TICKs - TREATMENT AND CONTROL
What pests do you have loitering around your property? Here’s some tips to spot those annoying ticks.
TICKS - WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE
Types of ticks. There are three main species of ticks that infest animals in Australia; paralysis ticks, brown dog ticks, and bush ticks. The most important of these is the deadly paralysis tick, found on the east coast from northern Queensland to Victoria. Ticks are a small insect (around 3 – 5 mm long) of the arachnid family. Ticks go through four life stages, ticks take form in egg, larval, nymph and adult.
Paralysis Ticks (Ixodes holocyclus), can be identified by their grey body and legs close to the head. Their legs are the feature which best distinguishes them from other ticks that occur in the same regions. Most ticks need humidity and mild weather to survive.
Brown dog ticks and bush ticks do not cause tick paralysis, but they can cause skin irritation and also transmit other important diseases e.g. Ehrlichiosis or Babesia parasites which invade the red blood cells of dogs causing anaemia (which can be fatal).
Behaviour
Ticks are disease ridden bugs that feed on hosts by sucking their blood. Some Ticks make their way onto a host by “questing”. They perch on long weeds and vegetation and wait for a host to pass by and latch onto them.
Do you have a tick infestation? Call - Avice Pest Control
- If you notice bites on you or your family members
- If your pet is excessively scratching themselves, check your pet’s coat for ticks.
Tips for reducing the risk of tick paralysis include:
- Check your dog regularly for ticks – although tick control products will greatly reduce the risk of tick paralysis, it only takes one tick to cause tick paralysis. For this reason, it is important to also perform regular tick searches on your pet.
- The year-round use of effective tick control products for all dogs and cats that are living in, or travelling to, known paralysis tick regions.
- Environment maintenance – clean up leaf litter and debris, reduce exposure to ticks, minimise or restrict your pet’s access to bushy environments.
- If you find a tick, remove it immediately, and contact your vet for animal treatment advice.