Spring is in the Air -- Along with Ticks!

By Sharon Marie Bay

As soon as the weather turns nice, we humans have a tendency to spend more time outdoors and want to bring our pets with us. What we need to be aware of is that ticks can be anywhere and everywhere you go from that stroll in the woods, to running in your backyard. Other then just being vile little things, these insects can cause serious health issues and diseases for you and your animals.

While everyone has heard of ticks, some people might not know what exactly they are. Professional Pest Control of Florida has a website if you would like more information about the biology, life cycle, and elimination of ticks at www.pestproducts.com. A summary of their article follows below.

Ticks feed on the blood of vertebrates, but not every tick can survive on the same host. They can be divided into two different groups based on where their head is located. Hard ticks have their head exposed and can be seen from the top. These are more easily identifiable as ticks. Soft ticks have a more non-descriptive type of body shaped more like a sack. They have a very rough surface structure.

A tick cannot run, hop, fly, or even move quickly. They must climb onto something such as tall grass or weeds and wait for a suitable host to pass.

There are many different types of ticks depending on what part of the country you live in.

Deer Ticks: One of the more common ticks in the United States and can be found all across the country. It is also the smallest at about 3mm in diameter. This breed of tick is the primary carrier of Lyme disease.

Brown Dog Ticks: Also found all over the US, it is the most commonly found tick. It is around 5mm and while it will attach to humans, is most common to dogs.

American Dog Tick and Rocky Mountain Wood Tick: Both of these ticks are carriers of the Rocky Mountain spotted fever. While they are not contained to the area, they are generally found in the Rocky Mountain region. They are some of the largest ticks at 7 mm.

Ground Hog Tick: Found in the Northeastern region of the US, these ticks are found in cabins and cottages and mostly only use humans and groundhogs as hosts.

If you should find a tick, gently remove it with a set of small tipped tweezers pulling slowly, but firmly away from the skin. Once you have removed and disposed of it, wash the affected area with anti-bacterial soap along with the tweezers. DO NOT try to smother it with petroleum jelly or finger nail polish or try to burn it off with a match. These methods only increase your chances of allowing more blood to transfer between the parasite (the tick) and the host (your pet).

If you should have any question regarding if you or your pet has been infected, contact your health providers. Your vet and doctor will know how to proceed. The easiest way to help keep your animal friend tick free is to use one of the prescribed flea and tick prevention treatments. You can start using them at any time and is a much cheaper option then the cost if you or your pet is infected.