Icy roads, high heating bills, frozen pipes, shoveling snow. These are all concerns we deal with during a Long Island winter. But ticks? Do we need to worry about ticks in the heart of winter? The answer may come as an unpleasant surprise for you.
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Five Tips for Keeping Your Kids Safe This Tick Season
Few insects inspire fear like ticks. Partially because they look a bit like tiny spiders, but even more because we know they latch on to us, suck our blood, and potentially leave behind a host of different tick-borne diseases; just the thought of a tick can make your skin crawl.
For most people, the obvious answer is to avoid them. But when you are a parent, especially a parent with children who enjoy playing outdoors, there is an ever-present threat of one of the little monsters attacking your little monster.
So how do you keep your kids safe from ticks? As with most insect bite prevention, the key is planning.
- First, when your children go outside, know where they will be and evaluate the risk. While your backyard might not seem like a haven for ticks, you might be mistaken. The first step in keeping kids safe is ensuring your yard is not hospitable to ticks.
The Centers for Disease Control suggests frequently mowing, keeping leaves raked and wood neatly stacked in a sunny, dry place. They also say to keep swings, monkey bars, and other play equipment in bright areas, not under a shade tree. Remember that play equipment in the sun can get hot and cause burns.
- The next step in preventing ticks on your child is to clothe them appropriately. It’s time to forgo favorite colors that are dark and allow bugs to hide. Instead, opt for light-colored clothing and closed-toe shoes. Wearing a hat is always a good idea when under trees and staying out of high weeds.
- The third step to keeping your children safe during tick season is learning to perform a good tick check and safely remove a tick found on your child.
Every time your child comes in from the outdoors, it’s a good idea to do a quick visual inspection to look for ticks.
Not sure how to check for ticks on a child? This YouTube tutorial can help. The key is to inspect their hairline and all the crevices an insect might be able to hide in. Often ticks are found on the scalp or in the armpits, but the mother in the video found a tick in her son’s belly button.
One way to help prevent a tick from latching onto your child is to have them take a bath or shower as soon as they enter. This also helps get rid of any allergens they pick up while outside.
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What to do ff I find a tick on my child? That’s where the fourth step comes in: don’t panic.
Yes, ticks in New York can carry disease, but getting rid of the tick as quickly as possible is essential. Remove the tick from your child, and then worry about the consequences.
Grab a pair of tweezers and a plastic bag. Grasp the tick as close to the head as possible and pull it directly away from the skin. Put the tick in the plastic bag, rinse the wound with soap and water or an antiseptic and then call your pediatrician’s office for advice. Some doctors may want to see the tick to determine the chances of it making your child sick and recommend any follow-up treatment.
- The fifth step in preventing ticks on your children this summer should be your first step. Call East End Tick Control and talk to us about tick prevention treatment for your property. You’ll still want to be careful and use insect repellent, but you’ll sleep a lot easier if you know you’ve done all you can to keep ticks out of your yard and off your kids.
Prevent Ticks by Calling East End Tick Control
Although Lyme disease is highly treatable, prevention is the best cure. Professional tick mitigation is one of the most effective ways to avoid these pests on your property. Since 1997, East End Tick and Mosquito Control® have been Suffolk County’s most trusted tick control company. For 25 years, we use the most effective extermination methods to protect yourself and your family. Request a free estimate now or call our Southampton office at (631) 287-9700, our East Hampton office at (631) 324-9700, or our Southold office at (631) 765-9700.
Fall Tick Bite Prevention Tips
Many long-time Long Island residents would argue that the fall is the best time of the year on the East End. Farm stands are full of locally grown pumpkins, squash, and apples. Every weekend in October, there are fall festivals and events for all ages. But there is a hidden outdoor predator that lurks amid the pumpkin patches and hayrides. Ticks remain active until the temperatures dip under 40 degrees. Here are some tips to help prevent tick bites while you are out enjoying all that a Long Island autumn has to offer.
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5 Tips to Protect Your Pets from Ticks and Mosquitos
Tick season is still going strong and will be until temperatures drop below 40 degrees. It is essential to protect not only yourself and your family but your pets as well. Not only do you want to keep your precious pet safe and prevent them from contracting Lyme disease or other tick-borne diseases, but your pets can also unknowingly introduce ticks into your home. Even worse, mosquitos can transmit the parasite, leading to heartworms, a preventable yet potentially deadly disease. So how do you protect yourself and your dog or cat?
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Three Tips to Prevent an Indoor Tick Infestation
When you hear about tick prevention, the main focus is usually on preventing ticks from biting you while you are outdoors. While this is important, not bringing ticks into your home is critical as well. Having an infestation in your home can be dangerous to your health if the ticks are carrying bacteria or infections such as Lyme disease. The tick extermination experts at East End Tick and Mosquito Control® are here to give you three tips to prevent an indoor tick infestation.
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How to Protect Yourself from Ticks this Spring
Spring is here, and so are pesky, disease-carrying ticks. We should be able to freely enjoy the warm weather without worrying about becoming an all-you-can-eat buffet for these bothersome insects who can transmit life-threatening diseases. Luckily, the East End Tick Control® experts have extensive knowledge of how to keep ticks away from you and your property. Here are three ways to protect yourself from ticks this spring.
- Cover Up for Hikes
- Regularly Mow Your Lawn
- Use Cedar Oil Spray
A popular activity during the spring season is going on hikes, but this is also when ticks are very active. To protect yourself from ticks while hiking, TomsOfMaine.com recommends wearing clothing that covers your skin as much as possible. These clothing articles include long sleeve shirts, long pants tucked into thick socks, and close-toed shoes. The less exposed skin available, the less of a chance that a tick will land on you. Make sure that you spray yourself with tick repellant as well, for an added layer of protection.
Ticks thrive in damp, dark, and dense grassy and wooded areas. Therefore, a highly effective way to protect your property and your loved ones from ticks are to maintain your lawn’s length by regularly mowing it down. YayaOrganics.com explains that this is a reliable method to ward off ticks because they will not be comfortable staying in short grass due to there being a higher chance of the heat from the sun drying them out. If you have leaf piles, woodpiles, or mulch on your property, make sure that the area around them is clear as well, as they are major breeding grounds for ticks.
Many essential oils are effective in repelling and even killing ticks, and one of those essential oils is cedar oil. FarmersAlmanac.com states that using cedar oil spray is a wonderful way to naturally protect yourself from ticks because cedar oil kills ticks on sight. You can apply cedar oil spray on your clothing or even directly on your skin because it is non-toxic.
Even with these methods, carefully check yourself, your family, and your pets after spending time outdoors. Whether you are doing yardwork, walking in the park, or simply spending time relaxing in your backyard, ticks are always active and you should be constantly vigilant. If you spot a tick, here is our handy guide to help you identify it. Print a copy to carry with you if you’re going to be outdoors for a while so that you can easily identify bugs that you may find on your body or clothing.
East End Tick Control® Protects You from Ticks Year-Round
If you want a longer-term solution to protecting yourself from ticks, contact East End Tick Control® today! We use various products to rid your eastern Suffolk County property of ticks and keep them from coming back. Once spring and summer are over, our professionals can continue to treat your property for ticks during the off-season so you can be protected all year long. Ensure your family’s safety and give the experts at East End Tick Control® a call. Residents near Southampton can call (631) 287-9700. East Hampton area residents can call (631) 324-9700. Residents near Southold can call (631) 765-9700. You can also email us. We look forward to helping you!