How to properly check for and remove ticks?

Many insects and pests are becoming more prevalent as people spend more time outside. Ticks, which are little bloodsucking parasites and arthropods, are among them. When considering the risk of tick bites, one of the most important considerations is your location. Ticks can be found in a variety of habitats across Canada. What infectious diseases a tick can spread is determined by its kind or species.

What are the dangers associated with ticks?

The danger associated with ticks is considerable given there are ample tick-borne diseases:

• Lyme Disease
• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
• Tick Fever
• Tularemia
• Ehrlichiosis

All these diseases are but a few amongst many.

Tick Bites

Tick bites are frequently asymptomatic, meaning they cause no visible symptoms. Ticks, on the other hand, can induce allergic reactions and can transmit diseases to humans and pets when they bite. These can be hazardous, if not fatal. Ticks like parts of the body that are warm and moist. Once a tick has attached itself to your body, it will most likely go to your armpits, groin, or hair. 

They bite into your skin and start drawing blood when they are at a desired location. Ticks, unlike most other biting insects, will stay connected to your body after they bite. You will know if one bites you because you will see it on your skin. An engorged tick can detach and fall off after a period of up to 10 days of collecting blood from your body.

Tick bites are normally painless and have no ill effects. If you are allergic to tick bites, you may have the following symptoms:

• Swelling or discomfort at the biting location
• A red rash
• A sense of burning at the bite site
• Blisters
• If the problem is serious, you may even have trouble breathing

Tick Diseases

After a tick bite, most signs and symptoms of a tick-borne disease will appear between a few days to a few weeks. Even if you don't have any symptoms, it is crucial to see your doctor as soon as possible after a tick bite. Ticks can spread disease to humans and these illnesses can be deadly.

In tick-infested areas of the country where Lyme disease is frequent, Lyme disease medicine may be recommended after a tick bite, even if symptoms have not yet appeared. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) should be treated as soon as possible if it is suspected so that risk of infection is not increased.

If you get odd symptoms after being bitten by a tick, such as a fever, rash, or joint discomfort, you should seek medical attention straight away. Notify your doctor that you were bitten by a tick recently. To evaluate whether your symptoms are caused by a tick-borne disease, your doctor will do a thorough history, examination, and tick testing.

How Does Pest Management Work?

A few interesting facts about ticks

It is not because they are disgusting little creatures that they are not fascinating.

Here are a few facts about ticks:

• Ticks are not insects
• Ticks grow when they eat
• Ticks take their time

Ticks are not insects

Ticks are arachnids, which means they have more in common with spiders than flies or mosquitos. Ticks resemble spiders in appearance: They have four pairs of legs, no antennae, and cannot fly or jump.

Instead, when ticks are hungry, they tend to congregate on grass blades or other plants, where they wait for a human or animal to approach. From there, some ticks may crawl around until they reach a thin piece of skin near a small blood vessel, where it is easier to extract blood.

Ticks grow when they eat

Female ticks will eat so much that they will become engorged. Their purpose is to gather enough blood to keep them alive long enough to produce eggs, after which they will die. The size and weight of a female tick that has been fed will vary depending on the species, but some will more than double in size and weight.

Ticks take their time

Believe it or not, ticks are extremely picky about what they eat. Once a tick has landed on its host, it begins looking for a suitable feeding spot, which is usually warm, damp, or hairy. The tick will begin preparing the skin after settling on a spot, which can take up to two hours!

The tick then burrows into the flesh with its barbed mouthpiece. Its saliva includes anaesthetic qualities that numb the skin, making the bite unnoticeable to the host. The duration of tick attachment can range from 2 to 14 days, depending on the species and life stage. Ticks can go up to 200 days without food.

How to check for and remove ticks

Stay Calm

If you or a member of your household discover they have come in contact with ticks, remain calm. The bacteria that causes Lyme disease travels from the tick's gut to its salivary glands and into the host in around 36 hours.

It is crucial to remove the tick correctly. There is a lot of mythology about how to remove a tick from your skin. Some folks even mention having a glowing cigarette nearby and other such things. The most crucial thing is to utilize forceps that are suitable for the job, such as tweezers. Then:

• Grasp the tick with clean, fine-tipped tweezers as close to the skin's surface as possible.
• Pull up with even, steady pressure. If you twist or jerk the tick, the mouthparts may break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, use tweezers to remove the mouthparts. If removing the mouth with tweezers is difficult, leave it alone and let the skin recover.
• Clean the bite location and your hands thoroughly with rubbing alcohol or soap and water after removing the tick.

Never use your fingers to smash a tick. Get rid of a live tick by:

• Putting it in a bottle of alcohol;
• Placing it in a tightly sealed bag or container;
• Using tape to wrap it tightly; or
• Flushing it down the toilet. 

You can, in areas with common tick infestations or exposure to ticks, purchase a tick remover kit that has all the tools to aid in removing these pests.

Future Prevention

Tick prevention is essential. Wearing clothing that covers your arms and legs, tucking your pants into your socks and even putting tape around openings in clothing to prevent ticks from entering, and wearing light-colored clothing is recommended. When hiking, keep near the center of the path and avoid long grass when in the woods as ticks tend to stay in shrubs and bushes.

Check yourself or have a family member check you for ticks as soon as you get home. Check the folds of your skin and run a fine-tooth comb through your hair. Ticks on you should also be killed by showering and washing your clothes at a high temperature.

Hire an extermination company

Ticks can be a serious concern for adults, children, and pets. Household pest management is necessary to ensure peace of mind and minimize harm. Exterminators can assist you in eliminating pests by providing expert guidance and assistance before, during, and after the process.

The following services are provided by V Extermination:

• Work that is both quick and efficient every day of the week
• External security with peace of mind guarantee
• Vermin control that is both effective and successful
• Wildlife management (capture and relocation)

Contact V Extermination