“People know about Lyme Disease, but often do not take the steps to avoid being bitten by deer ticks, to protect their children, or to check a pet dog that is allowed to run free in a backyard or during a daily walk on a leash,” says Leonard Douglen, executive director of the New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania Pest Management Associations.
“As often as we warn people and urge them to avoid Lyme disease,” said Douglen, “the steps that should be taken are often a low priority. The tri-state deer population is estimated to be in excess of 100,000. That’s a risk that should not be taken.”
Pest management professionals have a variety of options for tick control to provide to homeowners living in wooded or suburban areas where deer and other wildlife are known to wander onto one’s property
“Deer ticks are not specific just to deer,” says Douglen. “They will hitch a ride on birds, squirrels, mice and other small animals as well, so even if you live in an area without deer, the possibility of being bitten by a deer tick is just as likely.” This increases for people who love gardening or outdoor recreational activities such as hiking and camping.
Children aged two to twelve are at the highest risk for being bitten by ticks because they often play in tick habitats.
“People are often more afraid of the licensed and proper use of pesticides, even when applied by licensed professionals, than they are of the diseases that insect pests like ticks transmit.,” says Douglen, “but Lyme disease is a terrible price to pay for not taking the steps to avoid it.”
Lyme disease is treatable in its early stage. According to Time for Lyme.com, “Early symptoms include a headache, stiff neck, numbness, tingling, fatigue, swollen glands or migratory pains that come and go. Late stage symptoms can be very serious.”
A little known fact about ticks is that they also transmit other diseases that include babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, bartonella or tularemia. There are, in fact, more than a hundred different strains of Lyme sisease and the Northeast is a major region for infections, but it has been reported in 49 States because more than fifty species of migratory birds spread the tick population.
“Pest management professionals recommend the use of repellents such as DEET,” says Douglen, although care should be exercised when applying them to children. The basic ingredient is pemethrin.
If you find a tick on your body or on a pet dog, health care professionals advise removing it with a tweezer by gripping its head and pulling it straight out in a slow, steady motion. Dogs should be examined regularly for ticks that can cause a fatal paralysis.
People who spend time outdoors are advised to wear light-colored clothes, keeping shirts tucked in and buttoned to avoid skin contact.