Ticks are not insects!

Know how and why Ticks are not insects. 

By then, you’ll find out diseases that they carry and their symptoms.

Inshort: If you’re scared of having these tiny pests in your home, then you’ll definitely find this helpful!

Let’s jump right into it!

Ticks, as per common belief, are mostly associated with insects like Mosquitoes and Termites, BUT these pests are actually classified under arachnids. These “arachnids” are relatives of Spiders and Scorpions.

Ticks are parasites that feed by sucking blood from a host animal by latching on to its skin and draining its blood. Have you seen Twilight, the most famous film of the century? This is quite similar to Edward and Bella, only that it isn’t as attractive. Ticks are ideal vectors (organisms that shelter and transmit illness) for a wide range of pathogens because of their feeding mechanism. In the United States, ticks have been linked to at least eleven illnesses, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, babesiosis, and, more recently, anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis. In fact, the risk of infection with a tick-borne illness is about 900 times greater than being struck by lightning. Interesting, isn’t it? 

1. Lyme Disease – Borrelia burgdorferi and, in rare cases, Borrelia mayonii are the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. The bite of an infected blacklegged tick transmits the disease to humans. Fever, headache, exhaustion, and erythema migrans, a common skin rash, are all common symptoms.
2. Babesiosis – Babesiosis is carried by ticks and is caused by tiny parasites that attack red blood cells. Tick-borne transmission is most common in certain areas and seasons in the United States; it is usually in the Northeast and upper Midwest, and it typically peaks during the summer months. Many patients infected with Babesia microti have no symptoms and feel healthy. Fever, chills, sweats, headaches, body pains, lack of appetite, nausea, or weariness are some of the nonspecific flu-like symptoms that some people experience.
3. Anaplasmosis – The bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum causes anaplasmosis, which is a bacterial infection. Tick bites, particularly from the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) and the western blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis), transfer these bacteria to people (Ixodes pacificus). Fever, headache, chills, and muscular pains are common symptoms of anaplasmosis.
4. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever – The bacterial illness Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is transmitted via the bite of an infected tick. A fever, headache, and rash are the most common symptoms of RMSF infection. If not treated with the appropriate antibiotic as soon as possible, RMSF can be fatal.

Now that we’ve known how Ticks are not to be treated lightly. In the case where we can see the beginning of an infection, you should now know what we should do: seek the help of the professionals. To inquire or have a free quote, contact Empire Exterminating at (888) 983-7668.