Top Myths Surrounding Ticks
My Grandmother used to subject my to a daily routine during the summer that used to scare me to no end. Every day, after playing for endless hours in the fields surrounding the creek behind her home, she would perform her nightly “tick check” on me and my siblings. Though her intentions came from a place of love and care, the result left me terrified of those fields that I once loved. Once in a while she did find a creepy little hitchhiker on one of us and promptly removed it, but the wildly fantastic ideas of what those ticks could actually do to me created more lasting effects than that of the tick itself.
It seems that the myths regarding ticks are often passed down from generation to generation and are just as prevalent today as they were decades ago. Proper identification and knowledge of ticks is paramount for proper tick control in Andover and elsewhere. We’ve listed a few of these myths, and the truth behind them, in order to help us move past the misinformation regarding ticks.
- Myth: Ticks fall from trees. Actually, ticks live in the ground and crawl up your body and your pet’s body.
- Myth: If a tick bites me, I will contract a serious disease. Actually, ticks need to be attached to a host for more than 24 hours to be able to transmit disease.
- Myth: You’ll know if you’ve been bitten. Actually, (as Grandma so lovingly taught us) tick bites are often painless.
- Myth: You can remove a tick with nail polish remover and a lit match. Actually, you’ll remove that critter with better results using tweezers or a tool that is designed for tick removal.
At Mosquito Enemy, we specialize in tick control in Andover, allowing you to fully enjoy the outdoor areas surrounding your home without the fear of ticks and the diseases they carry.
