Skip to main content

Three Ticks in Northern Virginia

Northern Virginia is a part of the country where there a large number of ticks that can spread serious illnesses. Fairfax county reports an increase in rare tick-borne illnesses throughout the country.  There are three basic types of ticks in Fairfax county. Here is a list and a basic description of the ticks.


tick control in Northern VirginiaLone Star Tick


The Lone Star tick is identified by the distinct white mark in the center of the female’s back. Adult male ticks have a dark back with patterns around the edge of the back. The seed ticks are small and brown. The Lone Star tick carries a number of serious illnesses like Tularemia, and STARI. The Lone Star tick can also cause people to develop an allergy to meat. This can be a life-threatening allergy. Many people who develop this allergy must drastically change their diets. The Lone Star tick is considered very aggressive.


 


 


Three Ticks in Northern VirginiaBlacklegged Tick


The blacklegged tick has black legs. The adult male is mostly black. The adult female has a black head and brown body. The legs are black. This tick will transmit Lyme disease, Powassan disease, babesiosis and anaplasmosis. This tick is active throughout the spring, summer and fall. It can also come out of hibernation in the winter to look for a host to feed on.


 


 


Flea and Tick PreventionAmerican Dog Tick


The American Dog tick is brown with a patterned shell.  The American Dog tick is known to spread Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia. This tick is most active in the spring and summer. Some people may refer to it as the wood tick.


Steps to Take If You Are Bitten by a Tick


If you find that you are a bitten by a tick, you will need to remove it using a pair of tweezer. You should pull straight back until the tick detaches. Do not twist because the head may detach from the tick. You will need to kill the tick by putting it on a cotton swab with alcohol on it and then putting it in zipper bag.


If you are bitten, you should watch for signs of a tick-borne illness. Many of them start out the same way with body aches and pains, a fever and a headache. It is similar to a cold, but you will not start feeling better on your own. For several illnesses, a distinct rash will appear on the third day of symptoms. Rocky Mountain spotted fever has a spotted rash that appear on your ankles and wrists. Lyme’s disease will develop a bull’s eye rash, but only about 80% of patients develop the rash. The bull’s eye does not have to be around where you were bitten. STARI will have a rash that develops around the bite and it will expand out in a bull’s eye type pattern.


It is also important to be aware of the possibly of developing an allergy to meat. This can take a few months to develop, and the symptoms usually begin about six hours after you have eaten as your body breaks down the proteins in the meat. It can be a severe stomach ache and body pains, but it can also lead to breathing issues. If you have these symptoms you should ask to be tested.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Can Tick Bites Really Cause an Allergy to Meat?

In the past few years there have been increasing reports of people developing allergies to meat after being bitten by a tick. This is formerly called an Alpha Gel allergy. Researchers in Virginia were among the first to discover it through clinical trials for a medication. Some patients were having a reaction to one component in the medication and would have similar allergic reactions to red meat or meat from mammals. Some people even have reactions to dairy products. What Tick Causes the Allergic Reaction? The Lone Star tick is the only tick that is currently known to spread the allergy to meat. The ticks are common in areas with high deer populations, since the Lone Star tick prefers to feed on the deer. You can identify a tick by looking at its back for a white dot in the center. If you find a tick attached to you, you will need to remove it right away, and then watch for symptoms. How Can I Tell if I Have an Allergy to Meat? The symptoms for the meat allergy will build over time....

Florence brings Flooding and Mosquitoes to PWC

As the remnants of Hurricane Florence have pushed farther north and west of the eastern seaboard, heavy rains have inundated areas of northern Virginia and caused flooding as far north as DC . Not only did the areas around the floodplains get a major increase in flooding, but the ground in general became heavily saturated with rainwater, thus providing a prime breeding ground for mosquitoes to lay eggs and increase their number. Mosquito Breeding in Wet Yard Areas Mosquitoes will typically lay their eggs in areas where rainwater collects naturally, such as in ponds and along the banks of rivers and streams, but with all the rain that Florence brought to Prince William County quite a few homeowners have noticed that mosquito populations have increased dramatically since the storm. This is because the mosquitoes can now easily lay their eggs in just about any location where there is still water pooling from the rains, and until the ground is fully dry this will continue unless action ...

10 Facts About Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes can be a pesky insect. Known for ruining outdoor barbecues and parties as well as for spreading serious diseases there may not be a lot to love about mosquitoes. Here are ten facts about the pesky little insect. 1. There are over 3500 species of mosquitoes around the world. However, there are only about 175 species in the United States and West Virginia has the fewest species of mosquitoes. 2. Mosquitoes like warm weather and will develop more quickly in the perfect temperature of around 80 degrees. Some mosquitoes hibernate. When it reaches about 50 degrees they begin to look for places to burrow into. Others will lay their eggs in freezing water so they can hatch when it warms up. 3. Male mosquitoes do not suck blood. They feed on flower nectar instead. They also have a much shorter life span of about ten days. 4. Female mosquitoes need to feed on blood in order to lay their eggs. They also have a longer lifespan and can live up to 54 days. 5. Mosquitoes transmit disease t...