Date Posted: August 24, 2023
Category: Ticks
Ticks are a major problem for some homeowners during the warmer months. These tiny little creatures are a type of arachnid. However, instead of creating elaborate webs in your home, the tick will hide in the grassy areas of your property and climb onto your skin or clothing when you least expect it. They will then try to feed on your blood.
A tick bite can be more than just annoying; it can also be dangerous. At Big Blue Bug Solutions, we are committed to keeping you safe from tick bites. Our Rhode Island pest control company has been providing world-class pest control solutions for over 80 years, and we know the most effective way to keep your home and property tick-free.
Common Types Of Ticks: Identification And Characteristics
There are around 90 different types of ticks throughout the country. Luckily, we don't have to deal with many different types of ticks in Rhode Island. Here is a look at the most common types of ticks that you are likely to see in Rhode Island:
- Brown dog tick: As their name suggests, these ticks will be on dogs. They have flat, reddish-brown bodies when they are unfed. After a blood meal, they swell to over three times their original size and turn bluish-gray.
- Blacklegged tick: Measuring about ⅛ inch long, these small ticks have brownish-orange bodies and black legs. You will find them on white-tailed deer, so they are called "deer ticks."
- American dog tick: This is another type of tick that likes to use dogs as their host. When infected, they measure about 1/8 of an inch long and have dark-brown bodies with gray markings. When they have fedd, they can swell to measure over 5/8 of an inch long and have gray bodies.
- Lone star tick: These ticks are one of the most common ticks found in humans. They measure around 1/4 inch long and have dark reddish-brown bodies with a white dot in the center of their backs.
Most ticks are so small that they can hide behind a single blade of grass. You likely won't see ticks crawling through your yard. Typically, homeowners find out that they have a tick infestation when they start to experience a lot of tick bites.
The Dangers Of Fleas And Ticks: Health Risks And Concerns
All of the ticks in Rhode Island can carry and spread dangerous diseases to humans and animals. Some of the many illnesses you could catch from a tick bite include Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Powassan virus, tularemia, and ehrlichiosis. Pets can also catch most of these diseases and can experience a variety of side effects, such as lethargy, vomiting, fever, and loss of appetite.
Expert Tick Control Services: Keeping Your Property Tick-Free
The best way to keep ticks out of your yard is to hire a professional. A female tick can lay up to 3,000 eggs at one time, which is why tick infestations spread so quickly. By teaming with professional tick control specialists, your yard can receive regular treatments, which can eliminate the ticks throughout all stages of life.
Tick Prevention Tips: Expert Advice For A Tick-Free Life
If you want to keep ticks off your property, give your pet a flea and tick prevention medication and try to keep them away from areas with tall grass. Also, give us a call, and let us keep your Rhode Island yard tick-free. Give our Rhode Island tick control professionals at Big Blue Bug Solutions a call today.
