Ticks Are All Trick, No Treat

It’s Halloween Eve eve. Have you invited ticks into your yard?

Pumpkin patches are abuzz and fall vibes are present everywhere we look. This includes ours and our neighbors’ front yards. Pumpkins, hay stacks, and fallen leaves – OH, MY!

pumpkins and ticks — Ticks are not just in pumpkin patches. They could be in your yard too!

Be wary of ticks through the end of fall.

ticks are all tick, no treat — Ticks are all trick, no treat!

Adult female ticks, much like Dracula, are out for blood. Your blood, your dog’s blood, any old blood will do. Why are they so hungry this time of year? It’s actually not hunger that drives these ticks to take a blood meal. It’s more primal than hunger. It’s an innate need for a protein that is found in blood, which is consumed by adult female ticks (more in the fall than ever), in order to fertilize her eggs. Their inborn drive to reproduce is what drives adult female ticks. And if you are not careful, you will drive them right to your front door!

It’s less likely that you have a tick on your skin if you are wearing pants and long sleeves. But one great way to bring a tick home from the pumpkin patch is on your clothes. Your kids and pets are different stories. They are closer to the ground, and are often on the ground this time of year. Leaf piles are ever-present and far too tempting for kids and dogs to pass up in the fall. Small stature makes our little ones more susceptible to tick bites any time of year, but many forget that ticks are still out in the fall. When we return home from fall festivals, hay rides, pumpkin patches, or our own front lawns, it is essential that a full tick check be performed. On ourselves, as well as our kids and pets!

TICK TIP: You can place your clothing on high heat in the dryer for 10 minutes just in case your clothing might have a tick after being outdoors.

Here’s a bit of tick control hocus pocus!

I would never recommend not decorating your home and yard for the fall season to prevent ticks from entering your yard. What I would recommend is effective tick control measure be taken. Since our yards are even more agreeable tick habitats in the fall, you should enlist the help of a professional tick control company. You can have your entire yard treated with barrier tick protection, and embolden protection with tick tubes. Tick tubes will continue to work through late fall and winter.

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

It’s easy to forget about ticks when it’s cooler outside. Let this be your friendly reminder that they are out there. They are on the move. Be sure your home and family are protected!

3 Ways to Prepare for a Great Spring this Fall

Fall is a time for final outdoor preparations for winter weather. Here are three great ways to prepare your yard for spring, starting now!

Autumn is usually a welcome time of year. Like springtime, fall brings about relief from the previous season’s extreme weather. Fall is full of beautiful weather, fresh air, colorful foliage, and spicy fragrances and flavors! In this, the season of pumpkin spice everything, there are still a few essential chores outdoors.

prepare lawn yard fall winter — Yay, fall!

Fall lawn tips for healthy spring emergence.

Lawn care in the fall is just as essential as spring and summer, if not more. There are some simple solutions for having a healthier lawn next year, if you take a little time to prepare now. This includes watering. Your lawn still needs watering until the ground begins to freeze.

prepare lawn fall

Reseed – Reseeding your lawn in late summer or early fall. Over-seeding now will take care of bare spots left by hot summer sun. Our lawns retain water much better in the fall. Plus, autumn grass sprouts will not be damaged by the sun.
Fertilize – Ask your local lawn expert about the best fertilizer blend for your particular type of grass and soil conditions. Apply fertilizer a few weeks before your last mowing. You can also use a mulching mower to mulch fall leaves into all-natural fertilizer, which will lay atop your lawn, and decompose in the winter.
Cut grass short – Cutting your lawn shorter than normal for your last mowing is important because long blades of grass will become matted under snowfall, and suffocate springtime sprouts beneath. Cutting grass to 1.5 to 2 inches in the late fall will also help prevent snow mold.

Keep tender bulbs indoors this winter.

Many gardeners allow their tender bulb blooms to die each year. Gladiolus, calla lilies, and dahlias don’t have to die. Forget purchasing new and replanting each year. You can choose to plant your tender bulbs in planters, so they can be taken in for winter storage in your cool basement or garage. Periodic watering is all that is required, just to ensure that the soil never completely dries out. Otherwise, you can plant your tender bulbs in the ground, and dig them up for proper storage through the winter fore springtime reemergence.

prepare bulb plants fall — Take tender bulbs indoors for winter storage.

Autumn tick control for a safer yard in the springtime.

tick tubes in Central Mass from Mosquito Squad — Tick tubes in fall will protect your family in the spring.

The prevalence of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases has us all rethinking tick control. Tick control efforts no longer end with the change of season. You can actually protect your family better next spring and summer by continuing tick control in the “off season.” Tick tubes are the answer! Tick tubes are biodegradable, cotton-filled tubes, which are placed around your home and property in the fall and winter. The cotton inside is treated with pesticide. Mice, common carries of Lyme bacteria, which infect larval ticks, will carry this cotton to their nests. The pesticide does not harm the mice, but it will kill ticks that are in the nest, or try to take their blood meal from a mouse, who has nested with this treated cotton.

Ticks still quest in the fall and winter.

How does this help in the spring? Eliminating larval ticks in the fall and winter means less ticks emerging in the springtime. Prepare for a great spring and summer, starting right now!

Also read: Do ticks die in winter?

Woburn MA Tick Control for Lyme Prevention

Ticks really suck. Both literally and figuratively. Living in Massachusetts, you likely know that Lyme disease is rampant here. But there’s another, much worse tick-transmitted disease on the rise, Powassan virus.

While it is rare, it’s often fatal, and CDC reports that between 2007-2016, there were 16 cases of Powassan in Massachusetts. In fact, the CDC recently in May 2018 that diseases from both ticks and mosquitoes have more than tripled since 2004, and that rate is steadily increasing. In this report, the CDC also quite frankly states that about 80% of vector control organizations lack critical prevention and control capabilities.

Woburn MA tick control

Fortunately, reputable tick control companies pick up the slack where the government falls behind, and with a barrier treatment, you’re protected from both mosquitoes and ticks in your yard by nearly 90% for up to 21 days at a time — guaranteed. But if it’s specific protection from ticks that you’re looking for, professional Woburn tick control goes above and beyond the standard barrier treatment to make sure ticks in every stage of life are eliminated. By enlisting the help of furry friends.

How Woburn MA tick control works

Just like a professional mosquito barrier treatment, tick control specialists treat the perimeter of your yard first with a traditional barrier spray, working from the perimeter of your yard inward, being sure to cover all surface areas, including pieces where ticks like to hang out, like tall grass, leaf piles, wood piles, and generally anywhere they’d be likely to hitch a ride on any unsuspecting host walking by. A barrier treatment alone will eliminate nearly 90% of adult ticks on contact and continue to eliminate them for up to three weeks, but then your tick control technician will go a step further to make sure ticks in their younger life stages are eliminated, too.

tick control Woburn MA

Enter tick tubes for year-round tick control

tick tubes Woburn MA These are small, biodegradable tubes that are stuffed with cotton treated with permethrin, a mild insecticide. Contrary to their name, “deer ticks,” the ones primarily responsible for Lyme disease, don’t feed off deer most of the time. In their larval and nymph stages, most deer ticks actually get their blood meal from small mammals in your yard, specifically mice, squirrels, and rabbits. These critters love to take the cotton back to their nests to make them nice and cozy, and when they do so, the permethrin rubs off on their fur. Not to worry — it’s harmless to them, but to ticks it’s fatal. When a young tick tries to take a bite out of one of these small animals, they get exposed to the chemical and die off.

By implementing tick tubes, you’re both halting the life cycle of the tick population in your yard and giving the critters some insulation for their homes. And for you — it gives you the peace of mind knowing that the chances of you getting infected with a tick-borne disease in your yard are reduced drastically. This professional method of Woburn tick control is nearly 90% effective for up to 21 days, making it the best on the market.

Prefer something a little “greener” for your Woburn tick control?

all natural tick control Reputable tick control products are EPA-registered, but I understand that there are some people who won’t settle for anything less than 100% natural. That’s why tick control companies have developed an all-natural barrier treatment solution that is based on essential oils and mixed in-house. It is applied to your yard the same way as a traditional barrier treatment — with a special mist-blower backpack.

Like the traditional formula, an all-natural solution eliminates bugs on contact, but after it’s dry (about 30 minutes) it acts like a repellent, essentially confusing and “chasing” the bugs away. It’s a slightly less potent treatment than traditional formulas, but homeowners who elect this method report around 80% reduction of yard pests. Because of its botanical makeup, the all-natural formula breaks down a little faster than the traditional, therefore I recommend re-application every two weeks instead of three.

With tick-borne illnesses on the rise in Central Massachusetts, I recommend professional at-home tick control for all families. Whether you choose the traditional tick barrier spray, or an all-natural solution, professional tick control is a must for the health of your family.

Powassan is on the rise in Massachusetts

I often write about Lyme disease, the most widely-known tick-borne illness. Central Mass residents also face another serious threat. Potentially deadly, Powassan is on the rise in Massachusetts.

The CDC reports that Massachusetts had 22 confirmed cases of Powassan virus from 2009-2018, third highest in the nation. Only Minnesota and Wisconsin had higher reported cases in that time span. In August, another Powassan case was reported in Massachusetts. Neighboring Connecticut has had four confirmed cases of Powassan so far in 2019. The most recent was October 11.

Powassan is on the rise in Massachusetts — *Deer ticks are responsible for the spread of Powassan in Massachusetts.*

How is Powassan spread?

The black-legged tick, also known as the deer tick, spreads Powassan. Deer ticks feed on the blood of mice and birds, and even our cats and dogs. This makes Powassan virus a true threat to our pets, as well as our human family members. It is reported that mice can even carry infected ticks into our homes. We must remain vigilant, even in the cool autumn weather, in keeping our tick control treatments going. Your family’s health could depend on it!

pets can get Powassan — *Tick control in the fall will continue to help protect your whole family from the threat of Powassan.*

What are symptoms of Powassan? Are there treatments?

Symptoms of Powassan can take on those of encephalitis or meningitis – brain or spinal cord infections. If you have found a tick on your skin or clothing, or on your pets, and begin to see symptoms of lethargy, headache, fever, confusion, or seizures, seek medical help immediate. There is no treatment for Powassan. Patients typically require respiratory assistance, and treatment for infection of the brain or spinal cord. There is no vaccine to prevent Powassan. Approximately 10% of those infected will die of the disease.

Powassan virus threat in Massachusetts — *Powassan infected ticks can be lurking in leaf piles, wooded areas, or questing in your lawn or landscaping plants.*

What tick control and prevention measures should you take to prevent Powassan?

Powassan in Massachusetts If you are going to be outdoors, wear long sleeves and pants in light colors, so you can spot a tick easily if it gets onto your clothing. Use personal tick protection measures – repellents with DEET or permethrin are essential if you are hunting, hiking, performing yard work, or other outdoor activities we love in the fall, such as attending or hosting bonfires. Ticks are still lurking, ready to latch on for their blood meals.

Continued tick control in Central Mass

As I mentioned before, now is not the time to halt the tick control efforts around your home. Even though fall has brought cool temps, it has not eliminated the tick population. Nor are they becoming dormant, as they do in the winter. Tick control around your Central Mass home should continue until the immediate threat is gone – when temps fall consistently below 45°F.

tick control Central Mass Once ticks become dormant, yard sprays are not essential, but it is wise for Central Massachusetts residents to employ additional tick control with tick tubes. Tick tubes are placed around your property, and are filled with cotton that has been coated with insecticide. Mice will use the treated cotton to build their nests. While the insecticide doesn’t hurt the mice, it will eliminate ticks that try to feed on them – or ticks that are lying dormant in their nests. Tick tubes can greatly reduce the ticks in your yard next spring by breaking their life cycle.

Take Your Chelmsford Tick Control to the Next Level

Ticks really suck. Literally. But more than that, these bugs, though small, can have a giant impact on the lives of you and your loved ones if they find you on the dinner menu. Here in Chelmsford and all over Massachusetts, we’re familiar with the dangers of Lyme disease, but there are many more serious tick-borne illnesses on the rise in our area, including Babesiosis and the rare but fatal Powassan virus.

While not all ticks are vectors of dangerous diseases, why take a chance? While Chelmsford is part of the Middlesex Tick Task Force, they basically tell you what to do after you get bitten by a tick. Even Chelmsford Wicked Local has been publishing articles about how officials are urging vigilance about ticks. However, their suggestion of “A little bit of vigilance, and some bug spray, can go a long way in reducing the health risks associated with ticks” is a nice sentiment, but it takes more than “vigilance and bug spray” to prevent tick-borne illnesses.

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

Professional tick control is essential.

Chelmsford MA tick control — With all the potential dangers posed by tick-borne illnesses, call in the professionals to keep your home and family protected.

Not only will a reputable tick control company eliminate up to 90% of mosquitoes with our specially formulated barrier spray treatment, the same micro encapsulated formula also eliminates up to 90% of adult ticks and fleas on contact. It’s pretty powerful stuff, but when it comes to your Chelmsford tick control, you can go one step further to protect you and your loved ones from ticks and tick-borne illnesses.

Step 1:

The first line of defense for Chelmsford tick control is treating the perimeter of your yard, working inward, just like a traditional barrier treatment. It is important to treat all the foliage while avoiding flowers, plus surfaces around and underneath patios and decks. But for ticks, extra attention should be given to the tall grassy areas, because that’s where they generally spend the most time breeding, resting, and well, waiting for dinner. Don’t allow your family to be on the menu!

tick control is essential for your family — Chelmsford tick control is best with a two-step treatment approach.

With a time-released formula, your property will be protected for three weeks before needing reapplication. Barrier treatment has the added benefit of preventing the eggs of ticks from hatching and thus puts a stop to the next generation of these pests.

Step 2:

Lyme Disease and other tick born diseases are most often transmitted by the deer tick, but other ticks are vectors, too. Not all ticks are carriers of these illnesses, 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 can stop the cycle of disease where it would normally start, by eliminating ticks before they come anywhere near people and pets.

Central Mass tick control for your dogs — Man’s best friend requires ample Chelmsford tick protection too!

Tick tubes provide added tick protection.

Tick tubes are small, biodegradable tubes that can be placed strategically 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 can be taken for your Chelmsford tick control to help eliminate the tick population in your yard by up to 90% before they’re able to multiply.

Reputable tick control companies’ products are EPA-registered, but some will also offer an all-natural treatment for your unwanted yard bugs. Based on natural oils, this more “crunchy” approach focuses more on repelling these little monsters than eliminating them. It’s not quite as effective as traditional mosquito and tick control solution, but it’s pretty close — most folks notice a reduction in yard pests between 65-80%. Also a time-released solution, this application is recommended to be repeated every two weeks, instead of the traditional three.

Tag: tick tubes