What are Gulf Coast Ticks and Can You Prevent Them?

What are Gulf Coast ticks? Gulf Coast Ticks are a reddish-brown tick species. You can recognize them by this coloration, and a variety of whitish patterns on their backs. The most common area for them to be found is the Southeast, and Florida is prime territory for them. We have one of the longest tick seasons of all – Gulf Coast Ticks are most active February through September, although they aren’t limited to these months.

Do Gulf Cost Ticks Transmit Disease?

Yes. Gulf Coast Ticks are particularly dangerous disease carriers. They will readily bite and feed on humans, as well as pets, birds, livestock, and other animals. They can transmit Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever to humans. Less common, but still possible, they can cause Tick Paralysis, a reaction to toxins that can lead to paralysis and respiratory failure. There is a larger array of diseases they can transmit to animals.

What are Good Tick Prevention Tips?

Tick control of a property is important. This can involves cutting back the grasses and overgrowth that form their habitat. When entering tick habitat, it’s smart to wear longer pants and sleeves. A repellent such as DEET can be used on skin, or permethrin on clothing only (but not skin). Do not use these repellents on animals, since they will lick their fur and may ingest them.

All this said, the most effective tick control step is checking yourself, your clothing, and your pets after leaving a tick environment. They can crawl and they’re very small, so check everything thoroughly.

How can I remove a Gulf Coast Tick?

It’s important to avoid just tearing the tick out. If tick prevention doesn’t work and you find a tick embedded in your skin, handle it step by step. Most disease transmission won’t occur within the first several hours, so there’s no need to panic. Using tweezers, grasp the entire tick firmly, as close to the skin as you can get.

Then pull it out straight. Do not twist as you pull. This can tear the body from the head, and leave the head impacted under your skin. This can still transmit disease, even if you’ve successfully pulled the body of the tick off. If you have any doubt over whether you’ve gotten the entire tick, seal it in a plastic bag and feel free to consult Slug-A-Bug. As a Brevard County Pest Control service, we’ve seen our share of ticks.