Fall Tick Prevention Tips to Keep Your Holidays Tick-Free

Every year, vector-borne diseases (diseases spread by animals) seem to rise in the United States. Between Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) from mosquitoes and all the diseases spread by ticks, this has been a bad year. Protecting ourselves has never been more necessary. Unfortunately, fall is a very active season for ticks. Here are a few fall tick prevention tips to keep your holidays tick-free.

Fall Tick Prevention Tips

Ticks Love Long Grass

Ticks climb to the top of tall grass, extend their hooked arms, and wait for their next host to walk by. Prevent ticks from finding a welcome environment in your yard by keeping your grass mowed. It’s also a good idea to create a tick-free buffer zone around your property by clearing out any brush and tall grass around the perimeter.

Tick Love Piles of Leaves

A pile of leaves is the perfect hiding place for a cold tick to keep warm. Here, they wait for their next host. You can reduce your likelihood of having a run-in with a tick by clearing out any piles of leaves around your yard.

Ticks Can Climb Trees

That’s right, ticks can hang onto trees just like they do tall blades of grass. If your tree branches or shrubs are touching your home, then the ticks will be drawn to the heat. The closer they are to your home, the closer they are to you. Trim your trees and shrubs back from your house.

Ticks Want to Bite You

You are a potential host to a tick. When you are outside, it’s important to take the necessary precautions. Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants. When working with brush, trees, and leaves, make sure you wear gloves. Wear tall boots and tuck your pants into your socks if you’re in a heavy-tick area. Bug spray that has 20-30% DEET and clothes treated with permethrin will keep ticks from hanging onto you. It’s a good idea to wear light-colored clothing so it’s easier to see ticks on your clothes.

Check Yourself

Get into the habit of doing a tick-check every time you or your children come inside. For a tick to transmit Lyme disease, it can take up to 36-48 hours. Catching the ticks early is important.

If you find a tick, quickly and properly remove it. Never use heat or a match as this will cause the tick to throw up in you, spreading the diseases faster. Using tweezers or a tick remover, gently grab the head of the tick, making sure to get as close to the skin as you can. Gently pull the tick off. Once the tick is gone, wash the area with soap and water and keep a close eye on it for a few days. Watch for a rash or a fever and seek medical health if this occurs.

Professional Tick Control

The best fall tick prevention is professional tick control services from LawnLab. Our Flea and Tick Control services work to eliminate and prevent an infestation from these biting pests. Don’t wait until your holidays are overrun with ticks and fleas, get tick control services today.

If you want to get started, call us at (972) 287-7400 or request a free quote here. Check out our blog for useful tips and tricks from the experts and follow us on Facebook for the latest news and deals.