Nobody wants to contract a blood-borne disease or deadly pathogen, but that might be difficult to achieve if you're a nature enthusiast, and even more difficult if you discover a tick infestation on your Tampa property. With their small size and nearly unnoticeable bite, ticks are incredibly dangerous pests that can go undetected as an infestation for months. While they're more commonly brought home after spending time in the wilderness, they can also be introduced to your lawn without you ever even knowing about it.
Ticks Commonly Found In Tampa
Florida is home to many different species of ticks, though some are more common than others. There is plenty that is easily discovered on nature hikes and invading Tampa neighborhoods, though:
- Deer ticks
- Lonestar ticks
- American dog ticks
- Gulf Coast ticks
Each of these species has its own distinctive attributes, but they all look fairly similar as far as appearance. Ticks are within the arachnid classification, so they have eight spindly legs. They grow between 1/8 to ¼ of an inch in length, are generally reddish-brown in color, have rounded flat bodies, and can swell up to ½ of an inch after fully engorging. The feeding process takes between 5 and 7 days, and within the first 24-36 hours they're capable of transmitting diseases such as rocky mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and tularemia.
How To Deal With An Attached Tick
Even though there are several ways to force a tick to remove itself, medical professionals encourage manual removal instead. Nail polish, vaseline, liquid soap, and freezing or burning the tick into detaching will all result in a successful removal, but this also may cause the tick to release fluid as it does so, which increases the chance of contracting a disease. Instead, use fine-point tweezers to grip the tick as close to the skin as possible, then pull upwards with a steady even pressure to detach. Don't twist, jerk, or crush the tick while it's still attached; those could also increase your chances of contracting a disease.
Tick Bite Symptoms: What's Normal And When To Seek Medical Attention
After reading the horrors of tick bites and tick-borne diseases, it's understandable to be anxious about a tick bite. Thankfully, they often require a full day or more of feeding before your risk of infection is significant, so removing a tick right after they attach shouldn't yield any concerning symptoms. An itchy welt where the tick was attached is perfectly normal, but other more severe symptoms should be assessed by a medical professional:
- Fever
- Chills
- Rash
- Fatigue
- Severe headaches
- Muscle aches
- Joint swelling and/or pain
- Weakness in limbs
- Unusually elevated heart rate
- Difficulty breathing
How To Control The Tick Population On Your Tampa Property
Ticks don't migrate on their own, so they're introduced to new locations rather than independently traveling. This could happen because of stray pets, but it could also happen because of rodents and wild animals such as mice, rats, possums, raccoons, and birds. The best way to reduce your chances of dealing with a tick infestation on your Tampa property is to remove leaf and brush piles, keep tight-fitting lids on outdoor trash cans, and maintain proper food storage in and around your home.
Sometimes, though, even the best precautions aren't enough to keep pests away. That's why it's always important to have a local pest control company you can trust to keep your property safe. At Bold Servicing, we strive to not only provide complete pest extermination but also year-round protection against even the most difficult pests. Our pest technicians are prompt, thorough, and incredibly efficient, and we only use the highest quality pest control products in all of our treatments. Get in contact with us today, and reclaim your yard this summer.