May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month throughout our nation. It is an awareness campaign devoted to promoting Lyme disease awareness and the prevention of this debilitating disease. Lyme disease awareness is very important since there has been a rapidly growing number of reported cases of Lyme disease each year in our country. During the month of May, we can help to educate everyone, both young and old about Lyme disease and how they can help prevent it in South Portland and throughout the state of Maine.
Lyme disease is an acute inflammatory disease that can be very debilitating and is caused when an infected tick bites and becomes is embedded in the skin of humans and pets. The most common species of tick in the eastern United States that carries Lyme disease is the deer tick or otherwise known as the black-legged tick.
One of the most important prevention methods is to wear appropriate clothing if you live, play, or hike in and around wooded areas. It can be as simple as wearing light-colored clothing, long-sleeved shirts, and long pants tucked into socks. As an added benefit you should use an insect repellent sprayed lightly over your entire body. People and pets should be checked for ticks before they re-enter the home. The light-colored clothing will help reveal the presence of ticks more readily.
Deer ticks are flat oval shaped pests that are 1/8” in length or less, but increase in size as they feed and their color changes to maroon. They can be reddish-brown or orange-brown in color with black legs. Many times ticks become embedded but are not noticed right away because we cannot feel them biting us. They do not jump or fly so their only transportation is via humans, pets, and wildlife.
If your property is infested with ticks, you will want to do whatever you can to get rid of these dangerous pests. You probably won’t be able to eliminate them on your own because they are so small, their eggs cannot be seen, and they can reproduce rather quickly. Your best option is to contact the professionals at Big Blue Bug Solutions for effective tick control of your South Portland yard and property. Call us today, we are happy to give you more information about ticks and Lyme disease as well as help you eliminate ticks on your property.