Tick Identification Guide

Ticks are tiny external parasites that no homeowner is happy about discovering on their property. Their small size makes it easy to overlook these common Meridian pests. Ticks have a four-stage life cycle, and as they develop from egg to larva to nymph to adult, they require a blood meal from a new host. Their entire life cycle from start to finish generally takes about two to three years, sometimes longer, depending on environmental conditions. Ticks are active whenever the temperature is above freezing.

Ticks acquire and transmit diseases that make people ill through their feeding process. Though not all ticks carry disease, many do, which means that living near large populations of ticks is a health risk. Examples of diseases that ticks spread include Lyme disease, tularemia, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

Keeping ticks from forming large populations on your property is one of the best things you can do to limit your contact with disease-spreading ticks; other things you can do include:

• Use a tick repellent spray when outdoors, especially in wooded areas.
• When walking in wooded areas, stay at the center of the trail.
• When spending time outside in grassy or wooded areas, make sure to wear long pants and sleeves.
• After spending time outside, make sure to check yourself and your pets for ticks.

Ticks are a problem wherever their animal hosts spend most of their time; wooded areas, fields, parks, and, unfortunately, our backyards.

Ticks cannot fly or jump, so they move most efficiently on the backs of their animal hosts. In order to find a host, ticks crawl to the top of pieces of grass or other vegetation. When a host brushes past them, they will crawl onto their host, attach themselves and begin feeding. When full, the ticks drop off the host's body.

Wild animals living or traveling across your property are the most likely reason ticks have become a problem in your yard. Some of the tick's favorite animal hosts include squirrels, mice, deer, skunks, and raccoons.

If you find a tick inside your Meridian home, it is most likely because it came inside on you or a pet. They won't develop large populations inside a home because most species cannot complete their life cycle indoors.

Ticks spend their time in one of two places; on the back of an animal host or on the ground in a damp, dark area like the damp soil under leaves, shrubs, decks, or woodpiles. They also regularly hang out in grass that tends to overgrow next to decks, foundations, and walkways.

Stop ticks from taking over your Idaho yard by partnering with the local experts at Sawtooth Pest Control. We are a family-owned pest control company with over 18 years of combined experience and a dedication to helping families solve their property's pest problems. Our effective home pest control and commercial pest control services provide the regular services necessary to remove ticks from your property and keep them from returning.

Speak with one of our professionals today to learn about our tick control options!

Prevent ticks from becoming a permanent fixture in your yard with the assistance of the professionals at Sawtooth Pest Control and the following helpful tips.

• Keep your yard's grass cut short.
• Cut back vegetation from fence lines, walkways, and steps.
• Clean up yard debris like leaf piles and woodpiles from your yard to remove damp, dark places where ticks can hide.
• Remove bird feeders and keep lids on trash cans to make your yard less attractive to rodents and other wild animals often covered in ticks.