March is here and we are slowly emerging from winter, unfortunately, we are not the only ones becoming more active outdoors. Ticks are also becoming active, eggs will be hatching and they are quickly going to be looking for a host. Even as temperatures fluctuate above and below freezing, the steps you take now can have a drastic influence on your yard and property throughout the warmer months. We see much better results with our clients that begin all-natural tick control treatments early - than those that wait until they find ticks around their homes.
Although tick activity is weather dependent, there are two peaks during the year; the first begins in March/April and lasts through August, and the second occurs in October-November. (Mass.gov)
Here is why it is important to stay ahead of the tick life cycle:
- Eradicate adult tick populations that survived the winter
Colder winters can cut down the number of ticks that survive through winter. However, studies show only around 20 percent of the population die-off. All it takes is a few warm days in the spring for a female tick to lay up to 2,000 eggs around your home. By utilizing early-season spring tick treatments around your property you can eliminate these females, drastically cutting down the population of active ticks around your home or property later this spring and summer.
- Destroy tick eggs that were deposited in leaf litter before they hatch
Female ticks will reproduce by laying thousands of eggs during the spring months. Property sprays like our all-natural PROGAEA™ Tick & Mosquito control will eliminate eggs on contact. Additionally, it always helps to do a spring yard clean-up and remove the leaves and brush from your yard. This helps the tick spray treatments access all surfaces in the yard so the eggs can be eliminated on contact.
- Halt the two-year life cycle from starting over again
Ticks follow a two-year life-cycle, where they look to feed at least 3 times. Each of these feedings is a chance for you, your pets or your friends and family to be exposed to Lyme disease as well as numerous other tick-borne diseases. In the graphic below you can see the tick life-cycle. The orange area represents where we are in the cycle, it is clear that early-season spring tick control treatments will have a drastically positive effect on the number of ticks you will encounter during this Spring and Summer.
If you would like to learn more or discuss your early season all-natural tick and mosquito treatment program please don't hesitate to contact us today!