How To Protect Yourself From Dangerous Naples Ticks
Here in Naples, we don’t have a lot of natural barriers to tick population growth. Our mild Florida winters and humid climate allow ticks to remain active and thriving all year round. The abundant wildlife in our wilderness areas provides these parasites with plenty of opportunities for a blood meal.
This means Naples residents don’t get any break from tick activity because tick season is year-round. So you’ve got to be vigilant and not just when you’re out in the woods. You need to ensure your property doesn’t become a breeding ground for ticks.
Tick Tock Around The Clock
We have many tick species here in Florida, and though they all look a little different (and spread various diseases), they all have the same strategy for feeding. Ticks will either drop onto their hosts from above or crawl onto their bodies while they’re walking through tall grass or shrubs. You’ll encounter ticks in wooded or wilderness areas most of the time, but they’re also common in parks and urban areas with many trees and shrubs.
Ticks often feed on rodents and birds, so they’re pretty mobile even though they’re not agile. They latch onto a host and drop off whenever they’re done feeding, perhaps having run or flown for miles in between. That means you’re not necessarily safe from ticks just because you’re not in the woods. A tick could drop on you when you walk from your house to your car with trees in your yard.
Dangers Of Ticks
Ticks aren’t just annoying. They don’t just leave itchy bites behind. Some ticks spread serious illnesses that can cause lasting debilitation and even death. Lyme disease is the most common and most dangerous illness that ticks spread in our area. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that attacks the heart, brain, nervous system, and other body areas. It can lead to lifelong cognitive and physical disability.
About half the time, Lyme disease starts with a large, bullseye-shaped rash that radiates from the site of the bite. The other half of the time, you might not experience any symptoms at all until Lyme disease is in advanced stages, which is why it’s so important to avoid tick bites. Lyme disease is highly treatable in its early stages, so it’s essential to seek medical attention right away if you develop a rash around a tick bite.
How To Prevent Ticks
You need to keep ticks both off yourself and away from your property. Your chances of being bitten are greatly increased if you have a breeding population of ticks living in your yard.
To Keep Ticks Off Your Body:
- Use bug repellent containing DEET or picaridin when in the wilderness.
- Wear protective clothing (long sleeves and pants) when in wooded areas.
- Check yourself for ticks when coming in from outside.
- If you find a tick embedded in your skin, pull it out in a straight line without tearing or puncturing it until after you remove it.
To Keep Ticks Off Your Property:
- Deter wildlife hosts that could bring ticks onto your property.
- Treat pets with flea and tick prophylactics.
- Trim back tree branches and keep shrubs and grass clipped short.
- Clear yard debris and store firewood away from your house.
If you wind up with a tick infestation, it can be challenging to get rid of them independently. Since ticks are mostly outdoors, it’s hard to find and spray for them. Fortunately, Keller’s Pest Control has you covered. Our home pest control programs can deal with any size infestation and make sure it’s eliminated permanently. So give us a call or visit our contact page to get started today.