Tag: Powassan

Central Mass Ticks: American Dog Tick vs. Deer Tick

Central Mass ticks have one thing in common.  They want to feed on your blood.

What do ticks look like?The main goal of all female ticks is to get their next blood meal, grow to adulthood, and reproduce.  It’s their driving force.  Both the American dog tick and deer tick are common in Central Mass.  We know how they are the same.  How do they differ?

Central Mass tick: deer tick

Also known as the black-legged tick, this Central Mass tick is the main spreader of Lyme disease.  Most Lyme cases result from the bite of a female nymph deer tick.  It takes 36 to 48 hours for a deer tick to transmit Lyme disease.  Nymph ticks are so small that they are often missed until they become engorged with blood.  The biggest threat for a bite from a deer tick in Central Mass is springtime, summer, and fall.  Though, ticks live in winter in Central Mass.  According to the CDC, adult deer ticks could be out questing for their blood meal in temperatures above freezing.  Deer ticks in Central Mass might also transmit Anaplasmosis, Powassan virus, and Babesiosis.

Central Mass ticks: deer tick

Central Mass tick: American dog tick

Another nasty tick common to Central Mass is the American dog tick, also known as the wood tick.  This tick is not only common in our area, but is prevalent east of the Rocky Mountains.  According to the CDC, the dog tick has limited populations on the Pacific coast.  Adult females are the most likely to deliver a bite to their host, and they are responsible for some serious tick-borne illnesses.  The American dog tick is the most common vector of Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Tularemia.  Dog tick bites tend to be mostly in the spring and summer.

Central Mass ticks: American dog tick

Now is the time for Central Mass tick control.

tick control MassachusettsWarm weather has arrived.  We are spending more time outdoors.  Central Mass ticks are on the prowl.  They are hanging on low-lying vegetation in your backyards and your favorite outdoor areas, like playgrounds, hiking trails, and even the beach.  You can help prevent tick-borne illnesses, like the ones above, by hiring a reputable Central Mass tick control company to spray all the areas around your home.  Barrier tick sprays are available to keep your family safe at home, and should be professionally applied to your yard about ever three weeks throughout “tick season,” springtime, all the way through autumn.  Don’t wait until you find a tick on yourself, a family member, or the family pet.  An ounce of prevention is worth all the cure in the world!  And let’s not forget, some tick diseases, like Lyme disease, cannot be cured.

Also read: What is the most common tick?

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

 

What do ticks look like? Can they swim?

Ticks are common in Central Mass, and most of our residents have come in contact with one at one time or another.

In many ways, ticks elude us.  What do ticks look like?  Do ticks have wings?  Can ticks swim? Even though ticks are rampant in our area, many of us still have questions about tick habits and physical traits.  Folks still wonder if they fly.  How they survive winter.  Here is a common list of tick questions and answers.

what do ticks look like?

 

What do ticks look like?What do ticks look like?

Ticks are arachnids, just like spiders.  This means they have four sets of legs.  They are in the sub class Acari, along with mites.  Their coloring can range from light gray-ish white, brown, black, yellow, and brownish-red.  Ticks are a flat, oval shape when not engorged with a tasty blood meal.

nymph ticks are the size of sesame seedsHow big are ticks?

Ticks have three distinct life stages throughout their two-year life cycle.  Larvae ticks are very small, and can be unnoticeable.  In this stage of life, they are about the size of a grain of sand.  In their next stage of life, nymph ticks have grown to the size of a sesame seed.  Adult ticks are similar in size to an apple seed.

Do ticks have wings?

ticks do not have wingsTicks do not have wings.  They do not fly or jump.  Ticks quest by attaching themselves to plants or limbs.  They hold on to leaves and grass with two sets of their legs, and outstretch their other legs awaiting a host to pass.  If you are wondering how ticks cover so much territory, it is because they are transported by their hosts – animals and humans.  The sheer number of ticks in Central Mass might make it seem like they are fast travelers.  This is untrue without a host.  Ticks are just – everywhere!

Can ticks swim?

This is an interesting question, and a common one!  While ticks do not swim, they can survive submerged in water for two to three days.  Do not try to kill ticks by drowning them in the bathtub or swimming pool.  The only surefire method of destroying a tick in water, is by flushing them down the toilet.

Also read: What repels ticks naturally?

Do ticks die in the winter?

Do ticks die in the winter?No, they do not!  Even in cold Central Mass winter temperatures, ticks are resourceful and will survive in nests of other animals or even underground.  Ticks will lie dormant in winter, waiting for warm weather to return, so they can invade our favorite outdoor spaces.

can a tick bite kill you?Can a tick bite kill you?

Tick bites can result in illnesses, such as Lyme disease, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, which can make us very sick.  Powassan virus is another tick-borne illness, which can cause a deadly brain infection.  Even people, who have lived through Powassan can remain ill, or even die from the effects.  Recently in North Carolina, former US Senator, Kay Hagan, died three years after contracting Powassan, which resulted in Encephalitis.  She remained ill for three years before passing away.

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

Ticks are not just a nasty nuisance in Central Massachusetts.  They are effective questing insects, who live for their next blood meal.  The single best way to protect your family is with year-round Central Mass tick protection, which includes tick tubes in the winter.