. In Massachusetts, Lyme disease occurs throughout the state. Experts estimate that 87,000 people per year in Massachusetts are infected with the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi which causes Lyme disease.
“Due to increasing urban and suburban sprawl, forests are being parceled into smaller pockets of vegetation”, said Northeastern University Distinguished Professor of Biology Kim Lewis, who directs Northeastern’s Antimicrobial Discovery Center.
Read: Does Lyme disease have a season?
Parks and backyards in the suburbs are now the perfect size to sustain mice, but not quite large enough to sustain foxes. That means mice can run rampant with no natural predators to keep their population at bay. And with mice, come ticks.
How To Put Mice To Work To Fight The Spread Of Lyme Disease
Putting those mice to work is no Cinderella story when it comes to fighting the horrors of Lyme disease. Using tick tubes, installed by your local tick control professional around your home – especially in higher grassy areas – is part of the tick control solution. Filled with a desiccant that kills ticks, the tick tubes welcome visits by mice to snatch up the treated cotton fibers inside to build their nests. And when the ticks hop on the mice for easy transport – voila – they’re toast. Dead and gone.
Tick Tubes Are Just One Part Of the North Reading Reading Tick Control Solution
To seriously fight the spread of Lyme disease, a North Reading tick control spray should be applied to your property by a tick control professional after the tick tubes are placed in areas deemed the most worthy by expert applicators.
When Are Ticks At Their Worst Here In Massachusetts?
Tick activity and tick-borne diseases like Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Borrelia miyamotoi, and Powassan virus, occur year-round in Massachusetts. Although tick activity is weather-dependent, there are two peak times during the year; the first begins in March/April and lasts through August, and the second occurs in October-November. The majority of cases of tick-borne disease occur in June through August, so timing is crucial that you start tick control right now.
In addition to having a professional treat your property with a tick control barrier spray and tick tubes, here is how to stay safer when not at home:
To prevent tick bites:
- Use insect repellents that contain an EPA-registered active ingredient like permethrin or DEET
- Wear light-colored clothing to spot ticks more easily
- Do daily tick checks
- Promptly and properly removing any attached ticks
If you want dependable, proven tick control, contact your local tick control specialist. Be sure that your tick control service sprays your yard and surrounds your property with tick tubes. This tick double-trouble control and elimination method will ensure it’s one less thing you’ll have to worry about.