Ticks usually stay active longer in Texas than in most other parts of the country. The ticks in this area are capable of spreading dangerous diseases that could make you and your pets very sick.
If you find ticks on your pet or home, you probably already have a severe tick infestation on your property. At Gold Star Exterminators - Del Rio, we provide effective tick control in Brackettville. Here is a complete look at the steps you need to take to have a tick-free yard.
The Life Cycle Of Ticks: A Comprehensive Overview
There are over 900 different types of ticks in the world. All ticks go through four life stages, but the time it takes to complete each stage varies by species.
The four different life stages that ticks go through include:
- Egg: Tick eggs are usually incredibly small and hard to see with the naked eye. They are 1/2mm round and are pale-cream color and slightly translucent. These are typically attached to some natural object, like leaves or grass. A female tick can lay anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand eggs at one time.
- Larva: Once the tick egg hatches, a tiny larva tick will emerge. Tick larvae look like small versions of adult ticks. They only have six legs and are about the size of a poppy seed. Because they are so small, they are called "seed ticks."
- Nymph: Once a larva tick has taken a blood meal, it will shed its skin and enter the nymph stage. During this stage, the tick gets two more legs and will need to find another blood host soon to continue to grow and eventually reach full maturity.
- Adult: After the nymph feeds, grows, and molts, it will reach full maturity. Adult ticks can come in a variety of colors but are usually dark brown. Some might have light brown, gray, or white markings on their bodies.
Once a tick in Bracketville reaches full maturity, it will use humans and larger animals as blood hosts. While you can find any tick on any animal, you most commonly find adult ticks on deer, dogs, and other medium-sized and large mammals.
Call a professional tick exterminator to protect yourself and your pets when you first see a tick around your home.
The Dangers OF Tick-Borne Diseases: Risks And Symptoms
Ticks can carry a wide range of bacteria, viruses, and parasites. When they drink the blood of infected animals, they can become infected as well. When they take a blood meal, they use their thin mouthpieces to pierce their host's skin and drink their blood. While consuming the blood, they inject a small amount of saliva into their host's body. The saliva contains a compound that stops the blood from coagulating and is how the ticks spread their harmful pathogens.
One of the most common tick-borne illnesses for humans and animals is Lyme disease. If you become infected with this disease, you may not notice any symptoms until a few days later. If you become infected with Lyme disease, the first symptom you may notice is a unique rash that forms a red ring around the bite site and will sometimes resemble the shape of a bull's eye. After a few weeks to months, you may experience flu-like symptoms that may lead to Bell's palsy and other neurological problems.
Professional tick control methods can help prevent you from catching other dangerous diseases, like tularemia, tick-borne encephalitis, anaplasmosis, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. The best way to reduce your chances of getting a tick-borne illness is to have professional tick treatments applied to your property.
Tick Prevention: Remedy Factors That Attract Ticks To Your Property
Ticks are attracted to yards that have plenty of hiding spots. Our local tick control experts recommend keeping the grass in your yard short, removing any leaf piles and other debris, and placing stacks of firewood as far away from your house as possible.
Professional Tick Control Services: Stress-free And Effective
Ticks can invade your yard by the thousands. If you are looking for a safe and easy way to keep ticks out of your yard, Gold Star Exterminators has the perfect solution. Our Brackettville tick control experts offer a variety of comprehensive and customizable treatments designed to get rid of the ticks on your property for good.