Ticks are going to continue being a major problem. It rarely ever gets cold enough that they have to take a break. Contrary to popular belief, they do just fine after heavy rain. That means they’re just as active as they’d normally be. Tick prevention and knowing your tick removal is a must – you will want to get rid of ticks even throughout the fall and winter months down here.

Tick Prevention

First things first: ticks’ abilities to transmit disease cannot be overstated. They carry a host of diseases that can be transmitted and that can change your ability to function as you’d like the rest of your life. Some are debilitating, and even fatal. Though not the most serious tick-borne disease, there’s even one that’s been identified recently that can make you allergic to meat for the rest of your life because of how your body’s reactions change.

When you go for a hike, or even do yard work or walk in an area with uncut grass or bushes, wear a bug repellent. DEET works well against ticks and can be applied to your skin. There’s been some controversy over DEET repellents in the past, but they’re safe to use and our body processes the DEET out.

Permethrin is another option, but make sure you only use this on your clothes – do not apply it to your skin.
Ask a veterinarian before applying repellent of any kind to a pet. Many repellents are safe for pets, but because different animals and breeds of dog respond differently, a veterinarian can tell you which is safe for use on your pet.

Tick Removal

Make sure you check for ticks after hiking or outdoor work. Run your hands over your body (or through your pet’s fur) to check for smooth, hard bumps. If you find any, inspect more closely. Ticks can crawl once they’re on a host. They’re very mobile, so don’t just check skin that was exposed. Check your whole body to make sure to get rid of ticks.

Ticks generally don’t transmit diseases until they’ve been latched onto a host for more than several hours. If you identify and remove a tick early, you can avoid disease transmission. Make it a habit and you should be able to stay safe.

Tick removal must be done in a precise way. If you rip the tick off, its head could stay buried beneath your skin and it will continue to expose you to disease. Tick removal should be done with tweezers. Grasp the tick on either side as close to the head as possible. Don’t squeeze too hard – you don’t want to “pop” the tick or squish it. Grasp firmly and pull the entire tick out. Do NOT twist when doing so. This will leave the head impacted in your skin.

If you’re ever unsure whether you’ve removed the entire tick, you can put what you’ve removed in a Ziploc bag and bring it in to a Brevard County Pest Control service like Slug-A-Bug. We’re happy to examine the tick to make sure you pulled its body and head out.

Tick Control

If you have a tick infestation on your property, a pest control company like Slug-A-Bug can help you get rid of ticks. We can check your property for tick activity, and instruct you on how to change the environment in small but meaningful ways that deter ticks from the property.