Ticks live in forests. They thrive in leaf litter. Ticks love high grasses and moist, shady areas. They also hang out in your yard (even though there are some smart strategies to keep them away).
What do all those places have in common? They’re all outdoors. Which means that inside your home is safe from ticks – right? Wrong.
Unfortunately, those tenacious and dangerous pests can cause problems in the Great Indoors, too. Heck, they’ve been known to survive a few turns in washing machines. So hanging out for a few days or weeks in your carpet is simply no big deal for them.
But a tick’s survival rate indoors depends on its particular species type. Some ticks are lucky to survive long past 12-36 hours indoors, while others can complete an entire lifecycle in the comfy confines on your home.
That’s why, no matter where you and your pet happen to be, we recommend keeping the quick and easy tick removal tool, the TickZapper®, handy! Ticks can pop up anywhere. If they’re currently enjoying free room and board at your address, there’s a good chance they’ll end up on your pet.
The TickZapper® is portable, easy to use, and features a patented, innovative, self-energizing (battery-free!) design – so it is always ready to go! What’s more, our tick removal tool removes the ENTIRE tick (including dirty mouthparts!) while also fully capturing and securely containing the tick. This system eliminates the need for human contact, which reduces your chances of coming into direct contact with tick-borne diseases. Keep one inside of your home, one in your camping kit, one in your pocket, and one in your car’s glove box. Wherever the road takes you and your beloved pet, make sure the TickZapper® is readily accessible.
Which ticks thrive inside, and, what can you do to prevent these dangerous pests from making your home their home?
Ticks Indoors: Survival of the Coziest
In the outdoors, ticks face a different set of survival struggles: cold temperatures, predation (a few bird species eat ticks like candy), the lack of a viable host, and many more struggles. Although ticks are some of the hardiest survivors anywhere on the planet, they’re still faced with their own set of existential issues in their natural environment. It truly IS survival of the fittest – and only the most tenacious and adaptable ticks eventually find a host – or multiple hosts – to feed upon.
How do ticks get into your house in the first place? Two primary ways: by hitchhiking onto your pet, or hiding in your clothes (or even on your body, ewwww!). This is why it is so important to check your pets – and yourself – after spending time outdoors (more on that later).
However, once they make it inside your home, ticks have more favorable surroundings. It’s not exactly the lap of luxury, but consider all the advantages ticks enjoy:
- Warmth. Ticks love warm surroundings. But if the indoor climate is too dry, some ticks (deer ticks, for example) will not live much longer than a day. Still, indoor conditions are much more tick-friendly than temperatures outdoors – especially during the winter months.
- Available Hosts. Ticks require blood meals – and hosts – to survive. Inside your home, there are plenty to choose from, and unfortunately, your pet is a prime target. Compared to the outdoors, where ticks will “quest” in search of a host for weeks or months, indoor living suits most ticks just fine. The brown dog tick can survive its entire lifespan indoors – one of the few species of ticks known to do so.
- Plenty of Hiding Spots. Known for their ability to evade detection at all costs, ticks can find plenty of hidden nooks and crannies – including your carpet – once inside your front door. These tucked away corners of your home are ideal for ticks looking to find a host, or even lay eggs. Some species of female ticks can lay thousands of eggs at a time. The good news? Most ticks prefer soil in which to lay eggs. Two species that won’t reproduce indoors are the Lone Star tick and American Dog tick.
As you can see, indoor living for ticks isn’t exactly survival of the fittest – it’s more like survival of the coziest. The key to keeping ticks from living in your home is to keep them out in the first place. If you want to be the ultimate tick bouncer at your front door, it is vital to have a plan in place!
No Vacancy: Keeping Ticks Out of Your Home
Here is a list of things you can do to keep ticks from taking up residence in your home:
- Check Your Pets. After every visit into outdoor areas, or visits to the kennel, do a thorough tick check on your pet(s)!
- Use the TickZapper®. Our tick removal tool is ideal for fully and securely capturing them and, safely removing them on your pet in a timely manner – which is KEY to staving off the transfer of tick-borne diseases! Since ticks enter your home via the pet taxi, the TickZapper® can help you remove the problem immediately!
- Vacuum and Professionally Clean Your Carpets – Regularly. Ticks like to nestle into deep carpets, especially if your home is semi-humid. Regular cleaning and vacuuming will capture some of these stragglers. Left untreated, your carpets can become a thriving home for ticks.
- Turn Up the Heat. Specifically, turn up the heat in your dryer. If ticks are found on your clothes, an extra high heat drying cycle will kill them.
Just to ensure you’re well prepared for immediate removal of ticks in your home, it’s a good idea to grab a TickZapper® today! Thanks for visiting our blog – check back for more helpful tips & tricks for pet care, tick prevention, and more!
