How Ticks Get Into Texas Homes
Ticks are busy during the summer months in Texas because the animals they use as hosts become much more active. However, the hot weather and humidity also inspire the ticks in this area to be more active. As a result, during the summer months, we need to take precautions to limit our exposure to ticks and tick bites. One of the ways we can do this is by using pest control strategies to keep ticks out of our homes!
4 Ways Ticks Get In
Pets - This is the most common way ticks get into a home. Homeowners who have dogs or cats have a greater chance of a tick infestation.
Rodents - A single mouse can carry as many as 100 ticks on its body. When rodents invade a home, they can travel throughout your home, spreading ticks as they go.
Kids - If you have kids who play outside, especially in locations where questing ticks can be found such as areas of tall grass, ornamental landscaping, and shaded locations around the perimeter of your foundation, they may pick ticks up and bring them inside.
Anyone - Both kids and adults can acquire ticks when spending time in woodland areas or walking through grassy locations.
Tick Prevention For Dogs And Cats
The first line of defense for your pets are veterinarian-prescribed tick products. One of the best is a good tick collar. When ticks crawl onto your pets, they will often climb up to the ear area to attach themselves. When they climb up and come in contact with the collar, it will give them a dose of a low-grade insecticide that is strong enough to eliminate ticks, fleas, and other small bugs.
If you have a dog, it is important to establish a fenced-in play area. This will prevent your furry family member from wandering into grassy areas or exploring shaded locations around your home where they may come into contact with ticks. It will also work to keep wildlife off of your property and reduce the tick populations in your yard.
Wildlife control is key in keeping ticks out of your yard and reducing your pets’ exposure to them. To deter wildlife animals from your yard, make sure your outdoor trash is stored in trash cans with sealing lids. Some other helpful steps in deterring wildlife include: keeping your grass trimmed, creating spacing between ornamental plants in your landscaping to make it harder for animals to hide, and reducing any clutter in your yard that could provide harborage for rodents and other small animals.
Check out this article for more prevention tips that can help to protect your pets.
General Tick Prevention
Since both children and adults can bring ticks into your home, personal tick prevention is an essential step in the prevention of tick infestations. Here are some helpful tips that can help you limit your exposure to ticks!
If you avoid locations where ticks are commonly found, you may be able to avoid picking them up. Ticks need high humidity to survive and thrive in locations that are shaded and moist. You'll find them living in forests and other woodland locations, in tall grass, in landscaping, and near damp areas.
When you are spending time outdoors, consider using insect repellent on your feet and legs. This will prevent ticks from climbing onto you in search of exposed skin. There are repellents made specifically for ticks, but mosquito repellent will work as well.
When you go outside, wear light-colored clothing so you can see any ticks that are climbing up your body in search of exposed skin. Ticks don't fall from trees or jump onto you. Instead, they will crawl onto you and climb up until they find an area of exposed skin to latch onto.
Sometimes ticks can climb under pant legs. It may look silly, but tucking your pant legs into your socks can make it harder for ticks to get to your skin and attach.
Always perform a thorough tick check on yourself, your family members, and your pets before coming inside after spending time outdoors. Early detection can prevent an infestation but it will also help to prevent tick-borne diseases such as Lyme, STARI, and alpha-gal allergy.
If you live in the Houston area and need assistance with tick elimination inside your home, exterior tick reduction treatments, rodent control, or any other pest control services, give us a call today! Year-round pest control service is one of the best investments you can make for your Texas home, and the professionals at Modern Pest Control have the experience to get it done right!
Residential Tick Control In Greater Houston
When pests make it inside your home or set up harborage points in your yard, an endless cycle of problems can result. Pest invasions can lead to property damage, impact your health, and even attract other pests to your property. Ticks are among the worst offenders in this regard: while they won’t cause property damage or directly damage you the way wildlife or wasps might, the diseases they spread can last a lifetime.
To effectively stop this cycle or prevent it from starting in the first place, you need to partner with residential pest control experts. At Modern Pest Control, we pride ourselves on putting our clients above all else. We can confidently say that you’ll be pleased with our effective and affordable services. Here’s why:
- Prevention: We address the harborage points around your property by focusing on the eaves of your home and any cracks or holes around your walls and fencing.
- Protection: We also provide perimeter treatments, yard treatments, and interior solutions that shield your home against future infestations.
- Quality: This comprehensive approach ensures high-quality results by eliminating existing pests and protecting against others that might try to invade.
Don’t wait for pest problems to grow out of control. If ticks are biting around your Greater Houston home, contact Modern Pest Control today to get started with home pest control services.