Frequently Asked Questions
Find out what others are asking about tick control
FAQs about the Tick Box® Tick Control System
Eliminating the hosts is not practical. During a study in Duchess County, New York, all rodents were removed from a one-acre plot, but it was an enormous task. And, after the study was concluded, the rodent population rebounded within two months.
The white-footed mouse is by far the most important host for the Lyme Disease bacterium. The eastern chipmunk is a secondary host, shrews and the meadow vole may also be a factor. These animals can be handled by the system. Squirrels are too large, but they don’t appear to play a significant role in Lyme disease risk for humans.
95% of all blood meals of the Blacklegged tick are with white-footed mice and eastern chipmunks. Squirrels, ground birds, etc., represent the other 5%.
- Immediate knock down of populations with a nymph stage spray in 1st year.
- Spray targeting the emerging adult stage population in 1st year.
- Down to one spray per year, targeting the adult stage in 2nd year.
- Treated host animals become tick killing machines, kill ticks every day!
- Treated reservoir host animals can no longer infect tick populations.
- Less pesticide introduced into the environment.
- Consistent control of immature stage ticks means fewer adult stage ticks.
- Substantially lower infection rates among future tick populations.
FAQs about our Tick Control Sprays
- Tick spray treatments are based on estimated time and material.
- Two properties with the same sized lot could have diverse pricing based on their treatable areas. More shrubs, less wooded periphery, etc.
Female adult Blacklegged ticks that failed to acquire a blood meal in the fall will be poised to attach and feed in the spring. Consider spraying in early spring if you did not have a fall spray targeting the newly emerged adult stage ticks.
We know from experience that the wooded perimeter of your property is the primary habitat and source of your tick population. Other areas such as low ground cover, mulched flower beds, shrubs and their adjacent lawn edges are secondary tick habitats and are also targeted.
- We do not treat vegetable or herb gardens
- Berry patches
- Full-sun turf areas
- Wetlands or areas in proximity to bodies of water
- Areas in proximity to bee hives
- Flower gardens and flowering shrubs- when in bloom
We offer 25(b) exempt pesticide products for schools and daycares.
We do our best to judge the weather conditions before the start of any application. A light shower directly following the application would have no impact whatsoever in the efficacy of the product. A summer downpour would only impact the application if it rained within 30 minutes of the application.
- We can’t guarantee total tick elimination
- Finding a few ticks in the weeks after treatment is not uncommon
- We often remind homeowners that ticks acquired after our treatments generally result from family members and pets entering areas outside of our treatment areas
- Adding the Tick Box® will ensure the highest level of protection in between sprays
- If you find an inordinate number of ticks within days of your treatment, we will come out and survey the site
FAQs about Mosquitoes and Their Control
The Station is designed for the control of Aedes, a mosquito species that breeds typically in small artificial (man-made) containers. For other mosquito species that prefer these types of breeding places, like several Culex mosquitoes, the station will also be attractive. The actives in the station will also have an impact on other mosquito species. The dissemination effect of the larvicide, however, is specific for the Aedes mosquito, which likes to lay eggs in multiple places.
The station does not target mosquitoes when they are in search of a bloodmeal. It is specifically designed for mosquitoes at the moment they are laying eggs. However, a high enough coverage of stations in your area will cause a decrease in the number of mosquitoes and will reduce the chance of disease. It will take some time to have the larvicide disseminated in the area and therefore a few (3-4) weeks a significant population impact can be expected.
The active ingredients in our station are not toxic to birds or mammals. We make use of a biological fungus that is only toxic to insects. The larvicide deployed in the trap specifically targets mosquito larvae and is not toxic to higher organisms in this low concentration. For example, in other products this larvicide has even been approved by WHO for use in drinking water. Contaminated females will only spread tiny amounts of larvicide (a few micrograms) to other artificial small water bodies, which limits any risk for other aquatic organisms and fish.
A mosquito’s life cycle has four stages – egg, larva, pupa and adult. Mosquitoes need water to breed because all mosquitoes spend their larval and pupal stages in water. Therefore, mosquitoes can always be found around water. This is why it is important to prevent stagnant water around your home.
- Reduce standing water on or about your property
- Dispose of old tires, empty buckets, pots, overturned toys, cups and other containers in your yard that may collect water
- Clear clogged roof gutters and make sure they are pitched correctly. Flooded roof gutters are often overlooked and can produce 1,000’s of mosquitoes each season
- Turn over plastic wading pools and wheelbarrows when not in use
- Tarps that cover firewood and boats are notorious for holding water
Mosquitoes are cold-blooded creatures and do not generally feed in temperatures below 50 degrees F. In Connecticut, some adult mosquitoes become inactive with the onset of cold weather and enter into hibernation before the first frost. Other mosquitoes die in the fall but have winter-hardy eggs, which hibernate as embryos.
FAQs about Ticks
- Primary tick habitats are typically the ecotone (up to 30’ into the interface of your lawn and a forested wood line or meadow’s edge), also overgrown stands of brush, weeds and natural areas that are not the ecotone
- Secondary tick habitats like shrub beds, groundcover, stonewalls and under decks
- Most immature ticks (larval and nymphal) are located at ground level in leaf litter and very low vegetation
- Adult ticks will quest on vegetation like groundcover, weeds, brush and shrubbery up to 3’ high
- Fact: 75% of all Lyme disease cases are contracted within 100 feet of the home. Source: CDC
Ticks do not fall from trees, nor do they jump. Blacklegged ticks require humidity levels found in the microclimate at ground level, not up in trees.
- True story. Blacklegged ticks are active year-round, whenever the temperatures are above freezing. Fall months are peak for adult Blacklegged Be especially vigilant during warm winter days with little or no snow cover.
- Summer months are peak for the smaller nymphal stage tick, responsible for transmitting the most cases of Lyme disease nationwide.
- In our location, the larger dog tick is only active from the April-September timeframe. Thus, if you find an attached tick during winter, it is most likely a Blacklegged tick.
- Keep children’s play centers and activities confined to well mowed, sunlit areas of your property.
- Keep children away from the wooded edges, leaf litter, stone walls and wood piles.
- Blacklegged ticks do not survive on a well-maintained turf in direct sunlight.
- Consider a dog run, physical fence or a pet containment system to keep your canine friend out of tick habitat.
Yes, co-infections of tick-borne diseases are common. Not all ticks spread disease, but some can carry multiple pathogens. Attachment times vary for the transmission of each agent, properly removing any attached tick as soon as possible is key in preventing transmission of disease.
- Yes! A combination of skin-based EPA approved insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone coupled with clothing treated with 0.5% Permethrin will serve to provide an extra level of protection. Always read the repellent label prior to use.
- Consult with your veterinarian for appropriate protection for your companion animals.
- Dog ticks are frequently found on home siding and doors, decks, patio furniture and playsets. These ticks are hardier than other ticks in our area and are less likely to desiccate when in a temperate environment due to their size.
- Blacklegged ticks, on the other hand, require much higher ambient humidity in order to survive, thus are often found in dense, shady underbrush and leaf litter with little or no sunlight available. Not the side of homes.
- The safest way to remove any attached tick is utilizing a pair of fine-pointed forceps. It is important that you grasp the tick at the attachment point closest to the skin and pull straight up with a firm yet gentle motion.
- No tweezers anytime soon? Use your fingers and pull straight out. Time is just as important as not annoying the tick.
- Never use heat or any kind of ointment on an attached tick, doing so will aggravate the tick and possibly cause the tick to regurgitate its stomach content into your body while detaching! Don’t do it!
- Once removed, promptly disinfect the area with alcohol.
- Do not burn or crush the tick, doing so can expose the ticks gut content that possibly could enter your body.
- Place the tick in a sealed container to show your doctor, vet, or health dept. for submission to a tick-testing laboratory if you positively identified the tick as being a Blacklegged Tick.
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