Tick Pest Control & Exterminators
Ticks are a nuisance pest that pose a significant health risk due to their ability to transmit tick borne diseases when they feed on their hosts. It’s essential for homeowners to prioritize tick prevention and management when tick activity is more prevalent. Our team of skilled tick control experts at Absolute Pest Management offers effective tick extermination services. We target and eliminate ticks promptly so you can enjoy your outdoor spaces with worrying about tick activity. Trust in our expertise to safeguard your property against these pests.
Schedule Tick Inspection
Tick Treatment Options
Regular inspections and treatments during the height of tick season are essential to maintain a tick-free environment. We apply targeted treatment directly to the source of the problem. Our tick control treatments are designed to last between four to six weeks, and we always ensure your next inspection is scheduled before concluding our service.
Our technicians will identify high-risk areas in your yard. Before any treatment begins, we ensure that items like children’s toys, pet bowls, and outdoor furniture are safely moved aside, and we take special care to avoid water sources and gardens.
Our focus then shifts to applying a barrier treatment which is specifically designed to target tick-prone zones such as tall grass, overgrown regions, and areas where your lawn meets wooded spaces.
Additionally, we provide valuable landscaping advice to further deter ticks. We emphasize regular mowing and vegetation management.
What do Ticks Look Like?
Adult Tick
Ticks are small arachnids that vary in color depending on their species. Adult ticks are typically no larger than a sunflower seed when they have not fed. However, they can grow to over 1 cm when filled with blood. Females are generally larger than males and can expand up to 1/2 inch in size. Adult ticks are generally reddish-brown and sometimes have white or yellow patterns. Broadly, ticks are categorized into hard and soft types. Hard ticks have a shield-like structure on their backs and a tapered head, making them more recognizable. In contrast, soft ticks lack this shield and possess a rounded head.
Tick Larvae
Immature ticks that are still developing are generally very small and often measure less than 1 mm when they first hatch. One distinguishing feature of ticks is their leg count. They emerge as larvae with six legs and develop 2 more legs in their nymphal stage before they reach maturity.
What Do Ticks Eat?
Ticks are parasitic arachnids that feed on the blood of humans, dogs, cats, deer, livestock, birds, lizards, and other wildlife. Each tick species has a preferred host, but they are opportunistic feeders and won’t discriminate if they are hungry enough. It’s important to watch out for ticks anywhere a potential host can be found to prevent potential bites and the transmission of tick-borne diseases.
How to Tell if I Have Ticks
Ticks will latch onto a host when they are ready to feed. Once a host is acquired, they embed their mouth parts into the skin and release an anesthetic to prevent the host from noticing. Some individuals might experience skin irritations or allergic reactions from tick bites due to this anesthetic compound.
Determining the presence of ticks in and around your home isn’t always straightforward. To accurately determine if there is tick activity, consider the following methods:
1. Personal Inspection: Equip yourself with a flashlight and thoroughly inspect your yard. Focus on areas like brick or stone walls, dense vegetation, firewood stacks, leaf piles, and areas with accumulated organic debris. Landscaped trees or shrubs can also harbor ticks. When doing so be sure to take precautions to prevent ticks from latching on and feeding.
2. Pet Examination: After your pets spend time outdoors, it’s wise to check them for ticks. If you find ticks on your pets, it’s likely they contracted them from your yard. To do this effectively, the CDC recommends running your fingers gently through your pet’s fur, feeling for small bumps which could indicate ticks. Additionally, inspect places like dog houses or outdoor kennels because your dogs can deposit ticks where they sleep.
Absolute’s Pest Free Process
Pest Inspection
Our process begins with a thorough inspection of your property. Our experienced technicians identify the types of pests present, their breeding grounds, and potential entry points, allowing us to understand the extent of the infestation.
Pest Treatment
Based on the inspection findings, we develop a customized treatment plan. This could involve the use of environmentally friendly pesticides, traps, or other methods, all designed to effectively eliminate the pests from your property.
Pest Prevention
After the treatment, we focus on pest prevention, which involves educating clients on how to minimize future pest problems and making your property less attractive to pests. This step is crucial in preventing future infestations.
Follow Up
We stand by our service guarantee and follow up on our treatments to ensure the effectiveness of our work. This allows us to make any necessary adjustments and verify that your rat problem has been thoroughly resolved.
Pest Maintenance
The final step is regular maintenance. We provide ongoing services to ensure that your property remains pest-free. This includes periodic inspections and treatments as necessary, giving you peace of mind knowing that your home is protected from pests.
Risks Associated with Ticks
Ticks pose significant health risks due to their ability to transmit various tick-borne diseases to both humans and pets:
- Lyme Disease: Lyme disease can result in fatigue and fever. If it goes without being treated, symptoms can progress to skin lesions, Bell’s palsy, and heartbeat abnormalities.
- Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever: A bacterial illness that can lead to severe health complications if not addressed promptly.
- Colorado Tick Fever: A viral infection that can cause fever, chills, and fatigue.
- Babesiosis: A parasitic disease that affects the red blood cells.
- Tularemia: A bacterial infection that can affect lymph nodes, eyes, throat, and internal organs including lungs, heart, and brain.
Where Do Ticks Live?
Ticks predominantly inhabit areas with dense vegetation and lots of moisture like the woods and tall unmaintained grasses. These environments provide them with shelter and ample opportunities to latch onto passing hosts. While they are primarily outdoor pests, ticks are occasionally found indoors after they are brought in by pets. After they feed, ticks will let go of their host and be shed somewhere they can take shelter like inside cracks, crevices, and other undisturbed spaces. They will remain hidden until they lay eggs and are ready to feed again. Regular inspections and preventive measures are crucial to ensure these pests don’t establish a presence in your living spaces.
How to Get Rid of Ticks
If you discover a tick on your skin, it’s important to remove it immediately. Using tweezers, firmly grasp the tick close to its head and near the skin’s surface. Pull it out with a steady, upward motion to ensure you don’t leave any parts behind. After the tick is removed, clean the bite with soap and water.
When ticks invade indoor spaces, they can be more challenging to eradicate. They often lay eggs in carpets which mimic outdoor grass, as well as infest couch cushions, pet bedding, and other soft furnishings. Combat indoor ticks by vacuuming regularly and washing bedding in hot water, steam cleaning carpets, rugs, and hard-to-reach spots like baseboards. These measures help in reducing the tick population and preventing future infestations.
How to Prevent Ticks
Preventing tick infestations is crucial for maintaining a safe and healthy environment. Here are some effective strategies to minimize the risk of ticks:
- Dress Smartly: When venturing into areas known for ticks, wear long pants, long sleeves, and closed shoes. Tuck your pant legs into socks or shoes to eliminate any accessible skin that ticks might be able to bite. Choose light-colored clothing because it makes spotting ticks easier.
- Repellents: Apply EPA-registered repellents like DEET on clothing and exposed skin and always check for ticks after being outdoors.
- Mow Lawn: Keep your lawn trimmed because ticks prefer tall grass as it offers a cooler environment. Regular mowing allows sunlight to penetrate your lawn which helps prevent grass from becoming a tick haven.
- Mulch Moat: Create a 3-foot-wide barrier of dry wood chips or bark around your yard, especially if adjacent to wooded areas. This acts as a physical deterrent for ticks.
- Eliminate Tick Habitats: Clear out leaf litter, dispose of empty bird or rodent nests, and remove wood or rock piles.
- Avoid Tick Hotspots: Steer clear of known tick habitats during peak seasons and avoid sitting directly on the ground in areas with dense brush and foliage.
- Regular Inspections: After spending time outdoors in wooded or grassy areas, inspect your clothing and body for ticks. Pay special attention to hidden areas like the back of the head.
- Immediate Cleaning: Wash clothes in warm water and detergent after potential exposure. Dry them at a high temperature for at least an hour to kill any lingering ticks.
- Vacuum: Regularly vacuum indoors if ticks are suspected. This should be done thoroughly if ticks are found on pets because pets can deposit ticks around the house.
We just moved into a newly built home, and there were ants, roaches, and spiders everywhere! We gave Absolute a call and they were out within a few days of setting up service, and had the best value (I called and got quotes from three other local providers).
Our technician, Kenny, came out and was absolutely amazing
From day one we have been very happy with the detailed inspections of our home and landscape. Josh, our current technician is a great customer service representative. Easy communication and thorough. We appreciate the detailed summary of service and list of applied products provided after each visit. No pest control issues!
Very Effective!
They’ve been coming by for almost a year with easy-to-book quarterly appointments. At the beginning, since I had just moved in to a new house, it required a few reservice appointments. They quickly added me to the schedule and didn’t give me any hassle about coming back. Everyone has been friendly!
Absolute Pest Management Guarantee
Effective tick treatment designed to last
Guaranteed to remove ticks in and around your home
Prompt service that will return if treatments are not 100% effective
Convenient Locations Near You
Buda, TX
Austin, TX
What is the best pest control for ticks?
The best pest control for ticks combines both environmental modifications and targeted treatments. Maintaining a well-trimmed lawn, clearing leaf litter, and creating barriers with wood chips or gravel can help deter ticks. For targeted treatments, using EPA-registered repellents on clothing and skin, and considering tick-specific treatments like professional pesticide applications in high-risk areas.
Does spraying for ticks really work?
Spraying for ticks can be effective when done correctly. Using the right targeted pesticide and spraying high-risk areas such as tall grasses, wooded areas, and leaf litter can significantly reduce tick populations. However, it’s essential to combine spraying with other preventive measures for comprehensive tick control.