Keeping your Family & Pets Safe from Ticks this Summer

"Mom, what is this bug on me?" Words that can paralyze a parent in fear. It's bad enough when they descend upon your pets each year, but when ticks target your family, anxiety can reach new heights. Aside from the well known  Lyme disease, researchers from Tufts & Yale have discovered a new bacterial illness transmitted by ticks. Reported on by the New England journal of medicine, this adds to the list (up to 5 now) of human illnesses brought on by these dangerous pests. Ranging in symptoms from fevers to weight loss, these illnesses are very real, and very serious.

How can I prevent Ticks?

The tick can be found in 3 various stages of life; the Larvae, the nymph, and the adult. Hatching in July and August, it's shortly thereafter that they begin the search for their first blood meal (gross, indeed). Though not yet carriers of diseases at the larvae stage, it's here you really want to eliminate them (the following year in the nymph stage they will be more dangerous). This is done by targeting them at those 2 pivotal seasons in their development; April & August.

Get to the mice, get the Ticks

A natural host for ticks in their nymph stage, mice can be your ally in this battle of elimination. Damminix Tick Tubes, which are small, open-ended cardboard tubes stuffed with cotton balls (these aren't your average cotton balls), are placed strategically throughout your yard where mice will willingly raid them for their nest-building efforts. They remove the cotton balls, take them to their nest, and the magic begins. The cotton balls are soaked in permethrin, which is highly toxic to ticks, but less so to birds, humans and other mammals. The ticks attempt to feed from the mouse and in so doing "ingests" the poison, and are consequently killed.

Do Tick Tubes Work?

Perhaps the single most effective means of protecting your home, Damminix Tick Tubes have proven over time to significantly diminish the occurrence of disease-infected ticks. While tick prevention does require an ongoing, consistent treatment approach, tick tubes have been praised by homeowners, schools and city officials alike. In some cases, as much as a 90% reduction in risk of infection was recorded. There is no comparable treatment plan in our opinion.

How much do I need?

Tick tubes come in 3 different size cases;

- 6 Tick Tubes, which treates 1/8 acre of mouse habitat

- 24 Tick Tubes, which treats 1/2 acre of mouse habitat

- 96 tubes, which treats 2 acres of mouse habitat

For additional application information or to view the FAQ's & MSDS, see our Damminix Tick Tubes page.