All about ticks in New Jersey

As the harsh winters of the Northeast weather fade to a distant memory, the spring season brings about new life. Along with this new life comes plenty of bugs in the Garden State. If you have pets, then you are undoubtedly familiar with fleas and especially ticks. What is it about ticks that evokes fear in the masses?

These tiny creatures hitch a ride into your home on your furry friends, but they can also come in without a pet host. Ticks are scary because they carry a plethora of diseases that can have a significant impact on your central nervous system. While most tick bites are benign, a few carry diseases that can leave you down for the count.

The Dangers That Lurk Outside Your Home

Did you know that more than 70 percent of people who contract Lyme disease get it from their own back yards? It’s scary to think that walking outside to get some sunshine can make you deathly ill if you encounter one of these bugs. Remember to check yourself thoroughly after being outdoors, and be sure to look in the skin folds where they tend to root to feed. You can’t always feel them, so have someone help you check areas you cannot easily see. 

During the larvae stage, the tick will feed on any wildlife that they can find. They prefer dogs, cats, and bats, but they will also use deer and other animals. As the tick feeds, they store the blood inside their body to grow into the nymph stage. Once they’ve hit the nymph age, they will live in grass that ranges from 4-6 inches, which is the typical height of the average American lawn. 

The blood within their reserves can be diseased, and if they should bite you, they will transfer that disease into your bloodstream. Not only will you find these pests wondering about throughout your yard, but you can find them in the following locations:

  • Leaf Piles

    The organic debris that leaves bring is the perfect nesting spot for ticks. Is it any wonder that you see them in compost piles and on the floor in the woods? Deer ticks frequent these areas, as well as any tick in the immature nymph stage.

  • Thick Ground Cover

    Certain plants and shrubs provide optimal nesting for ticks. If you have English ivy or another type of bush that is thick in nature, they love to hang out in these plants. They also frequent any place where a rodent might be nearby, as it’s a possible host for them.

  • Wooded Areas

    Ticks love the line where the forest meets a meadow, yard, or street. The forest line is a hot spot for tick activity. Be especially careful when coming in or out of a wooded area, as the high level of activity increases your chances of encountering one of these critters.

  • Grassy Meadows

    Since ticks can harbor in anything above two inches in length, you want to keep your grass clipped short. Some areas are more prone to ticks than others, so you need to cut the grass shorter if you tend to have more problems. Ensure to take care of any weeds or areas of thicket where the numbers of these pests can skyrocket.

The Six Common Ticks Found in And Around New Jersey

Identifying the ticks common in this state and the ones that bring about the most dangers is imperative for your safety. Additionally, you can help to reduce the number of ticks in your area by keeping your yard clipped and any weeds removed. 

Still, even with the best efforts comes the possibility that you will encounter one of these blood-sucking vampires, so being proactive is vital. Here are the most common ticks in this area. 

1. American Dog Ticks

Fig.  Top row: Lone star ticks, from left: Adult female, nymph, larva. Note rounded body shape. Bottom row: Blacklegged (deer) tick adult female (left) and American dog tick female (right). Note oblong body shape. Source: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

The American dog tick is a dangerous pest that can pose a threat to your health. This tick is notorious for carrying Rocky Mountain spotted fever, which can put you down for the count. 

If you contract RMSF from a tick, you can experience a severe rash, headaches, nausea, fever, vomiting, and it will make you extremely sick. The inflammation associated with this tick bite shouldn’t be confused with the notorious bullseye variety that’s associated with Lyme disease. However, you will see large dots and splotches that develop on the ankles or wrists that will spread to the remainder of the body. 

RMSF isn’t the only concern with this pint-size bloodsucker, as they can cause tularemia and paralysis. These ticks will hang out in your grass and bushes, but they will also frequent plants. They’re abundant on hiking trails or even on the side of the road. This tick doesn’t thrive indoors, so they won’t last long unless they find a host inside your home. 

This tick is easy to identify due to a white, spotted section near its head area. The rest of the tick is brown in color. 

2. Blacklegged Ticks AKA Deer Ticks

The deer tick is quite common across the state, and it’s one of the biggest carriers of Lyme disease. This specific tick loves to lurk in bushes and tall grass, which is why keeping your yard trimmed is essential. Since they prefer a shaded area, wooded zones, or regions with many trees, it’s possible to see them in an abundant number. 

These tiny critters can hitch a ride in the collar of your shirt or even on your shoes. They are easy to identify due to their black legs and a lighter brown body. They’re one of the most prominent ticks out there, and their bodies are easy to identify due to their significant size. 

3. Brown Dog Ticks

The brown dog tick and the American dog tick are often confused. However, the American dog tick isn’t known to thrive inside the home, but the brown dog tick certainly can. They can live inside without a host for days, which makes them an even more significant threat. 

Kennels throughout the state have significant issues with these ticks as they love to hitch a ride on canine friends. They can bring about many diseases, such as RMSF and canine babesia, and ehrlichiosis, all of which are severe in nature. 

This tick species is known for its solid brown appearance, making it easy to distinguish from others. They look nothing like their cousin, the American dog tick, as they don’t have the white, spotted section on the upper body. 

4. Lone Star Ticks

While the lone star tick was named for the regions it frequents in the south, it’s made its way to the New Jersey areas over the past decade. These ticks are on the aggressive side, as they love to bite. They also have an increased amount of toxicity with them, as they can transmit diseases like tularemia, tick-associated rash, human ehrlichiosis, and other conditions. 

There is an odd connection between people who consume red meat and get bit by this tick; scientists are studying this link to see why this phenomenon occurs. You can find the lone star tick in wooded areas or paths, but they love to hang out in tall grass in your yard as well as overgrown vegetation. Their appearance is easy to detect from others as they have a white dot in the center of their back, but the rest of their body is brown. 

5. Bat Ticks

A relatively new addition to the tick family in New Jersey is the bat tick. These tiny brown pests have been identified in counties of Mercer and Sussex, but they can be anywhere. Not only are these pests a danger to your pets and livestock, but they are a significant threat to you. 

Unlike the other tick species, these have a softer body that has a leathery appearance. They’re exceedingly small and have a slightly irregular shape. Their color palette ranges in various shades of brown, and they get their name from their living preferences. They tend to hang out in your attic or any place that a bat loves to roost. 

Though research is still being conducted to see if these pests carry any diseases, it’s best to steer clear of them. By eradicating any bat problem in your home, you can reduce their chances of finding a host. 

6. Asian Longhorned Ticks

The Asian tick loves bushes. It’s primarily known to bother livestock, so be wary if you farm with animals. This invasive tick species has been found in eight states across the country, and some of the sightings have been in New Jersey. 

What makes the Asian tick so dangerous is that it can transfer theileriosis to livestock, which affects your food supply. The good news is that they are unable to transfer this disease to humans. Another threat to this tick is that the female doesn’t need the male to reproduce, so she can lay eggs all day long. 

This tick is exceedingly small, and once engorged, it becomes the size of a pea. They start tiny and are often called seed ticks because they look just like a dark-colored sesame seed. Another scary fact is that they can live almost a year without eating, so they don’t need a host to thrive in and around your abode.

How to Properly Remove Ticks

Tick removal using Tweezers
Source: University of Maine

If you see a tick on you or your pet, don’t panic. The key is to remove the tick within the first 24 hours to reduce the chances of contracting an illness. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest using tweezers to grasp them. Of course, the more blood they suck, the larger they become. It’s easier to remove a tick that’s engorged as opposed to one that is newly attached. 

It’s essential that you don’t twist or jerk on the tick, as this can cause the body to separate from the mouth area. You don’t want to leave the mouth inside the skin, which can cause infection if it’s not removed promptly. Plate the slanted tip of the tweezers as close to the head of the tick as you can get it and pull it out. Treat the area with alcohol to reduce the spread of germs. 

Taking Preventative Measures

After reading through this blog, you may be leery of stepping into your backyard or going for a hike in the woods. Alas, you can take preventative measures to ensure the safety of your pets and family. Your friendly New Jersey pest control company can help keep ticks at bay by doing treatments on your yard. 

Starting in April and going through September of each year, granular tick treatments can detour them from coming into your yard. Pest control services are just one way to keep these pests at bay, but the most significant thing you can do is to mow your grass and weed eat those flower beds. 

When you remove the resting and breeding regions, then you won’t have near the issues that other areas do. The good news is that the intensity of ticks is worst during the early spring months in their mating season, but it seems to die down slightly as you head into the late summer and early fall months. 

It’s better to be proactive when dealing with ticks, especially since a close encounter can make you extremely sick. The threat of contracting a significant illness from ticks in the state of New Jersey is real, so you need to call an experienced exterminator for help. You want to enjoy your summer and not spend time being sick from a tick bite. Now is the time to treat your yard!

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