The State of Connecticut has a history of high incidences of tick-borne infections including Lyme disease. Lyme disease is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, which is conveyed by black-legged ticks, also known as deer ticks. The deer tick is found in Greenwich, Darien, New Canaan, Westport, and Fairfield, which are served by Tick Control, LLC.

 

In a recent Connecticut study of deer ticks, 35.7 percent of the ticks tested were Lyme disease carriers. Tick-borne illness transmission occurs in a variety of ways. Ticks engage in a behavior known as questing, in which they sit on the tips of grass or leaves waiting for hosts. They will connect their bottom legs to the plant and raise their upper legs, ready to attach to an animal or human as it approaches close enough for the ticks to touch them.

 

Ticks then bite the host and drain blood over several hours or days. The host can become infected if the tick harbors a disease-causing bacterium, such as Lyme disease. Before an infected tick may infect its host, it must be connected to it for 36-48 hours.

​

Wouldn't a spider on you be noticed, especially if it bit you? If the arachnid was a tick, perhaps not. Ticks are designed to be intrusive and undetected. The majority of ticks that transmit Lyme disease are nymphs, or ticks that are less than 2 mm long. Ticks prefer to lay their eggs in places where the host can't see them, such as the scalp, armpit, or groin. Ticks produce a fluid that makes the host numb to the bite and the entrance of their feeding tube. While it may seem difficult to think that a tick could go undiscovered for days, ticks' evolutionary mechanisms for surviving on hosts are built for them to go undetected.

​

Living with Lyme Disease

​

The one constant in dealing with Lyme disease is the unpredictable nature of when the illness's effects may manifest. Lyme disease can be undetected for months or even years before causing symptoms in an infected person. When Lyme symptoms appear, determining the cause might be difficult. A person or medical professional may not establish the connection between a tick bite and symptoms if there has been a long amount of time between the bite and symptoms.

 

Many Lyme symptoms overlap with those of other conditions, leading to misdiagnosis and treatment. Muscle aches, weariness, sensitivity to light and noise, rash, fever, joint pain, inflammation, and symptoms of the common cold and arthritis are all signs of Lyme disease. Patients with Lyme disease may feel OK one day and then be troubled by the disease's symptoms the next. Lyme disease can make it difficult for children to finish a full school day, and it can also make it difficult for adults to accomplish everyday employment responsibilities.

 

Lyme disease is a debilitating illness with long-term consequences if not treated properly. The good news is that with proper diagnosis and treatment, Lyme disease can be entirely eradicated from a patient's system. Antibiotics can treat a patient in two to four weeks if identified early. Even after a patient has undergone full therapy for Lyme disease, symptoms may persist. When living in a location like Connecticut, where ticks spread Lyme disease at a high incidence, it is critical to be watchful and aware of one's surroundings.

​

Safety Measures

​

• Execute regular tick checks

• Deer resistant planting is a great way to avoid attracting wild animals.

• Keep grassy areas cut

• Install a barrier

• Keep stone walls clean

• Concentrate on the perimeter

• Use of pesticides on the ground cover.

​

Prevention is the best technique for preventing Lyme disease transmission from tick to human. There are numerous actions that can be taken to lessen the likelihood of being bitten by a tick. If you plan to travel a forested walk, paddle on a tree-lined lake, or camp in the cool shade of a Charter Oak, apply a tick repellent spray liberally to your body and reapply frequently.

 

If you enjoy spending time with your dog, you can use tick sprays and treatments prescribed by your veterinarian to keep ticks away. Tick protection for your dog will help prevent a tick from becoming a host on you. It is not necessary to embark on an outdoor expedition to come into contact with a tick population.

 

On your own land, long grass, a shrubbery-lined yard, and trees might harbor a swarm of ticks. Taking advantage of the outdoor safety provided by your local tick control firm is the greatest way to have peace of mind whether hosting a backyard BBQ, tending to your garden, or relaxing in your hammock.

 

Tick Control, LLC, can provide an effective but non-toxic spray that kills ticks while preventing eggs and larvae from thriving in the environment. Our organization was formed by those who have personally witnessed the devastating consequences of Lyme disease on their family and friends. Our company was founded with the goal of preventing Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections in our community. We serve the residents of Fairfield and New Haven Counties and take pride in making our communities safer.