Rocky Mountain wood ticks are parasitic arachnids that consume blood from warm-blooded mammals. They are tough to notice on clothing and in your pet’s fur coat.
Rocky Mountain ticks have a hard body with eight legs and are reddish-brown to dark brown. Females have prominent grayish patterns on their dorsal sides. Rocky Mountain ticks can cause severe, if not deadly, sickness in their hosts if left unchecked. They are known to carry Colorado tick fever, tularemia, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Let’s explore how to get rid of Rocky Mountain wood ticks.
1. Prevention
Image via Flickr by AndreyZharkikh
Taking preventive measures when going out into wooded areas can help reduce the risk of bringing Rocky Mountain wood ticks into your home. These creatures are masters of stealth and can be extremely hard to detect, making it of the utmost importance to take precautions when hiking, camping, riding an ATV, or taking a nature walk. Wearing long pants, high socks, long-sleeved shirts, and boots will go a long way toward keeping ticks at bay. In addition, during tick season, family screenings should be conducted after time spent outside, including indoor/outdoor pets.
2. Natural Tick Deterrents
There are a few natural repellents you can use to make ticks think twice before making a meal out of you or your pets (always consult your veterinarian before applying any repellent to your pet’s fur or skin). These natural tick repellents include:
· Cedar oil spray.
· Eucalyptus oil.
· Neem oil.
· Apple cider vinegar.
· Lemon, cinnamon, orange, peppermint, and lavender essential oils.
Another way to help prevent ticks is to eat more garlic or to take garlic supplements. Garlic induces the body to excrete a scent that naturally repels ticks. This method is not recommended for your pets. These and many more natural tick repellents can help you have stress-free walks through the woods. Natural remedies can be a healthier method for your family and pets but may not be as effective when it comes to deterring ticks.
3. Commercial Tick Repellent Spray
There are so many options to choose from in stores for tick repellent sprays, and all of them claim to do the same job. So how do you know which of these sprays are the real deal? When shopping for a tick repellent, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that you will need to search for six active ingredients to ensure you are getting a product that really works. These ingredients are:
· DEET.
· Picaridin.
· IR3535.
· Para-menthane-diol (PMD).
· Oil of lemon eucalyptus.
· 2-undecanone.
Products such as these can cause unpleasant side effects, and consumers should strictly follow all safety precautions on the products’ labels.
4. Professional Assistance
An infestation of Rocky Mountain wood ticks on your property or in your home will need to be swiftly resolved to protect your family and pets. If you are experiencing an infestation, contact pest control in Salt Lake City, Utah. Professional exterminators can assess the situation and take measures to eliminate the threat and prevent future invasions.
For more information on Rocky Mountain wood ticks, contact Bulwark Exterminating. They can provide you with valuable information for identifying dangerous pests and how to eliminate them. You don’t have to deal with pests such as Rocky Mountain wood ticks all alone.
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