Acton Tick Control is a Job for the Pros

Ticks are no joke.

Though tiny, those little critters can have some serious impact if an infected one bites you or your loved ones, whether they have two logs or four.

Acton tick control If you live here, you likely know that Lyme disease is a big problem all over New England. According to Acton Wicked Local, there were there were 4500 cases of Lyme disease in Massachusetts in 2016 alone.

But that’s not the only one — there are many other tick-borne illnesses we need to watch out for, including Babseiosis, which is more concentrated in Middlesex County than anywhere else in the state.

While Acton is a part of the Middlesex Tick Task Force, that basically tells you what to do after you get bitten by a tick. And that same Wicked Local article says that public health officials claim “A little bit of vigilance, and some bug spray, can go a long way in reducing the health risks associated with ticks.” That’s a nice sentiment, but it takes more than “vigilance and bug spray” to prevent tick-borne illnesses.

Wouldn’t you rather just avoid these little monsters all together?

That’s when you call a professional Acton tick control company.

Acton tick control should be taken seriously, because these little suckers are nothing to mess around with.

As it happens, the same specially formulated barrier spray treatment that is used for mosquitoes also eliminates adult ticks and fleas by up to 90%. But with ticks, professionals take it one step further to protect people and pets from tick and tick-borne diseases.

Acton Tick Control: Step One

tick control Acton MA The first thing a reputable tick control company will do for Acton tick control is treat the perimeter of your yard and work inward, just like a traditional barrier treatment. Making sure to treat all the foliage while avoiding flowers, plus surfaces around and underneath patios and decks. But for the ticks, extra attention is given to the tall grassy areas, because that’s where they usually hang out — breeding, resting, and well, waiting for dinner. You don’t want it to be you!

Since a 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 next generation,

Acton Tick Control: Step Two

Lyme disease Acton Lyme Disease and other tick born illnesses are caused by bacteria transmitted most often by the deer tick, but other ticks are carriers, too. Of course, not all ticks are carriers of dangerous pathogens, 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 are able to stop the cycle of disease where it would normally start.

Tick tubes are small, biodegradable tubes strategically placed 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 is offered by your tick control professionals for Acton tick control, helping eliminate the tick population in your yard by up to 90%. This method gets rid of ticks way before they come anywhere near you or your loved ones.

All-Natural Tick Control Solution

Acton MA tick control Professional tick control products are EPA registered, but if you consider yourself a little more “crunchy” and prefer an all-natural solution, they are available. An all-natural formula with essential oils at its base, repels rather than eliminates, yard pests. Most folks notice a reduction in yard pests between 65-80% using this method. Also time-released, I recommend reapplying this formula after two weeks.

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

Ticks are no joke. They should be taken very seriously for the health of your family. I recommend professional year-round tick control for your Acton MA home.

Natick Tick Control – Natick Massachusetts

You likely know that in all of the Northeast, Lyme disease is a huge problem here.

But there’s another, much worse tick-vectored illness on the rise, Powassan virus. In fact, the CDC recently reported that diseases from both ticks and mosquitoes have more than tripled since 2004. In this report, the CDC also quite plainly states that about 80% of vector control organizations lack critical prevention and control capabilities.

Natick tick control - Natick Massachusetts WBUR was reporting on the spread of Lyme disease in Massachusetts and what little there was being done about it. You don’t have to look further than the Town of Natick’s website to see that all they have about ticks is a list of downloadable PDFs.

So if the government isn’t prepared to protect its citizens from mosquito- and tick-borne illnesses, what can a private citizen do? Call a professional tick control company! Professional tick control is guaranteed to be nearly 90% effective for three weeks at a time. And with effective Natick tick control, efforts can be taken it a step further to make sure ticks don’t go anywhere near you and your family. With these two steps, you’ll have the peace of mind knowing that while the government can’t protect you and your family from ticks and mosquitoes, you can.

Natick tick control, phase one.

The first phase of our Natick tick control is the same as a traditional mosquito barrier treatment — your property will be treated from the perimeter inward, applying an EPA-registered formula on everything except flowers and other bee-friendly plants. It’s all covered — bushes, decks and beneath them, leaves, trees, woodpiles, you name it. For ticks, the spray is concentrate even more on tall grassy areas and places like leaf piles, because that’s prime tick territory. You’re mostly to find them in those places breeding, resting, and waiting to hitch a ride on the next tasty meal that walks by. We’re here to make sure that’s not you.

Natick tick control

Since the barrier treatment formula is micro encapsulated, it’s time-released, meaning you’ll be protected from ticks (and other biting bugs) for up to three weeks at a time. It’s odorless and colorless, and adheres to everything it’s applied to, therefore it prevents existing tick eggs from hatching. This stops the life cycle of the tick population in your yard. Like a mosquito barrier treatment, reapplication every three weeks is recommended for maximum efficiency. Don’t worry, there are seasonal packages available so you don’t forget to reschedule.

But don’t just stop with Natick tick control spray!

Natick tick control, phase two.

Natick Massachusetts tick control While Lyme disease is most prevalent here, and while not all ticks carry diseases, the ones that carry Lyme are the deer tick. But contrary to their name, the main blood meal for a nymph deer tick is actually mice. To eliminate ticks in their younger stages, reputable Natick tick control companies employ a special tactic called tick tubes. These are small, biodegradable tubes stuffed with cotton that is treated with permethrin, which is harmless to them but fatal to ticks. These tubes entice mice, who love to take the cotton back to their burrows to get cozy. The permethrin rubs off on their fur, and when a tick tries to attack these mice, it is eliminated shortly afterward. It’s with this proactive measure that we stop ticks at their source so that they don’t come anywhere near you or your loved ones, and is nearly 90% (possibly more) effective at reducing the tick population on your property.

Ask about an all-natural Natick tick control barrier treatment!

all natural Natick tick control While any reputable tick control company’s products will be EPA-registered, many also offer an all-natural barrier treatment solution for those of us who prefer to stay as “green” as possible. These formulas are developed with essential oils as a base. These solutions also eliminate on contact, but after that acts as a repellant, that “chases” the bugs away.

Do I really need tick control in the fall?

As summer winds down, we anticipate not only the change in season, but also the changes we make in everyday life. There will be less cookouts. Less long days of outdoor play for the kids. There will not be less ticks.

Central Mass tick control is not just something we do in the spring and summer, and then hang up until next year. In recent years, Central Mass residents have wised up to the importance of tick control even after the temperatures have begun to fall. Why is tick control in the fall so important?

tick control in the fall

Ticks are looking for their reproduction blood meal in the fall.

White-tailed deer are on the move, and so are ticks! Female ticks are looking for their blood meal, which is necessary to produce eggs. When they are successful in reproducing in the fall, thanks to the blood meal they received from the deer population, their eggs will hatch in the spring. And so the cycle continues – a never ending cycle of tick reproduction, right? No, it doesn’t have to be this way!

fall tick control

Female ticks lay their eggs in nests of mice.

Most of the fertilized tick eggs will be left to incubate in the nests of white footed mice. The larvae ticks will be looking for their very first blood meal next spring, and will find that blood meal from the mice, who have given them a cozy spot to survive the winter.

Practice Central Mass tick control in the fall.

The best way to eliminate ticks is with professional tick control, and the best way to get a jump on next year’s tick population, is to have your yard protected in the fall. A time-released, EPA-registered tick control spray will eliminate up to 95% of ticks in your yard and around your home. October and November are the prime months that female ticks are looking for their final blood meal. Stopping them from being able to do this will halt the reproductive process. Thus, greatly decreasing the number of new ticks that will hatch in the spring.

Central Mass tick control in the fall

A tick tube program will provide even more tick protection for your family. Tick tubes are placed where mice make their nests. Inside a small tube is cotton, which is treated with tick control insecticide. Mice will use the treated cotton to create their nests, and will get the insecticide on their fur and skin in the process. Ticks in search of a blood meal will come in contact with the insecticide, and be eliminated – stopping the nasty tick life cycle!

Stopping the tick life cycle isn’t just about eliminating nasty pests. It’s about protecting your home and family from serious tick-borne illnesses, such as Lyme disease and the Powassan virus.

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

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.

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.

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!

What’s Long and Slithers and Had Ticks All Over?

You might have a difficult time believing the answer to this riddle! Recently, Gold Coast and Brisbane snake catcher encountered a truly unusual snake. When these professional reptile re-locators found this carpet python, he was covered in ticks – 511 blood-suckers, in fact!

Talk about an animal in need of tick protection!

Nike the snake is now in the care of Currumbin Wildlife Hospital Foundation in Queensland, Australia, where he continues to recover. When Gold Coast and Brisbane Snake Catcher rescued poor Nike from a pool in Coolangatta, he was nearly unrecognizable and severely anemic, because these ravenous blood-suckers were feasting on him. Usually, snakes will fight off invading ticks and insects, but Nike did not. Once these hungry ticks latched on, they weakened the carpet python past the point of defense.

What does a cup of 511 ticks look like?

Feast your eyes on this! Even though more than 500 ticks were meticulously removed from the snake’s body, more remained intact under his scales, and had to be treated with medication.

ticks all over - 511 ticks — More than 500 ticks feasted on the snake’s blood until he became severely anemic

Days later, this baby koala required a blood transfusion after having 100 ticks removed!

To further illustrate the damage these nasty invaders cause, and the danger they pose to our families – pets – wildlife – livestock!

Ticks eat to live and live to eat! Don’t allow your family to become a “blood meal.”

Ticks must have their blood meal in order to survive each stage of life. In the larvae stage, they often take their first blood meal from Lyme infected hosts, like the white-footed mouse. Nearly the entire population of this mouse is infected with Lyme Disease, which is how ticks become infected. In the next stage of life, ticks are in search of a larger host with a lot of blood and nutrients – which make us humans an ideal feast! During this feeding, ticks actually filter and regurgitate the water content from our blood right back into our bloodstream, introducing the threat of disease. Don’t become a blood meal.

When it comes to tick-borne disease prevention, tick control is the key. Be sure your family is protected this year by calling a tick control professional!

What do tick eggs look like? Those are NOT tick eggs!

What do tick eggs look like?

Do you know how to spot imposter tick eggs?

this is not what tick eggs look like — These are NOT tick eggs!

Informing the public about tick-borne diseases and tick behavior has become much easier and faster thanks to the popularity of social media. With the easy sharing of multiple media types, more people know the symptoms of Lyme Disease and how to avoid tick bites. However, on occasion, a misinformed social media post can spread like wildfire. As spring arrived, I noticed a picture in my news feed that showed what was dubbed “tick eggs” laying on the forest floor. Most of the posts advised readers to burn the tick eggs if they should stumble upon them.

Not All Social Media Posts Are True

this is what tick eggs look like — These ARE tick eggs!

The problem is that the image shown does not show tick eggs. First of all, tick eggs are much smaller. They also are not typically the color shown in the image above. See the images to the right. Thanks to Tick Encounter Resource Center, you can see deer tick eggs and wood tick eggs are tiny and tan/brown/orangeish. There are no known tick species that lay eggs as shown above.

Central Massachusetts Tick Eggs

You could potentially stumble upon tick eggs in the forests of Central Mass. The adult female tick will take its last blood meal to gain nutrients needed to lay 1500-2000 tick eggs before dying. These eggs will remain in leaf litter until hatching into tick larvae where they will attach themselves onto small rodents or some bird species. Larvae will get their first blood meal from the rodent, allowing them to molt from larvae to nymph form. This first blood meal is many times when a tick becomes infected with a pathogen (such as Borrelia burgdorferi which causes Lyme disease) that can allow them to spread tick-borne diseases to their next host. While I agree with destroying tick eggs, I want to make sure you know what tick eggs look like.

Also read: How do ticks mate?

Dave Macchia Mosquito Squad square 2 — Dave Macchia, Tick Control Enthusiast

Would You Like to Know the Risk Level of Lyme Disease in Your Zip Code?

What if you could input your zip code and out would pop the percentage of ticks that tested positive for Lyme disease and other tick borne diseases? Well, guess what? YOU CAN!

Tickreport.com lists 19 tick-borne illnesses and the percentage of ticks that tested positive for those submitted in the given area. Let me show you some examples. If I take the zip codes for Lakeville and Manchester and search for the positive cases of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, which is the group of bacteria that causes Lyme disease, this is what I get:

Lakeville 02347: 2 ticks tested, both tested positive. 100%

Methuen 01844: 5 ticks tested, 1 tested positive. 20%

Gloucester 01930: 14 ticks tested, 2 tested positive. 14.29%

Manchester 01944: 14 ticks tested, 5 tested positive. 35.71%

I realize this is limited information, but it’s a wonderful tool. The key is getting more people to actually get their ticks tested. $50 may seem like more than you want to pay, but take just a minute to consider what you are contributing to. Not only will you know for certain if a tick you’ve removed from you or a family member is carrying disease that requires treatment, but you are also contributing to valuable research. Research that can lead to better information for forming the right kind of tick protection in your area and also research that could ultimately lead to vaccines for tick-borne illness. It’s hard to overlook the chance to be that helpful, isn’t it?

Be Sure to Remove the Tick Safely – Then Send It In

There are some silly old tales out there about nail polish and match sticks when it comes to removing ticks. What worked for Granddad is NOT a good idea today. Follow our guideline for safe tick removal to ensure you remove all parts of the tick. Send it into tickreport.com and in 3 days you’ll know just what you are dealing with. This is such a quick and easy process for a huge step towards peace of mind when it comes to your family’s well-being.

Professional tick control in Central MA is critical to your family’s health and safety.

A reputable tick control company can eliminate 85-90% of all ticks in your yard for the season with an EPA-approved barrier spray eliminates ticks and continues to work with its time released formula. Our tick tube system goes further by eliminating the ticks in their youngest stages. That not only protects you during this season but also gets a jump on the next!