What do blacklegged ticks look like?
More commonly known as deer ticks, adult blacklegged ticks have oval shaped, orange-black bodies and black legs. Before feeding, adult deer ticks are very small, between 1/16th and 1/8th of an inch in length.
After taking a blood meal, both their size and their color change, and they become larger and more rust brown in color. Adult ticks and nymphs have 8 legs; their larva only has 6 legs.
Are deer ticks dangerous?
Yes, deer ticks are dangerous because infected ticks spread several diseases including the potentially debilitating Lyme disease.
It’s important to note that not all deer ticks are infected with disease but you should take precautions for yourself, your family and even your pets.
What are the symptoms of Lyme disease?
Early symptoms of Lyme disease can occur 3-30 days after being bitten by an infected deer tick; symptoms can include:
- Fever
- Chills
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Muscle aches
- Swollen lymph nodes
In about 70-80% of people bitten by a deer tick a bulls-eye rash may also develop. The rash can reach 12 inches in diameter and can be found anywhere on the body. Some of the later symptoms (months after a bite) of Lyme disease can include severe head and neck aches, heart palpations, nerve pain, and joint pain and swelling.
Why do I have a deer tick problem?
Deer ticks prefer to live in moist, humid areas and can be found hiding in areas of dense vegetation, high grasses, along fence lines, along the edges of wooded paths, and in the woods. If there are any of those types of environments located on or near your property, you, your family, and your pets will most likely be in very close contact with deer ticks. Also wildlife are often hosts for deer ticks so if your property is visited by deer, mice, and other wild animals, your chances of having ticks on your property increases.
How do I control deer ticks?
Because deer ticks are often introduced to properties on wild animals, there really is no way to completely eliminate ticks. You can implement a seasonal pest control program that combats ticks (and often mosquitoes at the same time) and that will help you significantly reduce the tick population and may prevent you and other family members from bringing these pests inside. At Arrow Pest Control, we offer a “Bite Back!” program that targets ticks and mosquitoes common to New Jersey. This service is effective in reducing these biting pests on your property while ticks and mosquitoes are active in New Jersey. Professional control is highly recommended as is speaking with your vet about a tick preventative for your pets, especially those that go outside.
What can I do to avoid deer ticks?
The best way to keep deer ticks away is to make your property less hospitable to ticks AND their hosts. At Arrow, we recommend the follow tick prevention tips for NJ homeowners:
- Remove bird feeders and do not feed wildlife.
- Harvest your garden so that is does not attract wildlife.
- Plant bushes and landscape that is not appealing to wildlife.
- Keep your grass short.
- Clear out overgrown areas and keep wooded areas and dense vegetation trimmed back.
- Don’t place picnic tables or swing sets under trees.
- Wear light-colored clothing, long sleeves and pants tucked into socks when outdoors.
- Use a tick repellent on clothing and boots.
- Inspect yourself, family members and pets for ticks before entering your home.
- Speak with your vet about a safe and effective tick treatment for pets.
- Make sure that pets that spend time outside are treated with an effective tick preventative under the guidance of their veterinarian.
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‟I have a service plan with Arrow and use them quite often. Never disappointed, always friendly and knowledgeable and come right out and address the matter. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them at all.”
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‟We have a quarterly service plan with Arrow. They are not only focused on addressing issues they put preventative measures in place to prevent issues from happening, like looking for and sealing the places where bugs can get into the home. The team are professional, friendly, thorough and provide details about every step of their process. We have had several different technicians over the last 2 years and each follows the same process and guidelines. Definitely recommend for treatment and prevention.”
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‟My family has used Arrow since the early 80's. In our new home we use them as well. Jason came yesterday and did a great job. Thanks again for your great service to our community!”
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‟Best customer service and the owner is the most honest business man. He will tell you the truth and not scam you like the rest of the big named pest control companies. Highly recommend Arrow has my business for life.”
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‟I used Arrow Pest Control for the first time today and I was totally satisfied, I reached out to them on Sunday and spoke to Beatrice and she set me up an appointment for Monday morn for an estimate and Monday afternoon the technician came and serviced my house.....I wish I could have gave them 10 stars, very helpful, right to the point, very professional, on time and no games.....I highly recommend arrow pest control in Morganville.......thank you J.F.”
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‟With Covid hitting everyone, the exterminator that helped us was respectful of the safety with a mask, boots and gloves. He was very informative and explained everything as he did it.”
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‟We’ve been using Arrow for the last 4 years. We have a monthly plan, so they come and service the interior and exterior regularly. We can also call them anytime for anything we see...wasp, wasp nests, rodents, ants, whatever...our coverage literally includes the mailbox at the curb all the way to the furthest point of our backyard fence and everything in between. All the technicians we’ve had, including Jason, were friendly and knowledgeable. But, Jason, goes above and beyond with his service and willingness to do more for his customers. Highly recommend Arrow Pest Control!”
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‟Tom is amazing! Arrow is the best company! Love their services. They truly care about their clients. ”
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‟Today was my first appointment with Arrow and Jason made everything seamless and efficient. Not only was he knowledgeable, he took his time explaining everything to me which proved he cared. I’m happy to have found Arrow and will continue to request Jason for my services! Thank you!”
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‟All the professional qualities a business such as Arrow Pest Control would expect a service technician to exhibit, Brian, effortlessly presented. From my standpoint, he offered GOLD STAR ”
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‟Recommended to us by neighbors, Arrow arrived promptly to treat our new to us home. The house is built on a slab which small ants love to nest in.
Their program is such that they return til the problem is solved. Today was their third visit. Steve was very thorough, professional and had a great sense of humor. I am hoping not to see him again this season! I would recommend based on our current relationship.
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‟I’m so happy we went with Arrow! We had been using another pest control company and still had a lot of spiders and crickets!! We switched to Arrow and after the first use with them, all the bugs were gone. They do a great job, very thorough, professional, friendly and very knowledgeable. I highly recommend using their services if you have any bug issues!”
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‟We were very pleased with how easy it was to schedule a first appointment with Rob and how reassuring and thorough his inspection was. A few hours later Josh arrived for the first treatment and was professional and took the time to answer all our questions. We didn’t hesitate to sign-up for Home Protection Program after seeing the quality and level of service we will receive.”
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‟Arrow and Brian with Arrow were amazing! He came same day when we heard scary noises in our attic. He found mice and a loose wire and even took a photo so we could see. He worked hard to crawl into a tiny space and we are so appreciate!! We can sleep tonight thanks to him.”
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‟Extremely professional and always on time. I was having an issue with mice and decided to call Arrow. They were able to get here next day and have an inspection. I set up with one of their monthly contracts and they were out to my home once a week continuously monitoring the situation until it was fully taken care of. I truly couldn’t recommend them more.”
