Three Tips To Help You Avoid Ticks In Tampa
Enjoying the beautiful weather Florida has to offer comes with a price, and that price is dealing with ticks and other dangerous pests year round.
While most other, less tropical locations in the United States have a tick season, we get to deal with the sneaky little parasites all year long. Warm weather and plenty of humidity create a perfect environment for ticks to multiply.
In the Tampa area, you're likely to encounter the following species of ticks:
- American dog ticks are around 3/16 of an inch, with brown bodies sporting white or grey markings. As the name suggests, American dog ticks prefer to prey on dogs and usually hide in grassy areas waiting for their prey to walk by.
- Brown dog ticks are a bit smaller, 1/8 of an inch in size when unfed and swelling up to 1/2 an inch when gorged on blood. They have flat, oval-shaped bodies that are reddish-brown when unfed and switch to grey-blue as they fill with blood. Brown dog ticks are the most likely to infest your home once they've hitchhiked their way inside.
- Lone star ticks are approximately the same size as brown dog ticks, 1/6 to 1/4 of an inch unfed and up to 1/2 an inch when swollen with blood. They are also reddish-brown, changing to grey as they feed. Lone star ticks are easily identified by a white dot on the back of females. These ticks attack humans more often than other species.
Each female tick can lay up to 3000 eggs at a time, making a single tick capable of starting a serious infestation.
Let's look at the problems ticks can cause in your home, ways to prevent a tick infestation, how to get rid of ticks, and where to find top-notch pest control in Tampa if prevention didn't do the trick.
Do You Know The Problems Ticks Can Cause In Tampa?
Ticks in Tampa spread a number of serious illnesses, some of which can be lethal or cause serious injuries to your health.
These include :
- Lyme disease
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever
- Ehrlichiosis
- Tularemia
- Anaplasmosis
- Heartland virus
- Bourbon virus
Brown dog ticks can also spread canine ehrlichiosis and canine babesia to dogs.
Three Tick Prevention Tips Everyone In Tampa Ought To Know
Unlike the commonly held belief, ticks do not wait in the trees, dropping on you as you walk by. They usually position themselves in tall grass, sitting on grass leaves with their front legs extended and grabbing onto the human or animal that walks by.
Follow these simple rules to reduce the chances of dealing with tick infestation on your property:
- Keep the grass cut short and clear out the debris around your house.
- Install fencing to keep wild animals away from your property.
- Wear a long-sleeved shirt and pants when going out into areas overgrown with tall grass, check yourself immediately after coming home, and try to stay in the center of the path and away from the tall grass when hiking.
It's always a good idea to take a quick shower immediately after getting home after visiting areas where ticks might be present. Water will help to wash the ticks off if they did not have a chance to latch onto your body yet.
The Many Benefits Of Professional Tick Control In Tampa
Ticks are a frustrating problem that seems to get worse every year. At Urbanex, we've had over 25 years of experience taking care of tick infestations for residents of Tampa and surrounding areas. If your property has ticks, don't go it alone; give us a call for a free inspection and learn more about our residential pest control services in Tampa.
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