Common Ticks Found In Wilmington

Four major Tick varieties are found in Wilmington. Each one carries its own characteristics and potential for spreading disease.

• American Dog Tick: Brown with a somewhat mottled body, American dog ticks can transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia with their bite. They are a widespread tick in this area.
• Lone Star Tick: These ticks are reddish-brown, with females sporting a white dot on their back. They can transmit ehrlichiosis, tularemia, Heartland virus, Bourbon virus, and southern tick-associated rash illness.
• Brown Dog Tick: This tick is typically only found on dogs and is distinctly dark brown. They can bite humans and carry the risk of transmitting Rocky Mountain spotted fever, but this is less common.
• Black-legged Tick: Also referred to as a deer tick, this tick has black legs and an orange-red body surrounding a black center. Female ticks transmit Lyme disease, babesiosis, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, and Powassan virus to humans.

You should also note that the Asian longhorned tick has been found in North Carolina starting in 2017. These ticks seem less attracted to human skin, but their bite still may pose the risk of introducing bacteria to any individual bitten.

What to Do if Bitten by a Tick

If you find that a tick has bitten you, there are several steps that you need to take to ensure that removal of the tick is done safely and with as little risk as possible. You can follow the tips we have below to achieve this.

1. Use fine-point tweezers and grab the tick as close to your skin’s surface as possible.
2. Pull up steadily. Do not jerk or twist the tick and do not crush or puncture the tick’s body.
3. If any tick mouthparts are left behind in your skin, carefully remove them with tweezers; if you cannot easily remove them, leave them alone and let your skin heal.
4. Clean the area of skin that you removed the tick from with rubbing alcohol or soap and water
5. Dispose of a live tick by placing it in alcohol, a sealed bag, wrapping it in tape, or flushing it down the toilet

Attempt to remove the tick from your skin as soon as you have noticed it. It is important to be careful and steady during removal, as this will take the tick out in one piece and reduce the risk for further complications.

After removing the tick, if you find you have any of the following warning signs, you will need to seek immediate medical attention to deal with the symptoms.

• Rash
• Fever
• Neck stiffness
• Headache
• Nausea
• Weakness
• Muscle or joint pain
• Chills
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Difficulty breathing
• Pain or swelling at the bite area

Any of these symptoms following a tick bite is a reason to see a doctor.

Control Tick Populations Around Your Property

Ticks can be no fun, and finding them around your property can be more than troublesome – it can be dangerous. The best way to control tick populations around your Wilmington home is to contact the professionals at Bug-N-A-Rug Exterminators.