Has it been hot enough for you? It certainly has been so far this year for ticks. People who look into such matters have been saying since March that tick populations in Alabama are likely to detonate in 2013.

Don’t you don’t have to take Vulcan Termite and Pest Control, Inc.‘s word for it. But you definitely need to pay attention to Susan Little, who holds a PhD and is the Krull-Ewing chair in veterinary parasitology at Oklahoma State University, who stated this warning in Veterinary Practice News, “There has been an increase in tick populations over decades, but in the last 10 years, they have really exploded. And it is not just more ticks, it is more ticks in more places.”

How Did This Happen?

Mostly you’ll find this in your pets and livestock. But these buggers can also, left untreated do a number on humans. Why?

• As people there has been a trend that has led to more trees being replanted. Not only that, conservation efforts have been successful in keeping things wild. In other words, we have more open spaces.
• It’s a good news, bad news deal. We’re using insecticides more conservatively. The tough part is people are seeing more-and-more breeding of ticks.
• As a constant part of nature, birds migrate. When they fly from state-to-state, they become a tick’s favorite airline. No baggage fees for the blood suckers, either.
• When we leave the city for the suburbs more individuals share the space with each other, wildlife and ticks.
• For those in areas where there are white-tailed deer, there’s been an increase in the mammals population. More deer, more ticks.
• As we mentioned at the top, our winters have become warmer.

Michael Dryden who likewise holds a Ph.D. is a Professor at Kansas State University. He says, “Without the deep, hard, cold winters, we don’t have the winter kill, and several ticks that were abundant in the South have moved North. It has to be really cold to kill a tick, at least 10 degrees F, and it has to stay that temperature for some time. All it takes is temperatures of around 40 degrees F for ticks to be active. If it just drops overnight and then warms back up, that doesn’t help.”

Our Poor Dogs and Cats

Household pets are kinda like a barometer of tick infestation. Ohio State University’s Glen Needham, likens this flare-up on animals to “canaries in a coal mine.”

“Dogs are often the first indicator of a tick-borne disease in an area, because they are out in the habitat. If they are not protected by anti-tick products, they will pick up ticks and get sick. Veterinarians must keep abreast of what diseases are prevalent in the area where they practice. That can be a challenge.”

What Can You Do

We once wrote about this. Bears repeating:

Dogs brush against bushes where ticks are. We urge you to visit the vet and get a prescription for once-a-month pills that will repel not only fleas and ticks, but kill them if they do manage to latch onto the animal’s flesh — seeking blood.

Pay close attention to where they sleep and regularly clean their beds. Give your pet an occasional bath. Same goes for grooming. Brush the long-haired canines a couple of times a week. Get a flea/tick brush and closely groom their coat.

If you find a tick on your pet, take care of it immediately. Make an appointment with your vet for removal. Plucking will only get rid of the business-end, leaving behind some of the tick. Make sure you don’t put-off an appointment for more than a day-or-two. While you’re on the phone with the doctor’s office, ask them what you should do in the meantime.

Never grab the tick with your hands. That can cause fluids in the sucker to enter your dog, cat or your body. Makes everyone sicker. See a pro to let it go.

Original Source: https://www.vulcantermite.com/garden-pest-control/tick-alert-2013-is-a-bumper-year

Image Source: lymedisease.org