Protecting Yourself from Ticks & Lyme Disease

There’s not much more unsettling than the experience of finding a tick trying to lodge itself into your skin. What’s even more frightening about ticks, though, is that some of them have the ability to spread the bacterium that causes Lyme disease to humans. As is the case with all disease-spreading pests, it’s important to learn about the ways that they work so you can keep your distance from them and protect those around you from the potential consequences of their bites. Read on to learn more about Lyme disease and ticks in Albuquerque NM with Pest Defense Solutions!

Learn About Lyme Disease

Deer ticks, also called blacklegged ticks, are the ticks responsible for spreading Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. Humans most often contract Lyme disease when they receive a bite from a nymph, an earlier stage in the tick’s life cycle that is tiny enough to go easily unnoticed. Tick bites don’t usually hurt because the tick injects an anesthetic fluid into the bite mark to block the pain.

Lyme disease’s initial symptoms are headache, tiredness, rashes, fever, and pain in the joints and muscles. If the condition goes untreated, though, Lyme disease can lead to arthritis and nerve damage. If you’re experiencing any of the initial symptoms and think they could be related to a recent tick bite, contact your doctor immediately.

Preventing Tick Bites

To protect yourself, your family, and your pets from Lyme disease, you have to do everything you can to avoid ticks. These pests love to hide in shaded, humid, densely vegetated areas, waiting for small animals to pass by. Here are some things to keep in mind to avoid ticks in Albuquerque NM:

• When hiking, stay on the trail and keep any pets from wandering off
• Wear pants and long socks when you plan to spend extended time outdoors
• Perform a tick check on yourself and your pets when you come back inside
• If you do find a tick lodging itself into the skin, don’t use your fingers to remove it. Use a pair of tweezers and pinch the tick as close as possible to the skin, pulling away gently.

Tick Control in Albuquerque NM

If you’re regularly finding ticks on your kids or your pets after letting them play outside for a while, you likely have a tick problem on your property. Let the tick control experts at Pest Defense Solutions handle it! Our team of expert exterminators can assess your yard to find all possible tick hot spots and hiding places. Based on our findings, we can plan and perform a unique barrier treatment, using professional products and a personalized strategy to keep your yard tick-free. Contact us today to learn more and receive a free quote!