Alternative EarthCare Discusses the Lone Star tick and 4 Reasons Suffolk Residents Need Tick Control Services

LONG ISLAND, N.Y., Oct. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Alternative EarthCare has been providing quality residential and commercial services across Long Island, New York since 1996. Specializing in mosquito, flea, and east end tick control service, traditional lawn services (including aeration and seeding), irrigation system services, tree removal and pruning, and Christmas and holiday light installation, the team of professionals successfully caters to your needs in the least toxic, most organic way possible.

Long Island residents know that ticks are a big problem in the region due to harmful and even potentially deadly illnesses. What they don't always understand, however, are the various species of ticks, how to identify them, and why they should want to. Identifying ticks is important for understanding any risks associated with bites. Different ticks carry different diseases and are prevalent in different areas, and any ticks on the property warrant professional treatments to safeguard people and pets. The lone star tick, unfortunately, is both common in Suffolk County, as well as dangerous. Alternative EarthCare discusses the lone star tick and four reasons Suffolk county residents need tick control services.

Identifying a lone star tick

The lone star tick is so named because of the off-white and often star-shaped mark on the female tick's back. Male lone star ticks have whitish spots or streaks around the edges of their back. Lone star ticks are three-host ticks, meaning they will feed during larval, nymphal, and adult stages, increasing the probability of spreading diseases. During these life stages, lone star ticks range from approximately the size of a pin-head in larval stage to approximately one-quarter of an inch in their adult stage.

Reasons to obtain tick control services to control lone star tick populations

The lone star tick frequently feeds on mice, birds, small mammals such as groundhogs, and deer, all of which are common in Suffolk County. They also frequently feed on pets and people, spreading illnesses as they go.

1. Lone star ticks feed aggressively and frequently

Lone star ticks are three-host ticks. Since they feed through various life-stages, they can continue to bite, and potentially spread disease, from spring through winter. Lone star ticks are also referred to as "generalist feeders" because they are non-specific about which species of host they choose to feed on. They utilize a technique called questing to easily migrate from host to host along blades of grass and vegetation.

2. Lone star ticks transmit ehrlichiosis

Ehrlichiosis, commonly transmitted from lone star tick bites, can cause flu-like symptoms such as fever, head and muscle aches, chills, nausea, and fatigue. More severe symptoms consist of confusion, prolonged vomiting and diarrhea, breathing difficulties, and bleeding disorders. Though the human fatality rate for ehrlichiosis is under two percent, for those with already compromised immune systems, the illness can prove fatal.

3. The lone star tick transmits tularemia

The lone star tick also transmits the often mild, but sometimes life-threatening, tularemia. Tularemia causes symptoms such as skin ulcers, and lymph, armpit, and groin glandular swelling. When left untreated, the illness can evolve to pneumonic tularemia, causing symptoms such as chest pain, cough, and difficulty breathing.

4. Lone star tick bites can cause meat allergies

Lone star tick bites can cause people to develop alpha-gal allergies by injecting the alpha-gal substance when they penetrate the skin. This allergy can cause reactions such as hives, gastrointestinal distress, and respiratory distress. It is theorized that possibly alpha-gal allergies can also contribute to organ rejection when transplants take place.

Serving both Suffolk and Nassau County, including the East End and the Hamptons, Alternative EarthCare Long Island Tick Spraying offers a variety of organic, non-toxic lawn care services for your home or business. In addition to beautifying and maintaining properties, the award-winning staff is also dedicated to the safety and health of their customers.

Media Contact: Greg Regan, Alternative Earthcare, 631-940-9050, [email protected]

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SOURCE Alternative EarthCare