Jodi Elliott, owner of Mosquito Joe of Braintree-Weymouth (https://braintree-weymouth.
“After two relatively mild winters, the ticks will be back with a vengeance in 2024,” Elliott says, also noting that it’s not uncommon with milder winters to have tick presence even in the winter months. She references a Commonwealth of Massachusetts report citing two peaks of tick activity: the first beginning in March or April and lasting through August, and the second occurring in October and November, with the majority of cases of tick-borne disease taking places from June through August.
Even in the so-called “off season” for ticks, activity continues and certain tick-borne diseases including Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Borrelia miyamotoi and Powassan virus can occur all year round in the region. Tick-borne diseases are seen most frequently in children and older adults.
Elliott says that the best protection includes understanding the importance of knowing “what makes ticks tick” in order to combat them. Ticks typically thrive in damp wooded areas where tall grass, shrubs, and trees grow unchecked. She adds that they are attracted to the edges where woods meet lawns, and at the border of where untamed land meets residential development. “Ticks hide in leaf litter, ground-covering plants, and wood piles where small mammals might live.”
Ticks will climb grass stems and shrubs to the height of their preferred hosts. Then, they reach out with their front legs, waiting to attach to a passing animal. This hunting behavior, she notes, is called “questing.” Questing ticks hunt for hosts by seeking body heat, carbon dioxide, and the smell of lactic acid in human and animal sweat.
Because ticks need a water source, they thrive where humidity is high and soil is damp. They are highly susceptible to drying out.
Elliott urges people to take precautions to avoid tick bites which include:
- Avoiding areas where ticks are most likely to be found, including wooded areas and tall grass
- When outdoors, particularly in areas where ticks may be more likely, reduce your chances of tick bites by wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts
- Tuck pants into socks
- Wear lighter clothing especially in areas where ticks are more likely prevalent
- Use an insect repellent considered effective against ticks
- Look on body parts including scalp and hair, ears, underarms, and back of the knees
- Look for clothing which has been treated with anti-tick repellents
- Check yourself and pets frequently
- Throw clothes in the dryer for 10 minutes on a high heat setting to remove ticks
- Shower promptly when coming indoors which will help wash off unattached ticks and lessen the chances of contracting a tick-borne disease
She reminds people that not all ticks are carrying disease, but because we don’t know which ones do, it’s important to avoid all tick bites.
About Mosquito Joe of Braintree-Weymouth
Mosquito Joe of Braintree-Weymouth is an experienced outdoor pest control service. The woman-owned enterprise serving Norfolk and Suffolk Counties, including Weymouth, Braintree, Milton, Quincy, Randolph, Holbrook, Avon, Mattapan, Jamaica Plain, Roslindale, West Roxbury, and Hyde Park. Owner Jodi Elliott, a resident of Hull, MA, launched the company in 2018 following her daughter Ash’s three-year battle with Lyme’s Disease and wanting to help prevent others from contracting tick-borne illnesses.
Elliott, who worked in corporate America before launching her business, is now beginning her seventh season as the leader of this firm. Services included mosquito, flea and tick control, barrier sprays, and treating perimeter pests such as ants, spiders and centipedes. The company’s goal is to transform the homeowner’s yard into a peaceful place for the family. One of the company’s most popular treatments is a botanical tick and mosquito repellent treatment that protects a yard for up to three weeks at a time. Mosquito Joe also offers a natural mosquito control option that repels mosquitoes for up to 14days. For an assessment of your pest control needs, please contact Braintree-weymouth@
