East End Tick Control - Tick & Mosquito Pest Control
Serving Southold, The Hamptons, and Montauk
When you find a tick on your skin or clothes… you may mentally retrace your steps, trying to figure out where you picked it up. You didn’t brush against tall grass or touch any plants, so how did it get there? Perhaps it jumped on you from a distance?
How far can ticks jump, anyway? Before anyone considers recruiting ticks for the Nets or the Knicks, let’s burst that bubble: ticks can’t jump. So how do these disease-carrying parasites find their way onto unwitting hosts?
Ticks are a problem from sea to shining sea. Even remote states like Alaska and Hawaii are home to one or more tick species. Unfortunately, New York state – including Long Island and, specifically, Suffolk County – is rife with ticks that transmit dangerous illnesses. The spread of tick diseases like Lyme disease, heartland virus, and alpha-gal syndrome is something all East End residents should understand and take precautions to avoid.
The dangers of tick-borne illnesses are well known. We’ve recently posted about Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and babesiosis… all of which are becoming increasingly common on Long Island. In addition to these tick-vectored diseases, there’s another more immediate danger of a tick bite: the possibility that you may have a tick allergy.
When it comes to tick-borne threats, Lyme disease grabs most of the headlines. With up to 30,000 reported cases annually (and some high-profile sufferers), its symptoms and potential consequences are well known.
But Lyme disease is only one of a handful of tick-borne diseases found on Long Island. These include Rocky Mountain spotted fever, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, Powassan virus, and a growing threat called Babesiosis.
Ticks and mosquitoes are seasonal pests. Their quest for blood begins when temperatures reach above 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and increases in severity as temperatures and humidity continue to rise. If you’re a homeowner living in Eastern Long Island or the Hamptons, you may be seeing tick and mosquito activity now. Reduce your chances of being bitten and the health risks that are often associated with ticks and mosquitoes breeding and living in your
area with some helpful advice from our experts.
In this blog, you’ll discover which ticks and mosquitoes are most prevalent in your area, prevention tips for keeping yourself, your family, and your pets safe, and what you can do to reduce the tick and mosquito populations living on your property.
American dog tick
Black legged tick
Lone star tick
Asian tiger mosquito
Northern house mosquito
East End Tick and Mosquito Control is proud to provide our customers with over 25 years of extensive knowledge, servicing Long Island’s East End – from Moriches to Montauk, Wading River to Orient Point, and Shelter Island.
Our technicians are fully insured and licensed by the Department of Environmental Conservation. Don’t wait for mosquito and tick season to heat up, contact us online or call for a free estimate today! Southampton (631) 287-9700; East Hampton (631) 324-9700; Southold (631) 765-9700.
Winter typically isn’t prime time for ticks. Nearly all tick species are most active during the warmer months – April through September. Some even die off or become dormant when the weather cools. But there is one tick species that flourishes in cold weather… decimating wild animal populations and wreaking havoc on northern ecosystems.
The Dermacentor albipictus, also known as a moose tick or winter tick, is a parasitic arachnid. It is a one-host tick, feeding on a single host throughout its larval, nymphal, and adult life stages – only dropping off to lay eggs and die.
The moose or winter tick feeds primarily on ungulates like moose, deer, elk, or caribou. Sometimes they feed on horses, cattle, coyotes, beavers, or black bears if they cannot find another host. Although they rarely find their way onto humans, they have been found on pet dogs. So, care needs to be taken if you take your pets to an area where these ticks are present.
The dermacentor albipictus is known as a winter tick because it thrives in cold temperatures. Most tick species become less active during the cold months, but winter ticks are most active in autumn and winter – causing devastating consequences for their primary host species.
Even though they don’t transmit diseases, thousands of these ticks will attach to a single host for up to six months causing massive blood loss and extreme weakening. Moose are especially vulnerable to winter tick depredations. Moose will rub off their own fur trying to remove the ticks, subsequently freezing to death because they are no longer protected by their thick winter coats. In some areas of New England, these ticks wiped out nearly 90 percent of all moose calves during the winter of 2021-22.
Found throughout Canada, Northern New England, Minnesota, and in certain areas of the Rockies; the dermacentor albipictus’s range is quite broad. Winter ticks aren’t a Long Island problem currently but – like many pests – their range is constantly changing.
They haven’t been officially documented by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. But scientists are concerned that winter ticks may expand their range into the Adirondacks, Taconic Highlands, and other areas of New York State where moose are present.
While moose ticks aren’t a problem for residents of East End Long Island at this point, black-legged (deer) ticks are still active in the colder months. If you see signs of any kind of ticks on your property, East End Tick Control® is your removal and exclusion expert. If you’re in Southampton, call (631) 287-9700; in East Hampton, call (631) 324-9700; or in Southold, call (631) 765-9700. You can also message us online for more information or to request a free estimate.
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.
[Continue Reading]
For Long Island residents, ticks are a part of life. Often found in wooded areas and tall grass, ticks present more than just a nuisance to you and your family, but potentially life-threatening illnesses. There are several tick-borne illnesses, the most common one being Lyme disease.
Lyme disease causes fever, headache, and fatigue. If it goes untreated for too long, Lyme disease can cause infection to spread into the joints, nervous system, or even the heart. Approximately 35,000 people in the United States contract Lyme disease annually, averaging nearly 100 cases daily. And that’s only one of the tick-borne illnesses. Another potentially deadly tick-borne illness of note is Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
[Continue Reading]
When temperatures dip, you may think pest-related threats have ended for the winter. This is true for some pests but not so for ticks. April through October is considered tick season in the northeast United States, but these disease-carrying pests can thrive well into autumn and winter. Ticks are active when temperatures are above 40 degrees Fahrenheit, emerging from mulch beds and from under wood piles. Our Tick Shield granular treatment will kill new ticks as they hatch, providing year-round protection.
[Continue Reading]
Autumn is prime time to prepare your yard for the winter ahead – to rake up fallen leaves, mulch, plant bulbs, and clear away garden clutter. It’s also an excellent season for spending time in nature: walking through woods ablaze in fall color or sitting around a cozy fire pit. One might think that fall is an idyllic, bug-free season with its cooler temperatures, but don’t let down your guard. There are still ticks out there, waiting for the perfect host to latch on to; don’t let it be you, your family, or your pets.
[Continue Reading]
