So, you hate ticks. Well, everybody does. Ticks are tiny pests that feed on human blood. And these little bloodsuckers are really hard to kill. But in this article, you will learn the best ways to kill ticks and also know some common facts about ticks, which will help you to get rid of them.
How to Kill and Do Tick Control
People know that ticks are really hard to kill, but they probably don’t know the right way to do it. Squish, crush, drown, or burn, what would you opt for killing these bloodsuckers?
When you spot a tick, you must know about the options to safely remove it. You should also know about the potential diseases caused by tick bites. Also, know that your pets are susceptible to tick bites and tick-borne diseases.
Ticks are found everywhere in the world, and they are pests to humans and almost all animals, including snakes and elephants. They can easily transmit blood-borne diseases to animals and man, including Lyme disease because they are blood-sucking ectoparasites.
Some tick bites can cause people too allergic to red meats. Hence, it’s really important to get rid of ticks. Well, you can call the exterminators for tick control or, do regular pest control to keep the pests miles away from your house. But in this article, we will be discussing the tops ways to kill ticks and get rid of them. Also, you will get to know why squishing or squeezing ticks is not good for you and your family’s health.
Tips and Tricks to Kill Ticks
If you have encountered with tick problem then the first step is not to panic because there are so many ways to deal with it.
You can use different tips and tricks to kill ticks and have a tick-free home. Here are some of the best tips and tricks to kill ticks: –
Squishing
You might have heard about squishing a tick to kill it. Well, it’s a common way to kill ticks, but could not be safe for you.
If the tick is actively feeding on you then you shouldn’t squish or squeeze it as they can regurgitate all the content of their stomach open on your wound. And this increases the risk of blood-borne diseases. Hence, it’s not a good idea to squish ticks as soon as you spot them on your body.
Do it with your shoes or a rock. If it has been removed from your body, then you can squash it. But while doing so you will have to consider a few things that are as follows: –
Don’t do it over your body
Don’t try to do it as soon as you spot ticks on your body. Instead, safely remove it from your body and then use something like a rock or boots to squeeze it. It is an effective and primitive way to kill ticks.
Don’t get their insides on you
Not only on your body, but you should also avoid squashing ticks in between your fingers. Ticks suck blood so along with the blood drops the ticks juices will get into your body if you will squeeze it.
Pesticides
One of the best and easiest ways to kill ticks is to use pesticides.
Several pesticides in the form of liquid, powder, and sprays are available in the market to kill the ectoparasites like ticks. This means you have a lot of options to choose from. One of the most common pesticides available in the market is Permethrin. You can use the powder form or sprays, which you can sprinkle or spray in your backyard and other spaces in your house.
Although pesticides are beneficial in killing ticks, they can also affect your pets. So, you will have to be very careful while choosing and using pesticides as this could be harmful to pets and other animals.
Drowning
One of the most common ways to kill pests and insects is to drown them.
But ticks can survive even when are completely drown in the water. So, drowning them in a water-filled container is not going to help you get rid of the pest.
The same goes with flushing ticks down the toilet. You will think you are killing ticks this way, but in reality, you are just sending them to another location with the heavy force of water and nothing else.
To kill ticks using this trick, you will have to add some chemicals to the water or else this will not work. For this, you can use rubbing alcohol, or the mouthwash that contains alcohol can also do the job. Even though these are liquids, the chemical will dry out the ticks from inside, and due to no water inside the body, the ticks will be killed eventually. But, using rubbing alcohol is only applicable for the trapped or alive ticks.
Natural Remedies
Well, the Internet is full of effective natural or home remedies to kill ticks. But it’s difficult to know which ones are effective and which ones are just an old myth. So, here we will let you know about some of the best natural remedies to kill ticks that are also safe for humans and pets.
Plant-based oils can do the magic. Essential oils are very beneficial to killing and removing different kinds of pests. Following are the ingredients you can use for this purpose: –
- Lemongrass
- Rosemary
- Garlic
- Cedar
- Peppermint
These are the top things you can use to get rid of or kill ticks, but also there are a few things that people use the tick removal methods that don’t work. Following are the methods used for removing ticks that may help in tick control but are not safe to be applied while the tick is attached to your skin: –
- Dish soap
- Petroleum jelly
- Kerosene
- Nail paint remover
Heating
Well, most of the pests cannot stand the extreme heat and eventually get killed. So, you can use this trick for tick control as well.
But, when we say heating then this requires the right temperature also it should be the right kind of heat. You can simply not attempt it, doing with the tick attached to your skin. If you have safely removed the tick from your body, then you can simply toss it into fire, or you can set it ablaze with a lighter.
Natural Predators
If you are residing in a place where no amount of bugs and sprays will help to reduce the ticks’ population, then what will you do in that case? Well, you can keep the natural predators in your house that likes to eat ticks. Yes, there are animals like chicken and turkey that add ticks to their everyday diet.
Conclusion
Ticks are tough to remove or kill. Even if you will submerge in the water, they can still be alive. They won’t starve, so doesn’t matter how long you keep them in a jar. This will not help you to kill them. Also, there is much misinformation about ticks that make it difficult to kill them. If you want to kill ticks, then follow the above tips. And the simplest way for tick control is to call the expert exterminator or a pest control company in Chetpet, Chennai near your city
Author: GPC