Tackling Ticks Together

While ticks aren’t particularly difficult to treat, they do require a multifaceted approach and meticulous attention to detail. Brad Hudson of Presto-X Pest Control shared insights into how his team approaches a tick infestation. “Tick control requires a lot of habitat modification — working with customers to create tick-safe zones and eliminate rodents. Doing things like clearing tall grasses and moving play equipment to sunny areas away from ditches is very important. You need to clearly explain to the customer what you did, why you did it, how it works, and why you really need to team up to take care of these pests.”

Doug Foster of Burt’s Termite & Pest Control said that sometimes getting customers to be part of that team can be a challenge. “We explain that ticks aren’t attracted to normal lawns, so as long as you keep your grass 1-3 inches in height, you’re going to be in pretty good shape. But if you let that grass grow higher, you make your property more appealing to ticks. They crawl to the top of tall grass to quest — to wait for a host to walk by, whether that’s a person, a pet or a wild animal. Even with that warning, some people just don’t want to go out and mow.”

Angie English of Vinx Pest Control added, “Customers do need to understand this is a two-way street. Our product applications will help, but environmental controls are really key to resolving the issue. For treatment to be completely effective, they have to do their part as far as keeping the grass short, keeping weeds cut back and creating little moats around mulch so the water drains. It’s a collaborative process.”

TREATMENT PROTOCOLS. In terms of product applications, almost all PMPs (92 percent) surveyed said they use residual pesticides. It’s also not uncommon to mix an insect growth regulator (IGR) with an adulticide — 45 percent said they use IGRs — to wipe out a couple of generations in one fell swoop. This may be particularly true when tick services are bundled with flea and/or mosquito services; an IGR mixed with a broad-spectrum pesticide can be quite effective at controlling all three populations.

Habitat modification (used by 27 percent of PMPs), botanicals (23 percent) and rodent control (22 percent) are all commonly used as well, with some PMPs throwing tick repellents (12 percent), tick boxes (5 percent) and other tools (3 percent) into the mix.

“We use a combination of things, primarily bifenthrin granules,” said Foster. “Bifenthrin is one of the best products we’ve found to kill ticks. You can easily broadcast it into high-grass or high-weed areas, and the granules provide prolonged exposure. That slow release gets down into thick underbrush or foliage that sometimes you can’t penetrate very well with a power sprayer or a mosquito mister. That being said, we also use power sprayers or mosquito misters to deliver a liquid bifenthrin. Sometimes you can reach areas you couldn’t otherwise.”

Nate Heider, national operations director at Spidexx, attributes his team’s tick management success to knowing where and how to use the “combination of tactics” at their disposal. “You have to think about where people will be walking and playing as you choose whether to apply an adulticide or use tick boxes or tubes in certain areas. We encounter a lot of playhouses, for example, and you’re sure not going to spray there. Environmental modifications are important, too. You won’t get very far if there’s a lot of leaf clutter or other harborage for the ticks.”

TREATING WILDLIFE HOSTS. You won’t get far either if rodents, deer, raccoons or other wildlife are running around looking like a tick buffet. “You need to treat for the ticks and for the rodents, which are the source of the ticks,” said Brad Hudson of Presto-X Pest Control.

Hudson recommends a thorough inspection prior to treatments. “We know we’re looking for some type of mammal, and if pets aren’t the source, then we inspect for rodent harborages and burrows; look for traces of raccoons or other animals — basically, we try to find signs of the host(s) so we know what we’re dealing with. We combine that very detailed inspection with common sense to come up with the correct action or treatment plan to help that customer resolve their pest issues.”

Depending on the type of host discovered, that treatment plan may include exclusion work to keep the animals out of the house, trapping, habitat modification, repellents, baits or other means. Here’s another instance where customer collaboration is essential, as basic sanitation practices — keeping trash tightly sealed, not leaving pet food out and eliminating standing water — can go a long way in discouraging wildlife traffic.

KEEPING TECHNCIANS SAFE. Like mosquitoes, ticks are one of the pests that can be a true danger to technicians should they get bitten during or after a treatment. Personal protective equipment (PPE) and education can help keep them safe.

“We don’t want our people exposed to anything that could be potentially dangerous, so we train them to stay out of the infested areas as much as possible while treating (working around the perimeters instead). At the same time, we have them use a repellent on their pants, socks, ankles and shoes,” Foster said. “Checking yourself is important, too. We tell everyone to pull their pants legs up and look closely, since the foot/ankle area is most vulnerable, and then shower and check yourself again at the end of the day.”

Make sure technicians are prepared to remove ticks properly should they need to, Foster added. He equips his team with tweezers (some PMPs prefer tick spoons), as well as education to ensure they remove the entire tick every time.