Ticks are very common pests. They can be found just about anywhere, especially if you live in a woodsy area. If you have pets and they are carrying ticks, then there is a higher likelihood that your home will also have some ticks hiding in the cracks and crevices of the building.
Ticks are pests, but if you consider them harmless, think again. They cause harm not only to your pets but to humans as well. Ticks carry deadly pathogenic organisms that can cause severe diseases in humans. They are carriers of Borrelia burgdorferi, a type of bacteria that causes Lyme Disease. Ticks are also known to cause Relapsing Fever as well as Colorado Tick Fever. They also cause allergic reactions that, in people with very weak immune system, could be very disastrous.
It is for these reasons that you need to keep your home tick-free. Below are some tips for keeping your home free from ticks.
Check Your Pets for Ticks
Your first-line of defense against a tick infestation is to see to it that your pets are tick-free. Dogs love to play outdoors and cats spend as much time as they can outside the house. Because they love exploring, it will be so easy for them to pick up ticks that crawl on the ground. These ticks can easily crawl off their hosts and invade your home.
To avoid this, you need to give your pets a thorough inspection for ticks. In addition to checking for ticks, you also need to give them regular grooming. Just be careful though when you are picking ticks from their bodies. Make sure that you wear protective gloves and use tweezers, too, to pick them up.
Clean Surroundings
Another way to prevent tick infestation is to maintain a clean home and garden. As mentioned earlier, ticks are can be found even on the ground, waiting for unsuspecting victims that they can hitch a ride on. They are hiding in tall grasses and bushes, and they are hiding in shady places, since they love humidity.
You can minimize tick population by making sure that your home and garden are always clean. See to it that there are no cracks in the foundations that ticks can crawl through, and see to it, too, that the grass is always cut short and the shrubberies are well-maintained so they will not have many hiding places. If you live in a woodsy area, make sure that there is a fence keeping wild animals out of your property. Remember, wild animals are also carriers of ticks as well as other parasitic and pathogenic organisms. You do not want them near your property, so you have to build a fence around your home.
Already Infested with Tick?
If your home is already infested with tick, the best thing that you can do to get rid of them is to call your local pest control company. Ask them if their products are green and organic, so the treatment will not pose any health risks to you and your pet. After the treatment, see to it that you always maintain a clean home and garden and that your pets are always tick-free.
Jennifer Dallman is a guest blogger for pest control blogs where she shares tips and advice to prevent pest infestation. If you have tick problems at home, she recommends you to visit Preventive Pest Control for consultation.
