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Mosquito and Tick Awareness Tips to Stay Safe Outdoors
With the return of warm weather, we are all heading back outside to enjoy the great outdoors with increasing frequency. BBQs and picnics, backyard games, play sets, gardening, hikes, walking the dog… depending upon your activity and how you may have “mosquito and tick-proofed” your yard and behavior, these may all be occasions for encountering two of the most annoying (and dangerous) backyard pests, mosquitoes and ticks, and exposing yourself to irritation at the very least and possible illness.
Not all ticks and mosquitoes carry disease-causing agents, but there are a few in the Northeast that can be harmful:
Several mosquito species in the Northeast can transmit:
Blacklegged (aka deer) ticks:
Lone star ticks:
American dog ticks:
Brown dog ticks:
Ticks in the Northeast can be active year-round and any time of day. They are most active during the warmer months of the year and can be as small as poppy seeds during the spring and summer.
FYI, you can still be bitten by a tick in the winter! If the temperature is warm enough and the snow has started to melt, ticks can be active.
Mosquitoes are most active during the warmer months of the year, usually from the beginning of April through October. In the Northeast, some types of mosquitoes can bite during the day and others at dusk and nighttime, which means you can be bitten any time of day when outside.
Ticks tend to live in heavily wooded areas, but also in shrubbery, weeds, grass, and piles of leaves. You can be bitten by a tick in any of these areas, walking along the edges of roads or hiking trails, and even in your own backyard. Be sure to always check yourself thoroughly for ticks after spending time in these areas!
Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. You can find them in roadside ditches, woodland pools, and containers like flowerpots, bird baths, and old tires. In addition to natural habitats, mosquitoes can be found around your home and neighborhood. Dump out standing water weekly to keep mosquitoes away from your home!
The duration of the mosquito season can be surprisingly long and is dependent upon the amount of precipitation and seasonal temperatures. It can begin as early as March and last up through the end of October. There are numerous natural mosquito habitats in our area as well as backyard hotspots where mosquitos will breed. Please educate yourself, spread the message and take steps to control mosquitoes in your backyard and reduce the threat of mosquito-borne diseases.
“Over 200 types of mosquitoes live in the continental United States and US territories; of these 200, about 12 types spread germs that can make people sick. Other mosquitoes bother people and are considered nuisance mosquitoes. In general, nuisance mosquitoes do not spread germs. Because you can’t tell which mosquito could be spreading germs when it bites, it is important to protect yourself from mosquito bites.”[1]
Remove standing water where mosquitoes could lay eggs:
Use natural controls
Keep mosquitoes out:
Did you know that bare skin and dark clothing attract mosquitoes?
The American Mosquito Control Association stresses mosquito-borne diseases do not only affect humans – they also kill countless birds, reptiles, dogs, horses, and endangered species each year. Awareness of these diseases – including canine heartworm, Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) and Western Equine Encephalitis – is another important component of mosquito control the general public must embrace.
Ticks begin life really tiny, about the size of a poppy seed. This is when they are in the nymph stage of their life cycle. To continue to the adult stage, they must feed on blood.
Ticks live in long grass and brushy areas like in the woods and latch on to humans and other animals as they walk by.
Once a tick finds a host (human or animal) to feed on, the tick punctures the skin. This causes blood to pool and the tick can suck it up. You can see the tick’s gut in the highlighted colors in the picture on the right. This is where the blood is filtered, and excess water is returned to the host—this is also when germs are spread from the tick to the host its feeding on. Germs like bacteria or viruses cause disease.
An attached tick feeding on the host’s blood gradually becomes engorged. Adult ticks will generally remain attached for about 7-10 days if not removed.
Most diseases, including Lyme disease, can be spread 36-48 hours after being bitten by an infected tick. This is why it’s important to perform tick checks regularly, especially after being outdoors.
Try to avoid high grass, brushy, or wooded areas where you might expect ticks. Walk in the center of trails. Wear light-colored long pants and sleeves (so ticks are more visible) and tuck pants into socks.
Perform a tick check and shower as soon as you get inside. Showering within two hours of coming indoors has been shown to reduce your risk of getting Lyme disease and may be effective in reducing the risk of other tickborne diseases. Showering may help wash off unattached ticks and it is a good opportunity to do a tick check.
Conduct a full body check upon return from potentially tick-infested areas, including your own backyard. Use a hand-held or full-length mirror to view all parts of your body. Check these parts of your body and your child’s body for ticks:
Check your clothing for ticks. Ticks may be carried into the house on clothing. Any ticks that are found should be removed. If your clothes require washing, hot water is recommended. Cold and medium temperature water will not kill ticks. Dry clothes on high heat for at least 10 minutes. Don’t forget to check your gear. Carefully examine coats, and daypacks…
Check your pet every time they come in from the outdoors. While your veterinarian can provide pills and chews, collars, sprays, and more, they will not necessarily prevent a tick from hitching a ride on Fido and eventually landing on you.
If you find yourself continuously in tick habitat, you might consider treating clothing and gear with products containing 0.5% permethrin. Permethrin can be used to treat boots, clothing and camping gear and remain protective through several washings. Alternatively, you can buy permethrin-treated clothing and gear.
Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone. EPA’s helpful search tool can help you find the product that best suits your needs. Always follow product instructions. Do not use products containing OLE or PMD on children under 3 years old.
We urge all residents to take a proactive approach to reducing habitat for ticks and mosquitoes in your backyard and guarding against bites and diseases during the summer season and throughout the year.
[1] https://www.cdc.gov/mosquitoes/about/mosquitoes-in-the-us.html