Ticks can be a problem for the residents of New Jersey and in other areas in the United States. In New Jersey, you need to keep an eye out for the Lone Star Tick, the American Dog Tick, The Brown Dog Tick, and the Blacklegged Tick.
Each type of tick that you will find in New Jersey passes through the same four development stages…egg, larva, nymph, and the sexually differentiated adult stage. Additionally, each type of tick must find and receive a blood meal off of three different hosts in order to complete their life cycle. Each of the ticks that you will find in New Jersey, with the exception of the Brown Dog Tick, will feed on a variety of different vertebrates. New Jersey humans, mammals, reptiles and birds are all on the dinner plate of blood sucking ticks.
The Blacklegged Tick, otherwise known as the deer tick, is the most feared tick of all ticks in New Jersey because it is a known vector of Lyme’s Disease. The deer tick is found throughout the eastern section of some parts of the mid-western portions of the United States. Most cases of Lyme’s Disease are reported in the coastal northeastern and mid-Atlantic states.
In New Jersey, the life cycle of the deer tick will often take two years to complete. In fall months a female tick will lay her egg mass, which contains several thousand ticks. Unlike many other types of pests, ticks will not die off in the cold winter months. Instead they will overwinter in leaf litter waiting for a small animal or bird to become their host so they can reach the next stage of their life cycle. The Lyme’s Disease transmission risk is still a substantial problem for New Jersey residents even during the winter months.
It’s very important for New Jersey residents to keep their homes safe from ticks and the Lyme’s Disease that they carry by having a Home Service Plan in place. Allison Pest Control provides expert pest control services to Monmouth and Ocean County, New Jersey residents. Give us a call today!