American Dog Tick- OKC Pest Control

OKC Pest Control Talks About The American Dog Tick

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OKC Pest Control Shares Information About This Common Tick

As we mentioned in our blog article, last week, the threats of ticks are all too real. Of course, that story was just about Lyme disease and the one type of tick known for transmitting that disease. It’s important to know that many other types of ticks exist as well as the various types of diseases that can be transmitted. Today, our OKC pest control professionals felt it would be wise to share a little bit about one of the most commonly seen ticks known as the American dog tick.

Imagine that you were lying in bed fast asleep and suddenly you felt a little tickle moving up your arm. That awkward feeling alone might startle you enough, but seeing a tick crawling on you can certainly hinder your sleep thereafter. Our OKC pest control team understands the struggle as this is the experience many pet owners have had while sleeping next to their beloved dog campions.

Catching the American dog tick before it bites is, perhaps, one of the luckiest situations as this type of tick is known to carry Tularemia and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

Most people exposed to Tularemia who show signs of the illness will do so within 3-5 days, but some have reported that it takes up to 14 days. While there are several types of tularemia, depending on how it was contracted, the most common type and its symptoms include:

Type Of Tularemia: Ulceroglandular tularemia

Symptoms: 

  • A skin ulcer that forms at the site of infection
  • Swollen and painful lymph glands
  • Fever
  • Chills
  • Headache
  • Exhaustion

Our OKC pest control team recommends that you see your doctor immediately if you feel you have this disease as most cases can be cured with prompt care.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever also usually shows up within 14 days. It is a bacterial infection that can cause serious damage to internal organs, such as your kidneys and heart if it is not promptly treated.

The common symptoms of Rocky Mountain spotted fever are: 

  • Severe headache
  • High fever
  • Chills
  • Muscle aches
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Restlessness and insomnia
  • A rash on the wrists and ankles (usually after a few days)

Again, it is important to visit the doctor as soon as possible if you experience any of these signs after a tick bite.

The best thing to do to protect yourself, your pets, and others from the American dog tick is utilize prevention. OKC pest control is one of the best prevention methods to keeping your yard pest free. To get started with your OKC pest control treatment plan please contact The Bug Guy at 405-973-5522.

Ticks- OKC Pest Control

OKC Pest Control Reviews A Story About Ticks And Lyme Disease

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OKC Pest Control Sharing A True Tale About A Tick Bite

Normally, when you think about the presence of ticks in your yard it’s already well into the summer, but as you already know our temperatures in Oklahoma have been warmer than normal this spring. This is why our OKC Pest Control team thought it would be important to inform our readers about ticks making their way out sooner than they usually do.

A lot of people don’t ever think that a tick bite will really do anything to them, but the warning of Lyme disease couldn’t be more real. Last summer there was a story shared online by several sources about an Oklahoma woman named Alyssa Layman who is now battling Lyme disease due to a tick bite. One interview of the story was published by News Channel 4, but our OKC pest control team wanted to share it here as a reminder that caution is needed with warmer days ahead.

The Alyssa Layman Story:

Alyssa Layman’s life was changed one June summer day in 2012 when she decided to go fishing in Arkansas. She was bitten by a tick (most likely to be spread via the blacklegged tick, or deer tick)* and she didn’t think anything more about it at that time. By the month of September she was in enough pain that she had to go to the emergency room. She stated she “had mood swings, started running a fever, had extreme pain.”

The interview with News Channel 4 was published in June of 2016 and it was explained how Layman, 4 years after her bite, still has to rely on her family members to help her do almost everything. She receives help from her mother to wash her hair, do the dishes, and help her cook, because she simply cannot do these things on her own. Her sister takes her to her doctor appointments and Layman also receives help from a service dog.

Layman hoped that by sharing her story about her battle with Lyme disease due to a tick bite that others would take caution. She also stated that “if you get a rash of any kind around a bug bite, definitely go in, get tested.”

Our Comments:

At the end of the original article, there was a comment about how Lyme disease is usually not a problem in Oklahoma, but officials say it is becoming more prevalent. Other resources suspect that a lot of people traveling to other parts of the country may be bringing back infected ticks to Oklahoma.

We wouldn’t want anyone to take any chances! Our OKC pest control team would be happy to help eliminate ticks from your yard to keep you, your family members, and even your pets safe.

To get in touch with our OKC pest control company, give The Bug Guy a call at 405-973-5522.

*Resource: https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/transmission/

Brown Recluse- OKC Pest Control

OKC Pest Control Team Looking Out For Brown Recluse Spiders

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Warmer Weather Brings A Need For OKC Pest Control

The warmer it gets outside the more Oklahomans find the desire to get out and become more active. Our OKC pest control team knows that people aren’t the only beings to enjoy springtime. In fact, Brown Recluse spiders are no exception.

The warm, spring weather is a great time for them to emerge as they are capable of surviving with no food or water for up to 12 months and probably have spent the winter hiding. During the daytime, the Brown Recluse spider is known to hide in dark areas. They like to move around mostly at night searching for prey.

If one is seen during the daytime, our OKC pest control team would suspect that pesticide applications, hunger, overcrowding or a desire to find a mate has probably brought them out. Sometimes, the spiders can become trapped in certain places within a person’s home, as well.

Identifying features of the Brown Recluse spider include a brown-to-gray abdomen, lighter coloring on the legs, and an orange-to-yellow cephalothorax (the anterior part of the body). You may also hear others refer to this spider by names such as Violin Spider or Fiddleback Spider. These names refer to the description of the violin-shaped pattern on top of the spider, with the base of the “violin” sitting on the eyes, and the neck of the “violin” pointing back toward the abdomen.

Many victims of Brown Recluses spiders often roll onto the spider during normal sleep movements causing the spider to bite. A common Brown Recluse spider bite can completely destroy the surrounding tissue. The wound can then develop a crusty-like appearance and texture surrounded by patches of redness and irritation. The awful part about these bites is that although the crust falls off, the deep, crater-like shape may not heal for several months!

Our OKC pest control team encourages you to keep an eye out for Brown Recluse spiders, but to really protect yourself and your family members from accidental spider bites, it’s best to receive a treatment in and around your home.

Our OKC pest control team can help! To get in touch with our OKC pest control company, give The Bug Guy a call at 405-973-5522.

Paper Wasps- OKC Pest Control

OKC Pest Control Warns Against Paper Wasps

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OKC Pest Control Reports A Mistake Made With Paper Wasps

Most people are used to seeing wasps during summer months, but as you are well aware, Oklahoma has had some of the most unusual warm weather these past few months. This overly warm spring has caused insects of all sorts to start emerging sooner. Paper wasps are just one winged species our OKC pest control team urges you to be mindful about.

The colony usually begins in the spring when a mated female leaves her hibernation site to build her nest and the maximum colony size can get up to 75 by late summer. Paper wasps can vary from a brown, red, or black color with yellow marks. They are only about 3/4 to 1 inch long with slender bodies. Their name most likely comes from the fact that their nests look like paper of a single comb attached to trees, shrubs, and a variety of structures, such as building eaves.

A Common Mistake Made By Homeowners

A lot of homeowners get a little ambitious when they see a wasp’s nest and their actions can often make matters worse. Paper wasps are generally not aggressive towards humans, but that’s when the most common mistake is made. Anxious people often think that grabbing a broom to knock the nest down will work. Our OKC pest control team warns that this is a bad idea as doing so is sure to have an entire colony of angry wasps chasing you!

Even accidental contact with a nest of paper wasps can warrant a wasp sting. Our OKC pest control team suggests avoiding painful and potentially fatal anaphylactic reactions by allowing a professional to remove the wasps from your yard.

Our OKC pest control company, known as The Bug Guy would be happy to help you prevent wasps from forming nests around your home! If you need treatment, give us a call at 405-973-5522.