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*Tick Control not offered in North Carolina and parts of Georgia
The Tick
Types of Ticks
There are approximately 900 different species of ticks. The blacklegged (or deer) tick, American dog (or wood) tick, Rocky Mountain wood tick and Lone Star ticks are the most common in the United States.
- Blacklegged (or deer) tick
- Can transmit several tick-borne diseases, including:
- Lyme disease
- Anaplasmosis
- Babesiosis
- Rocky Mountain wood tick
- Can transmit several tick-borne diseases, including:
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever
- Tularemia
- Lone Star tick
- Can transmit several tick-borne diseases
- Ehrichiosis
- Tularemia
- STARI (Southern Tick-Associated Rash and Illness)
- Saliva can be irritating, causing an allergic reaction at the site of the bite.
Life Cycle of Blacklegged Ticks
Blacklegged ticks live for approximately two years and have three different feeding stages: larva, nymph and adult.
Larva
Ticks lay their eggs in the spring and hatch as larvae (plural of larva) in the summer. Larvae feed on mice, birds and other small animals in the summer and early fall. When a larva feeds on an animal that is infected with a disease, the tick takes the bacteria into its body during feeding and it remains infected for the rest of its life.
After its initial feeding, the larva becomes inactive as it grows into a nymph. Source: CDC
Nymph
A nymph tick will become active in the spring and will seek blood meals in order to fuel their growth into adults. Usually the nymph tick will feed on another small rodent, but sometimes it will be a human. During feeding, the nymph can transmit the bacterium to its new host.
Note: Most cases of human illness occur in the late spring and summer when the tiny nymphs are most active and human outdoor activity is greatest. Source: CDC
Adult Ticks
Adult ticks feed on large animals and sometimes humans. Although ticks often feed on deer, deer do not become infected. Deer are nevertheless important in transporting ticks and maintaining tick populations.
In the spring, adult female ticks lay their eggs on the ground, completing the life cycle. Source: CDC
Deer Tick Harborage Sites
Deer ticks are rarely found in open, sunny areas. Common places where ticks may hide include:
- Woods - 68%
- Unmaintained borders - 21%
- Open lawn - 2%
- Ornamentals - 9%
More specifically, ticks are likely to harbor in:
- Shaded areas
- Brush pile perimeters
- Base of stone walls
- Wood piles
- Brushy edge plantings
- Wooded areas, especially near stumps or fallen trees
- Edge of lawns, under over-hanging bushes
- Deer-bedding areas
- Protected grassy or leafy areas
- Overgrown fruit tree "orchards"
- Rodent-feeding habitat
- Vegetation near bird feeders
- Compost piles
These tick "hot spots" require special attention due to rodent and deer activity. Likewise, human activity revolves around these areas - filing the bird feeder, stacking and collecting firewood, discarding brush, etc.
Targeted Pesticide Control
Mosquito Squad's barrier spray is effective for killing immature and mature ticks on the move; however it is only a contact killer and does not effectively treat the "source" of the problem. That is why in our Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for mosquito control, we use larval control methods that effectively reduce the "source" of the problem. So, in addition to our barrier spray, we must attack the source of the tick infestation.
The Solution – Tick Tubes
Effective against larval and nymph ticks associated with rodents, Tick Tubes were developed by scientists at the Harvard School of Public Health. They are a host-targeted acaricide consisting of cardboard tubes filled with cotton that has been impregnated with permethrin (7.4%).
Other facts on Tick Tubes:
- Patented and marketed by EcoHealth Inc.
- Precisely targeted solution to kill deer ticks
- Environmentally friendly
- Easy-to-use
- Provide up to a 10-fold reduction of tick exposure
- Do not expire
- EPA registered
- Made in the USA
How it Works
As cotton is a great nesting material, mice find the impregnated cotton in the tick tubes and take it back to their nests. The cotton then transfers the permethrin to the mice's fur (the permethrin will not hurt the mice). Ticks that attach to the mice, or enter the bureau, will die from the permethrin.
Note: In many regions where Lyme disease is a problem, each mouse on average is infested with 10-20 ticks daily in the months between May and September.
Do the Math
Likely tick production from mice on untreated property:
| 15 | ticks/day | |
| X | 120 | days/season |
| X | 18 | mice/acre |
= 32,400 mouse-dervied ticks per acre* per season.
*Ticks are not evenly distributed across the acre
Tick Tubes - Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know it works?
In field tests with a 10-yard grid spacing of Tick Tubes, 100% of sampled mice had permethrin on their fur.
If the Tick Tubes get wet do they lose their ability to kill ticks?
No. Permethrin is not soluble in water. It will stay on the cotton.
I have outdoor dogs and cats, can I use Tick Tubes?
Yes. The pesticide permethrin is used in many flea and tick control products including spot applications, flea collars, indoor and outdoor bug sprays, and aerosol foggers, so they will not harm cats and dogs. In general, cats and dogs will ignore the Tick Tubes®.
What if my neighbor does not treat his yard?
Deer ticks do not move more than a foot or two laterally, so ticks from a neighbor's untreated land will not migrate onto your land under their own power. They may be carried over on the back of a larger animal.
It is true that some ticks brought over on the back of a dog will be shaken off before they attach to that dog, and to that extent you would be better off if all the surrounding parcels were treated. But this is restating the obvious - the more land treated the more protection, as is true with any area-based pesticide. More importantly, the Tick Tubes® you put out on your property will work in the home range of mice near those tubes; whether or not your neighbor treats his land.
Do I need to worry about touching or ingesting Tick Tubes?
We chose permethrin as the active ingredient of this product based on it being highly toxic to ticks and other insects, but with very much lower toxicity to birds and to humans or other mammals. If you handle the impregnated cotton, your skin may tingle for a few seconds but that will soon pass. Like all pesticide products, you should use it sensibly and follow all label directions. Handle the tick tubes by the tube, not by the contents. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after any accidental exposure; do not rub your eyes with the cotton or with fingers that have touched the cotton.
Tick tubes are highly toxic to fish as well as ticks. Do not use the product in or near fish bearing waters.
See the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)
How do I dispose of Tick Tubes?
You can throw them away in your household trash whenever you wish. Tick Tubes® left outside will naturally break down in about a year.
What is the shelf life of Tick Tubes®?
Tick Tubes® do not have an expiration date. Unused product can be stored in its original container for use the following year.
