Ticks, arthropods that are often mistaken for insects, can be found in most areas of the country, including Northern New Jersey. Although ticks are known for their blood-sucking behavior on animals, they can transmit disease-causing organisms to both animals and humans. The best method of tick prevention for your home is reliable tick pest control in Bergen County.
What Do You Know About Ticks?
Although many people have found ticks on their pets at one time or another, others may have little knowledge or experience with ticks and the problems they can cause. There are two main types of ticks, hard ticks and soft ticks. Although the body structures are different, both types feed through all of their developmental stages by sucking blood from their host. They must have a blood meal to grow to the next life cycle. Female ticks must feed on their host to develop eggs, while male ticks stay on their host to mate.
All ticks spend most of their life cycles searching for and feeding on hosts. Some types of ticks prefer small animal hosts, while others look for specific animal species to feed. They search for their hosts by body heat and body scents of ammonia and carbon dioxide. Ticks can find hosts by crawling towards them, or waiting to attach when the host passes by. Their front legs have special organs that detect scents, and they latch on to those hosts first. Ticks do not fly or jump, so they must come in direct contact with a host to attach. Tall grass, weeds and overgrown plants and shrubs are favorite places for adult ticks to hide and attach to a host when they brush up against the vegetation. Immature ticks, in early egg, larva and nymph life stages, prefer leaf litter and low vegetation as comfortable feeding grounds.
Young ticks typically attach to small animals and can be knocked off rather easily. Ticks in nymph and adult stages frequently climb onto grasses and herbaceous shrubs and plants to find easier access to a larger host. It’s not unusual for adult ticks to rest on foliage for several months just waiting for the right host to pass by. Ticks can pose dangerous conditions for both humans and pets, so talk to your landscape professional about tick pest control in Bergen County for your home.
What Ticks Are Common To Bergen County?
There’s a variety of ticks, but some are more common in the Northeast and most likely to be found in areas of Northern New Jersey like Bergen County. If you’re experiencing a problem, or suspect these ticks in your lawn and landscape, contact a landscape company that can provide professional tick pest control in Bergen County areas.
- Deer Ticks – Deer ticks, also called black-legged ticks, are common to Northeastern parts of the country. They are the main type of vector-born tick, known to carry and transmit Lyme disease, a serious illness with early symptoms of rash and flu-like illness. If Lyme disease is left untreated, it can lead to intestinal problems, arthritic conditions and even paralysis.
- American Dog Ticks – American dog ticks, also called wood ticks, are larger than deer ticks and females are covered by a white shield on their back. These ticks will readily attach to both animals and humans. They carry and transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever, a serious illness that shows up with symptoms of fever, headaches and muscle aches. Typically, a rash develops on your wrists, ankles, palms, soles of your feet and body trunk two to three days after contact.
How Do I Know If I Have A Tick Problem?
Ticks are difficult to spot in any landscape, since they prefer to stay well-hidden, blending into tall grass, weeds and plants. As a DIY procedure, you can look for ticks in your yard by a process called dragging and flagging. Since ticks are typically found within 18 inches from the ground, you can do a tick drag. This involves dragging a small, white cloth secured on a rod over dry grass and brush. Flagging is the same process, but done at higher levels across shrubs and bushes, particularly in wooded areas where ticks are often found. If ticks are present, they usually get caught by the white cloth. For best results, hire a professional landscape company who offers tick pest control in Bergen County.
How Do I Prevent Ticks In My Landscape?
Regular lawn care and maintenance will help to minimize ticks in your landscape. Making your landscape less attractive and inhabitable to ticks will reduce the risks of tick infestations, but tick pest control in Bergen County should be used for best results to eliminate ticks completely. Here are some helpful landscaping tips:
- Cut back vegetation and overgrown trees and shrubs
- Mow grass frequently and keep grass mowed at a short length
- Get rid of tall weeds and brush
- Get rid of dead leaves and plant debris
- Remove or compost leaf litter
- Avoid planting ground cover in heavily used activity areas
- Reduce inviting habitats for small animals and outdoor pests
- Reduce deer habitat and install fencing if necessary
- Locate play equipment at least five feet away from woodland edges
- Maintain at least a three-foot-wide hard surface walkway or barrier between your yard and woodland edges
Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
An Integrated Pest Management Program (IPM) is a pest control approach that focuses on natural, safe pest control methods. IPM relies on scientific knowledge of the pests and their natural habits. It can be more effective than conventional methods which use only chemicals. In IPM, pesticides may be used as a last resort, if chemical-free pest controls fail and the pest problem is serious enough to require chemical treatments. Integrated Pest Management focuses on safe, healthy pest control to keep your landscape and garden free of ticks, as well as other unwanted pests. If you have existing tick or pest problem, a professional can easily identify the severity of the infestation and offer the best pest control solutions before problems get worse.
By using an Integrated Pest Management Program, along with regular lawn care and maintenance, you can change the balance of pests in your landscape. Proper solutions include getting rid of weeds and debris that attract pests, providing regular irrigation, preventing standing water and planting pest-resistant plants or plants that attract beneficial insects and animals to your landscape.
An Integrated Pest Management Program typically includes:
- Winter lawn pests protection
- Organic feeding for root zones
- Organic controls for ticks, fleas and mosquitoes
- Organic repellents for deer
- Special pests control treatments as needed
A quality, professional Integrated Pest Management Program may include:
- A property visit from an IPM specialist up to seven times during the season.
- An inspection at each visit by an IPM specialist who will thoroughly inspect your shrubs and trees, and treat any insect, disease and outdoor pest problems as needed.
- A detailed report after each inspection outlining all pest problems found, and descriptions of pest treatments used.
The best way to prevent ticks in your landscape is by using regular tick pest control in Bergen County. Hire a professional landscape company who is knowledgeable and experienced in tick prevention and pest control. Acaricides, pesticides used to control ticks, should be applied at the right time of year, typically in May or early June when tick populations are most aggressive. To control deer ticks, black-legged ticks that can transmit Lyme disease, an additional application can be done in October. By hiring a professional to provide tick pest control in Bergen County, you can ensure a tick-free outdoor environment for your family and pets and prevent potential health hazards.
