How To Keep Ticks Away From Your Peoria Property

Ticks are one of the least desirable insects to encounter around your Peoria home and property. Besides being unpleasant to look at, ticks can spread several dangerous diseases – identification and prevention is key to keeping your home safe.

Identifying Ticks Around Your Peoria Home

There are three main types of ticks in Peoria that you are likely to encounter. We list these below in addition to the diseases that present a risk of spreading:

• Brown Dog Tick : Typically reddish-brown to dark brown in color, the brown dog tick typically lives on pets but has been known to bite humans. It can spread Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and ehrlichiosis.

• American Dog Tick : Dark brown in color, American dog ticks will bite both humans and animals. They are prevalent and can spread both Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and tularemia.

• Soft-Bodied Ticks : Soft-bodied ticks are smaller than other tick species and range from sandy-brown to red-brown and dark brown in color. They have more rounded bodied than other tick species and can transmit Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and tick-borne relapsing fever.

In general, ticks like to hang out in moist, shady areas. They do not enjoy being out in the open or in direct sunlight and prefer to hide in fairly secluded areas such as tall grasses, retaining walls, and bushes.

Ticks move from area to area by engaging in a behavior called questing. This involves the tick sitting on the edge of vegetation or tall grasses and waiting for a host to pass by. Once the unsuspecting human or pet moves close by the tick, the insect climbs aboard. From there, they can move to a different location with the host or start to feed. 

When a tick decides to attach themselves to a host, they will find a thinner skin area and bite into it. Their longer mouthpiece extends into the skin to help blood pool up for them to drink and prevent easy removal. The longer a tick stays attached to your skin, the higher the risk of disease transmission.

Peoria Tick Prevention Tips

While a widespread tick infestation should be dealt with by the professionals at Green Home Pest Control, there are some tick prevention tips you can utilize to stop ticks from entering your property in the first place:

• Keeping your grass trimmed low and your yard free of debris can help to deter ticks from hiding out on your property in the first place. You may also want to fix any leaks outside to stop a collection of moisture that may attract ticks.

• Add gravel barriers in your yard around areas of trees or dense vegetation. These barriers can deter ticks from entering into the area and setting up their home.

• Make sure to use tick prevention treatments on your pets if they spend a significant amount of time outside. This will help to stop ticks from hitching a ride on your animals into your home.

• Small mammals such as mice and squirrels and larger mammals like deer are prime wildlife hosts for ticks. Take steps to deter these animals from entering your property to prevent ticks from hitching a ride near your home. 

Solving Your Tick Problem

If you’re struggling with a tick infestation in Peoria, contact the professionals at Green Home Pest Control. We are a family-owned business offering an environmentally friendly approach to removing any trace of ticks from your home, giving you greater peace of mind. For more advice and assistance, call us today at Green Home Pest Control.