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Ticks

What Types of Ticks Are Common in San Antonio?

There are several types of ticks that are common in the San Antonio area. The four that we contend with the most are brown dog ticks, American dog ticks, lone star ticks, and blacklegged deer ticks.

Brown Dog Ticks

Brown Dog Ticks

Brown dog ticks are the most common ticks in the San Antonio area. They are a deep reddish brown in color and have no distinguishing markings. Like their name suggests, they are bothersome to dogs but rarely bite humans. Brown dog ticks are not known to transmit Lyme disease, but can pass on Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

American Dog Ticks

American Dog Ticks

American dog ticks are colorful ticks. They have brown bodies with whitish and grey markings. These ticks are plentiful in San Antonio, and can transmit diseases to humans. Some of these diseases include Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia. They are only found in North America, and prefer to attach to dogs, which is how they got their name.

Lone Star Ticks

Lone Star Ticks

Lone Star ticks are aggressive and will feed on wildlife, dogs, and humans. They can transmit Southern Tick-Associated Rash Infection (STARI). They also carry ehrlichiosis, as well as Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Lone star ticks are brown in color and have white markings. Their most noticeable feature is a spot like a star on the center of adult females. Lone Star tick bites can cause people to develop a meat allergy.

Blacklegged Deer Ticks

Blacklegged Deer Ticks

Blacklegged deer ticks are sometimes referred to as deer ticks. They have black legs and black markings near the upper part of their bodies, near their heads. The rest of their bodies can vary in shades of brown and, when engorged, can appear greyish-blue in the abdomen area. This is the tick that is most responsible for transmitting Lyme disease. The blacklegged deer tick can also transmit anaplasmosis and Powassan virus.Do Ticks Bite?

Ticks bite both humans and animals to feed on their blood. When ticks crawl on you or your pet, they look for a warm spot to embed themselves. The groin, hairline, and armpits are popular spots. Once they find a warm spot, they bite into your skin and secrete saliva, which has a numbing effect. Therefore, you don’t usually notice when you get a tick bite. They can feed for several hours to several days before being noticed.Are Ticks Dangerous?

In theory, ticks wandering around your grass are not dangerous. The problem lies with their bites, and their potential for transmitting disease. Not all ticks carry diseases. Even those that are carrying disease won’t always infect you when they bite. However, at a glance, it’s hard to differentiate between tick types. By sight, there is no way to tell if a tick is carrying a disease. For these reasons, it’s best to take precautions to minimize contact with ticks and try to prevent all bites.

Why Do I Have a Tick Problem on My Property?

Ticks need moisture, they need resting or sheltering spots, and they need a blood meal. Your property may be providing these things. If you have water features, tall grasses, and other animals or pests on your property it may be the perfect home for ticks.

How Do I Get Rid of Ticks?

It’s nearly impossible to get rid of all ticks from your property, but professional pest control can help. Family Pest Control offers an outdoor flea and tick control service, which consists of an outdoor treatment focused on the entire property. Our expert technicians treat areas where ticks rest and breed. This helps reduce their numbers on your property. Included with the one-time treatment is a thirty-day warranty.

Does Family Have Any Tick Prevention Tips?

At Family Pest Control, we recommend doing several things around your property to keep the number of ticks low:

  • Avoid attracting wildlife to your property by eliminating outdoor food sources
  • Keep bird feeders away from your home
  • Don't feed pets outdoors
  • Fence your gardens
  • Keep grass cut short, and trim back all brush and vegetation
  • Follow your veterinarian’s guidance for proper tick prevention methods for your pets
  • Carefully inspect yourself and your family for ticks after being outdoors
  • Associate Certified Entomologist
  • National Wildlife Control  Operators Association
  • T·A·P® Pest Control Insulation
  • National Pest Management Association (NPMA)
  • BBB A+ Rated

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