As tick season approaches in New Jersey, it's essential to take proactive steps to protect your family and pets from these dangerous pests. Ticks can carry harmful diseases like Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, making early preparation and prevention crucial. Here's how you can prepare your home, yard, and family.
When Do Ticks Become Active in New Jersey?
Ticks in New Jersey become active primarily in early spring, around March or April, as temperatures rise above freezing and the environment becomes more humid. Many ticks, such as the black-legged tick (deer tick) and the American dog tick, spend the winter in diapause- a state of dormancy where their metabolism slows significantly to survive the cold months. Others, like the lone star tick, may overwinter in the egg stage, hatching as temperatures increase.
As spring arrives, ticks emerge from their dormant state or hatch from eggs, seeking their first blood meal to fuel their development and reproduction. Because they have not fed for several months, they are especially hungry and aggressive in finding a host, whether it be a deer, rodent, pet, or human. The combination of warmer temperatures, increased humidity, and host activity makes spring an ideal time for ticks to begin their life cycle anew. Their activity continues through the summer and into the fall, with some species remaining active even into the winter if temperatures remain mild. This seasonal pattern is why tick awareness and prevention are crucial in New Jersey from early spring through late fall.
Ticks to Watch Out for in New Jersey
New Jersey is home to several common tick species, each with distinct characteristics, habitats, and preferred hosts.
- Black-legged Tick (Ixodes scapularis)- Also known as the deer tick, this small tick has a reddish-brown body with black legs and a dark, shield-like scutum. Nymphs are tiny (about the size of a poppy seed), making them hard to detect. They thrive in wooded and grassy areas, often near leaf litter and along trails. Their primary hosts include white-tailed deer, small rodents, and humans. This species is the main vector for Lyme disease.
- American Dog Tick (Dermacentor variabilis)- Larger than the deer tick, the American dog tick has a brown body with white or gray markings on its back. It prefers open fields, grassy areas, and roadsides. While it primarily feeds on dogs, it will also bite humans and other mammals. It can transmit diseases like Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
- Lone Star Tick (Amblyomma americanum)- Recognizable by the white dot on the female’s back, this reddish-brown tick is aggressive and found in wooded areas and dense underbrush. It feeds on a variety of hosts, including deer, dogs, and humans, and is linked to ehrlichiosis and alpha-gal syndrome.
- Brown Dog Tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus)- Unlike other ticks, this species thrives indoors, especially in kennels and homes. It is reddish-brown, long, and narrow. It primarily feeds on dogs but can occasionally bite humans. It is a vector for canine diseases.
Hazards: What Makes New Jersey Ticks Dangerous?
The most dangerous and important fact about ticks in New Jersey pose a significant health risk due to their ability to transmit various diseases to humans and animals. Each common tick species in the state carries specific pathogens that can cause serious illnesses.
- Black-legged Tick- The most concerning tick in New Jersey, it is the primary vector for Lyme disease, which can cause fever, fatigue, joint pain, and neurological issues if untreated. It also spreads anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and Powassan virus, all of which can lead to severe complications.
- American Dog Tick- This species is a known carrier of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), a potentially fatal disease that causes fever, rash, and organ damage if untreated. It can also transmit tularemia, a bacterial infection that affects the skin, lymph nodes, and lungs.
- Lone Star Tick- This aggressive tick spreads ehrlichiosis, causing flu-like symptoms, and is linked to alpha-gal syndrome, which can trigger an allergic reaction to red meat. It may also transmit Heartland virus, a rare but serious disease.
- Brown Dog Tick- Primarily a threat to dogs, it spreads canine ehrlichiosis and canine babesiosis, both of which can be life-threatening for pets.
Because these ticks are active for much of the year, proper tick pest control and tick checks are essential to reduce the risk of infection.
Preparing Your New Jersey Property for Tick Season
Preparing a New Jersey property for tick season involves creating an environment that discourages ticks from thriving. Since ticks prefer moist, shaded areas with dense vegetation, reducing these habitats is key. Keeping the lawn well-maintained by mowing it regularly eliminates tall grasses where ticks like to hide. Clearing away leaf litter, brush, and woodpiles removes potential tick harborage areas, especially along the edges of wooded areas and property borders.
Establishing a barrier between wooded areas and the yard can help reduce tick migration. A three-foot-wide strip of gravel or wood chips between the lawn and wooded areas creates a dry, hot zone that ticks are less likely to cross. Managing wildlife that can carry ticks, such as deer and rodents, also plays a role. Installing deer fencing or planting deer-resistant plants can help deter deer, while sealing gaps in sheds and garages prevents rodents from nesting.
For properties with pets, keeping dog runs away from wooded areas and maintaining tick-free zones helps reduce tick exposure. If the yard backs up to a wooded area, consider using tick tubes or targeted treatments to reduce tick populations. By combining these efforts, homeowners can significantly lower the number of ticks on their property before peak tick season arrives.
Preparing Yourself and Your Family for Tick Season
Preparing yourself and your family for tick season in New Jersey requires a combination of protective measures and awareness to minimize the risk of tick bites. Wearing light-colored clothing helps make ticks more visible, and choosing long sleeves, long pants, and tucking pants into socks creates a physical barrier against ticks. Applying EPA-approved insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, or permethrin on clothing and exposed skin provides an added layer of protection. Before heading outdoors, especially in wooded or grassy areas, treating clothes and gear with permethrin-based sprays can help repel ticks.
After spending time outside, conducting thorough tick checks on yourself, children, and pets is essential. Checking behind the ears, along the hairline, under arms, around the waist, and behind the knees ensures that ticks are found and removed promptly. Showering within two hours of coming indoors can help wash away any unattached ticks and reduce the risk of bites.
For families with pets, using veterinarian-approved tick preventatives is crucial to keeping ticks from being carried indoors. Engaging in professional tick pest control services or using yard treatments can further reduce the tick population around the home.
As tick season approaches, taking the necessary precautions to protect your home and business is vital. With expert residential pest control and commercial pest control services, we can help reduce tick populations around your property, ensuring a safer environment for your family, employees, and pets. Don’t wait until tick season is in full swing- contact us today to schedule a consultation and learn more about how we can help you stay protected year-round.
