Tick Infestations
An infestation of ticks in your yard or home carries a number of significant health and property risks. Ticks are more than just a nuisance—they are vectors for serious diseases and can affect both humans and pets.
Health Risks to Humans
Ticks are known carriers of a number of pathogens that can cause serious illnesses:
Lyme Disease – Caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, this is the most common tick-borne illness in the U.S. It can lead to flu-like symptoms, joint pain, and neurological complications if untreated.
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever – Transmitted by certain tick species, this can cause fever, rash, and even life-threatening complications.
Anaplasmosis and Ehrlichiosis – Bacterial infections that can cause fever, muscle aches, and low blood counts.
Babesiosis – A parasitic infection affecting red blood cells, sometimes severe in older or immunocompromised individuals.
Tick Paralysis – Caused by neurotoxins in tick saliva, leading to weakness that can escalate to life-threatening paralysis if ticks aren’t removed.
Even a single tick bite can lead to infection, but an infestation increases the likelihood of repeated bites, which raises the cumulative risk of disease.
Health Risks to Pets
Dogs and cats are also vulnerable to tick-borne illnesses, including Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, and tularemia.
Severe infestations can cause anemia, especially in smaller pets, due to blood loss from repeated tick feeding.
Pets may bring ticks indoors, spreading the risk to humans and other animals.
Property and Environmental Risks
Infestation Spread – Ticks can move from yard to yard, especially in areas with overgrown vegetation, leaf litter, and tall grasses.
Reduced Outdoor Usability – Heavy tick populations make yards, gardens, and play areas unsafe for humans and pets.
Indirect Risks
Psychological Stress – Anxiety about being bitten by ticks can reduce enjoyment of outdoor spaces.
Secondary Infections – Improper removal of ticks can cause skin infections.
Why Infestations Escalate Quickly
Ticks reproduce rapidly in favorable environments. Once they establish in your yard, they can infest rodents, birds, or other wildlife, creating a persistent cycle that is hard to break without professional control. A tick infestation isn’t just a minor nuisance—it’s a public health concern for your family and pets. Early identification and control are critical to minimize these risks.
Signs Of A Tick Infestation
Ticks are small, often hard to see, and their presence is usually more noticeable through indirect signs than by spotting them directly:
Direct Signs on People and Pets
Frequent Tick Bites – Unexplained bites on humans or pets, especially behind the ears, neck, scalp, armpits, groin, or between toes.
Ticks Found on Pets or Family Members – Adult or nymph ticks crawling on skin or fur is a clear indicator of nearby tick activity.
Symptoms of Tick-Borne Illness – Flu-like symptoms, rashes, or fever in humans or lethargy and unexplained illness in pets could indirectly indicate frequent tick exposure.
Signs in Your Yard
Ticks thrive in shaded, humid, and vegetated areas. Common yard signs include:
High Tick Activity – Seeing ticks on yourself, pets, or wildlife in specific areas, especially tall grass, leaf litter, or along garden edges.
Tick Habitat Indicators – Overgrown shrubs, thick leaf litter, unkempt lawns, and areas with rodent or deer activity. Ticks are often carried in by wildlife.
Increased Wildlife Visits – Frequent deer, mice, raccoons, or birds can indicate conditions favorable for ticks, as these animals often carry them.
Signs Inside the Home
While ticks are primarily outdoors, they can enter homes:
Ticks on Flooring or Furniture – Finding ticks on carpets, bedding, or furniture, especially in areas where pets rest.
Pet Sleeping Areas – Concentration of ticks where dogs or cats sleep.
Rodent Activity – Presence of mice or rats in the house increases the risk of indoor ticks, since some species feed on rodents.
Environmental Clues
Clusters of Eggs – Some ticks may lay eggs in cracks, crevices, or under debris (though eggs are tiny and hard to spot).
Tick Nymphs – Nymphs are extremely small (smaller than a poppy seed) but often detectable if you notice tiny dark moving specks on pets or clothing after outdoor activity.
Ticks are rarely “seen in large numbers” like fleas; infestations are often detected indirectly through bites, wildlife, or tick presence on pets. Multiple signs together—such as bites, ticks on pets, and rodent or deer activity—strongly indicate an infestation.