Whether residents in New Jersey refer to this pest as a wood tick or an American dog tick, it is always bad news. That is because these ticks can make people ill.
Still, people are unlikely to stop spending time in tick-infested areas. These areas are the places in which people hike, watch birds, hunt, cycle, kayak or camp. This means that encounters between people and American dog ticks are inevitable, with most of these instances occurring in the spring and summer.
It is not necessary to go to wilderness areas to find ticks. Suburban and even urban areas are prone to infestations if the conditions are right. Frequently, people bring ticks back after an afternoon or weekend of outdoor recreation without realizing that they are carrying the parasites with them.
People can take steps to protect themselves while still enjoying the outdoors. Many of these preventative measures are easy to perform. Wearing long pants with the hems tucked into boots or socks is an advisable precaution. It similarly is wise to wear long sleeves and use insect repellent.
Steps like these help people prevent an American dog tick from using them as a host. However, there is no substitute for doing a tick check before getting back in the car. It is essential to check clothing, gear, hair, pets and children for any ticks that might be hiding on them. This provides an opportunity to remove the ticks and leave them in the forest instead of bringing them home.
Nonetheless, home and business owners may find themselves dealing with an American dog tick problem. When this occurs, the most sensible response is working with a pest control professional. With their knowledge and access to specialized products, exterminators can stop tick infestations.
WHAT DO
AMERICAN DOG TICKS
LOOK LIKE?
With their flat bodies that are shaped like ovals, American dog ticks resemble many other tick species. A typical length of an adult is approximately five millimeters if no blood meal has been procured in some time. Recently fed specimens can swell up to about 15 millimeters. Overall, the American dog tick is brown, and it may exhibit some white and gray markings.
Like other arachnids, American dog ticks have eight legs. However, larvae have only six legs and the remaining two are added at a later developmental stage. Thanks to their eight legs, American dog ticks are well-equipped for maneuvering through hair and fur.
WHERE DO
AMERICAN DOG TICKS
LIVE?
Widespread across the eastern half of the U.S., American dog ticks are a highly common species in the Delaware Valley region. Brushy, woodsy areas are bound to host huge populations of these pests, and they do not restrict themselves to little-traveled places.
Instead, American dog ticks seem to have a keen sense for the places that are frequented by people and animals. They place themselves along trails, paths and roads that are likely to yield a host.
Without the ability to fly or jump, the American dog tick must rely on other means for acquiring a host. This involves a process called "questing." The tick uses its rear legs to cling to some foliage or a blade of grass. It reaches out with its front legs and waits to sense an approaching animal or person. They use those front legs to hitch a ride on skin, fur or clothing.
DAMAGE CAUSED BY AMERICAN DOG TICKS
In general, these pests do not want to be inside man-made structures. If they are carried indoors by a host, that will not bother them. They drop off of the host when they have eaten all the blood they want. Surviving and reproducing easily can be accomplished indoors. This is how many infestations in buildings begin.
Property damage typically is not a result of such an infestation. Even from outdoors, these pests are not destructive. Nonetheless, they are distinctly unwelcome in both places, yet they remain difficult to eliminate. The adults and the American dog ticks that are still developing are minuscule, making them harder to get rid of. Fortunately, pest management professionals utilize treatment methods that target ticks and other pests at all stages of development. This means that it is possible to actually end an infestation and not have it reoccur.
WHAT DO AMERICAN DOG TICKS EAT?
Classified as external parasites, ticks require blood meals from mammals to survive. Of course, people are just one example of hosts for American dog ticks. Adults are attracted by the scents of dogs and cattle as well as people. At earlier developmental stages, these ticks are more likely to feed on tiny rodents.
ARE
AMERICAN DOG TICKS
AGGRESSIVE?
Both male and female American dog ticks eat the blood of people and a variety of animals. However, there are appetite differences between the genders. Males do not need as much blood as females, which makes the females the more aggressive pest. They will remain on a host, feeding most of the time, for more than a week while the male only stays attached for a couple of days.
Once each sex drops from a host, they look for mates. The female lays approximately 4,000 eggs, shortly after which, she dies.
DO
AMERICAN DOG TICKS CARRY DISEASE?
Many people develop Rocky Mountain spotted fever after being bitten by an American dog tick. Frequently, a fever is the first signal that something is wrong. Within two to four days, a rash appears. The victim may experience nausea, stomach pain, headache, sore muscles and loss of appetite as the illness progresses. If prompt treatment is not received, the patient is subject to the amputation of limbs as a result of severe damage to blood vessels as well as paralysis and hearing loss.
Another common disease that is spread by the American dog tick is tularemia. Patients usually develop diarrhea, mouth sores, inflammation of the eyes, a sore throat, skin ulcers and swollen lymph glands in the early stages of the illness. Complications may ensue without proper treatment. These may include pneumonia, which can be responsible for causing chest pain, difficulty breathing and respiratory failure.
HOW TO DETECT AMERICAN DOG TICKS
Signs of tick presence include:
• Visual sightings of ticks indoors or outdoors • Discovering ticks on pets
HOW TO PREVENT AMERICAN DOG TICKS
To help prevent ticks the following steps should be taken: • Wear long pants and long sleeves in tick-infested areas • Use insect repellents • Wear apparel with light colors to make dark ticks easier to see • Do tick checks of all people and pets before getting back in the car • Check any outdoor equipment for the presence of ticks before coming home • Keep plants and trees under control • Set the lawn mower blade lower to keep grass shorter • Get rid of outdoor clutter
HOW TO TREAT FOR TICKS
At Newtown Termite & Pest Control, we take tick problems seriously. That's why we employ a comprehensive system based on both treatment and prevention when providing tick control for local homes and businesses.
Our treatment process includes all of the areas where ticks ate known to hide, including cracks, crevices, around doors, windows, baseboards, carpeting, furniture, and pet areas.
We use only the finest professional-grade products available designed to kill ticks on contact as well as to provide long-lasting protection against future infestations.
