How To Keep Ticks Off Your Western Massachusetts Property

August 6, 2021

In: Ticks

Every property has pest problems, however, not all pest problems are a threat to your health. In our opinion, the pest problems that threaten health are the types of problems you should be most worried about. One pest in our area that regularly threatens human health is the tick. If you have never taken a moment to research the dangers these bugs pose to people around Western Massachusetts, or to learn ways to keep them off your property, we are here today with some helpful information to keep you safe.

Things That Draw Ticks Into Yards

There are only a few things that ticks need to be comfortable on a property. The main two are places to hide and food to eat. If you didn’t know, ticks feed on blood. To stay well-fed these pests climb onto animals and humans. If your property is regularly visited by deer, squirrels, mice, rats, or other woodland creatures, then ticks will be around. As for places to hide, ticks prefer to live in tall grass and thick foliage. If the grass on your property is trimmed well, these pests will seek shelter inside bushes, leaf piles, and in other shaded areas.

The Dangers Of Ticks

Most pests that consume blood are dangerous. Ticks are no exception. These problematic arachnids can pick up diseases like Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease, and babesiosis. Most often ticks pick up these dangerous sicknesses from infected wild animals. They then spread them to both humans and their pets. 

Something everyone should know is that tick-spread Lyme disease has many variations and is nearly impossible to identify without the vector that caused it. All of this is to say, if you are bitten by a tick, do not throw it away after safely removing it from your skin. Instead, store it inside a plastic bag in the freezer. This way you will have a much better chance of finding treatment if symptoms arise.

How Ticks Get Into Homes

Ticks are not speedy, but they are clever. These pests regularly use their wits to sneak into area homes. Most often this involves hitching a ride   on a human or animal. To get onto a host, ticks climb up tall stalks of grass, onto a leaf from a bush, or onto another tall plant. From here these pests wait until something with warm blood passes by. Once a target is close, the tick will reach out its front legs and transfer itself over. From there it is easy sailing.

Prevention Tips For Ticks

There are more ways than one to deter ticks from invading your Western Massachusetts home. To help you do this today, here are some simple prevention tips to use on your property.

• Seal your home’s exterior foundation by using a caulking gun to fill in gaps and cracks.
• Make sure your window/door screens are in good condition.
• Repair or replace damaged weatherstripping and door sweeps.
• Keep unscreened doors and windows closed when they aren’t in use.
• Install a fence around your yard and garden.
• Keep your grass cut short and your bushes well maintained.
• Invest in high-quality flea and tick control for your outdoor pets.

An Amazing Solution To Ticks In Massachusetts

To make your tick control journey easy, let the experts at American Pest Solutions come to your aid. We have extensive training in pest control and are standing by with the advanced treatments your property needs to combat dangerous ticks.

Give us a call now to discuss your options with one of our friendly pest control representatives and find a solution that works for you and your Western Massachusetts property.