People have a misconception about ticks—associating them only with our pleasant New England summers when we spend time outdoors. They don’t tend to realize that they have to be vigilant about ticks as the weather cools.
Unfortunately, the approach of colorful leaves and football games doesn’t mean you can stop worrying about ticks. In New England, ticks can be active all year long, and the seasons when the weather changes most dramatically, spring and fall, can lead to some of the worst tick problems of the year.
Ticks will remain active outdoors until we see temperatures drop below freezing—whether that happens in mid-October or later in the year. Because they attach themselves to warm-blooded hosts, ticks can stay warm even if it’s cold outside. The problem with those warm hosts is that many of them try to find a way into your house as the weather cools.
Ticks can attach themselves to dogs, cats, or even people, who unwittingly bring the pests inside the house. That's why it's essential to continue the summer ritual of checking your body and your pets for ticks every time you come in from outdoors. You should also continue to use an effective tick prevention product on your pets, based on your veterinarian's recommendation.
Rodent hosts
Another way that ticks can enter your home is on the body of a small rodent that sneaks into your home. A little mouse that gets into your home could be carrying up to 100 ticks, and once inside, those ticks can jump onto a family member or on one of your pets.
To prevent rodents from entering your home and bringing in ticks, take action before the weather turns cold.
Inspect the foundation and exterior walls of your home to find any gaps, holes, or cracks that a small animal could enter through. Fill these spaces with caulk, sealant, or other appropriate material.
Check your yard for any places that small animals could find cover, because they may be hiding close to your home until the weather turns cool enough to drive them inside. Clean up any clutter in the yard and move firewood away from your foundation.
Ticks are known carriers of many serious diseases, including Lyme disease. That’s why we suggest you get professional help to keep rodents and ticks out of your home. Call American Pest Solutions today to set up a free evaluation of your property. Ticks are a problem all year long, and we provide year-round pest control.