Ticks

Ticks are those tiny, creepy, slow-moving arachnids that invade our properties and climb onto us and our pets to consume a blood meal. To feed, ticks use their eight legs to climb up the body of a host. Ticks then use specialized mouthparts to cut through the skin of their host, burrow into their skin, insert a barbed feeding tube and feed for three to ten days.

Ticks are pests that thrive in areas of heat and moisture, a big reason why they are so widespread in southern Texas.

Ticks are dangerous in our yards because they are a serious health concern. Animals are the primary hosts for ticks, but if they come into contact with people, they can and will feed on our blood.

Ticks are slow feeders and therefore are very efficient at transmitting diseases that can make us ill, including Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. While not every bite from a tick will result in the transmission of disease, the potential is there, so limiting your exposure to these pests is important.

For the most part, ticks find their way into our properties on the backs of one of their preferred animal hosts- rodents, wild animals, cats, and dogs.

After a tick is full, it will fall from its host onto the ground. When they are ready for the next meal, ticks will begin to move around and search for a new host. Ticks can’t fly or jump, so to find their next host, ticks crawl to the top of pieces of grass, weeds, or other vegetation. When an animal or person brushes past them, they will crawl onto them and attach themselves.

When ticks are in our yards, you or your pets could easily brush past them and introduce them inside your home.

The good news is that most ticks cannot breed indoors, so they typically don’t become a large-scale problem when accidentally introduced into our homes.

The bad news is that if you are regularly finding ticks in your home, it could indicate a rodent infestation. Rodents are regularly covered in ticks, and the reason ticks find a way into our Texas homes.

In addition to your yard, you can come into contact with ticks in a variety of outdoor spaces, including parks, athletic fields, walking trails, and wooded areas.

Outside ticks gather in their largest numbers in shady, damp areas that put them near their animal hosts. In our yards, they often congregate under leaf piles, brush piles, woodpiles, in areas of tall grass, and under decks.

Ticks live outside and are constantly being brought onto our properties by their wild animal hosts; the best way to control these unwanted pests is through regular tick control services. At Bugworks Termite & Pest Control, our professionals will work with you to make your yard less hospitable to ticks and will perform effective treatments to eliminate these biting pests. By combining our knowledge and our high-quality home tick control services, we take back Rio Grande Valley properties from biting ticks. Give us a call today to learn more!

In addition to implementing professional pest control services in McAllen, the following five tips will help you make your property less attractive to the ticks that live throughout Texas.

1. We always recommend that if you own pets that you place them on a year-round tick control program under the guidance of their veterinarian.
2. Keep the grass in your yard well-maintain and cut short. 
3. Remove leaf piles and other yard debris that provide a damp, shady spot for ticks to hang out.
4. Create a barrier between any wooded areas or tall grassy areas in your home’s perimeter.
5. Make your property less attractive to rodents and other wildlife that could be tick-infested by keeping lids on trashcans, removing bird feeders, and picking up uneaten pet food.

Contact Bugworks Termite & Pest Control if you have any questions or to learn more about the services we offer.