A bull’s eye rash like this is a sign that you’ve been bitten by a deer tick.

Pennsylvania has been the best in the country at a lot of positive things in the past few years, such as promoting access to healthy foods, and preserving farmland.

But here’s something we probably won’t want to put on the travel brochures: PA Lyme disease statistics show the state led the nation in reported cases of the illness in 2013.

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted to people bitten by an infected tick known as the black-legged or deer tick. The number of cases of Lyme disease has risen 25-fold since health agencies began recording the disease in 1982.

Pennsylvania has been the number one state for Lyme disease nearly every year since 2009 – New Jersey beat us by 22 cases in 2010 – and accounted for nearly a fifth of all cases nationwide in 2013.

And this year, for the first time, the deer ticks that cause Lyme disease have been observed in all of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties.

How does Bucks County fit in?

According to PA Lyme disease statistics, most recorded cases in the state tend to appear in the suburban counties surrounding Philadelphia.

In the past, Bucks County’s Lyme disease statistics have put it near the top of the list in terms of reported cases of the illness. In 2007, there were between 200-300 reported cases in Bucks, putting it in the same category as Berks, Lancaster and York counties. (The state’s leaders that year were Chester and Montgomery counties, which each had between 500 and 600 cases.)

How serious is Lyme disease?

Lyme disease is a multi-stage, multi-system inflammatory illness that first manifests itself through a red rash that resembles a bull’s eye. Other early symptoms include fatigue, fever, chills, headache, joint and muscle ache and swollen lymph nodes.

Patients who receive treatment in the early stages of Lyme disease usually recover quickly and completely. Treatment involves oral antibiotics such as doxycycline, amoxicillin or cefuroxime axetil.

If left untreated, other symptoms may appear, including:

• Additional rashes on other parts of the body.
• Facial or Bell’s palsy (loss of muscle tone on one or both sides of the face).
• Heart palpitations and dizziness.
• Shooting pains, along with pain and swelling in larger joints such as the knees.
• Severe headaches and neck stiffness caused by meningitis (inflammation of the spinal cord).

In the months and years following a tick bite, patients with an untreated infection may begin to have occasional bouts of arthritis. Some patients will begin to experience neurological problems, including shooting paints, numbness, tingling in their hands or feet, and short term memory trouble.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, anywhere from 10 to 20 percent of Lyme disease patients have symptoms that can last for years after treatment. These symptoms include fatigue, sleep disturbance, cognitive difficulties and muscle or joint pain.

Getting Help

You can try to avoid exposure to Lyme disease by taking precautions when you go outdoors. It’s especially important to take care in June and July, the two months where a majority of the Lyme cases are reported.

Here a few precautions to take, courtesy of the Lower Bucks Lyme Disease Support Group:

1. Stay in the middle of wooded trails.
2. Consider using a tick repellent that contains DEET on your skin, and Premethrin-based repellent on your clothing.
3. Wear white socks, and tuck them into your pants.
4. Make frequent checks for ticks when you’re in the woods, and then do a full body exam when you get home. Deer ticks are tiny – the size of a pinhead – so check carefully.
5. If you find a tick, don’t put any substances on it. Use tweezers, grasp it by the mouth, next to the skin, and gently remove it. Put it in a plastic bag or a Tupperware container if you want to get it tested, and wash the bite, the tweezers, and your hands.

If you have found a tick and want to have it examined, Peter Benz Landscaping can help.

We now offer the Lymenator test, which can determine within 10 minutes whether a tick that you’ve found — whether on yourself, a family member or a pet — is carrying Lyme disease.

If you find a tick, follow the fifth step listed above and contact us right away. Lyme disease can be a serious illness, and early recognition and treatment might make all the difference.

Q. When do adult ticks lay their eggs and hatch?

Adult ticks will lay their eggs in the spring, which will then hatch into larvae in the summer season. The larvae tend to become most active in the month of August. At this point, these ticks do not have Lyme disease, because they must feed on an infected host in order to become infected.

Q. What are the life stages of a tick?

A tick has three life stages over a two-year period. There is one blood meal (feeding) per stage before they molt into the next stage. Remember, though, that a newly hatched larvae cannot pass Lyme disease onto a human, because they don’t yet have the disease. The disease must be picked up from an infected host. That host is usually a mouse.

After its one blood meal, the larvae will transform into nymphs in the fall. This is the most dangerous life-stage of a deer tick, because they are still as tiny as larvae, but may now be carriers of Lyme disease.

The nymphs will remain inactive throughout the winter and early spring. May through June is the period of peak activity for the nymphs. After they have their blood meal, they drop off the host into the leaf litter and molt into adults. These adults look for their blood meal hosts in the fall, most actively in the months of October and November.

The adults that haven’t attached themselves to a suitable host in the fall become active early in the spring, during which they search for their last blood meal. This last feeding and mating must occur in order for the female adult deer ticks to lay their eggs. Remember: These eggs will not hatch into larvae until the summer.

Q. How do I know if I’ve been bit by a disease-carrying tick? And what should I do?

If you, a friend or a family member experienced a tick bite in the autumn, it was most likely by an adult. If the tick was tiny, it could have been a nymph that was actively searching for an early blood meal. Either one of these two stages of tick could be a carrier of Lyme disease or other co-infections.

Here at Peter Benz Landscaping, our timing for the tick tube installations is on time — and perhaps even a bit early — for the egg-laying season in the Bucks County and Montgomery County areas. We are also going after the dangerous nymphs with this first treatment.

Q. How exactly do your tick tube installations work?

The goal is to get the cotton into the nests of the mice so the permethrin in the cotton binds with the oils on the mice’s fur. In the spring, any ticks, adults or nymphs that come into contact with the mice from these treated nests are killed as they try to feed on the hosts.

The second application of tick tubes in the summer is targeted to the newly hatching larvae, as well as the nymphs and the adults that these mice may encounter in their travels. Incredibly, there can be anywhere from 2,000 to 3,000 deer tick larvae born in one mouse nest. It’s best, of course, if all these larvae are killed in the nest (by coming into contact with permethrin-treated cotton) before they leave.

The price for the two tick treatments varies based on the size and amount of thick mouse habitat available.

Please contact us as soon as possible if anyone you know needs help battling Lyme disease. Anyone who has been infected recently, by the way, should be able to get rid of the infection quickly with the use of antibiotics. Doxycycline tends to be the most commonly prescribed option. It is when the disease goes undiagnosed for a lengthy period of time that it becomes more difficult to beat.

Did you know the CDC has estimated that some 300,000 people are diagnosed with Lyme disease each year in the United States? (Incredibly, less than 30,000 cases are reported annually.) People who live in the Northeastern, mid-Atlantic and upper Midwestern states are especially vulnerable to Lyme disease.

Let’s take a look at a few different ways to prevent Lyme disease.

Be Aware of Your Location

Lyme disease results from tick bites. The best way to prevent a bite is to be aware of where ticks typically reside. You’ll find plenty of ticks in humid and wet spaces like grassy and wooded areas. They’re present on shrubs, leaves, trees and other greenery; you definitely don’t have to take a hike into the middle of dense woods to come into contact with ticks. You could be rolling around in the grass with your kids, for instance, and be bitten. Be proactive to protect yourself from bites. Avoid walking in between shrubs and through leaf litter. Do your best to stay away from thick and tall vegetation. You’ll also decrease your chances of a tick bite by walking in the center of trails when hiking.

Use Strong Repellent

Certain repellents will offer protection against Lyme disease. When shopping for repellents, choose one with DEET. Repellents with 20 percent or more DEET can be sprayed right onto the skin. It will protect you for at least a couple hours, as long as you apply it as indicated by the spray’s instructions. Apply a repellent with permethrin to your gear, boots and clothing. Give them a thorough spray and they’ll be protected through a couple washing machine cycles. Don’t let your kids apply tick repellents. Parents should apply them carefully so that the spray doesn’t reach their children’s eyes, mouth or hands. (Click here to see tips on the use of DEET from the EPA.)

Safeguard Your Yard

Modify your home’s yard to keep the ticks out. It is prudent to hire a professional pest control service to apply anti-tick chemicals to your yard. Position all of your family’s playground equipment and the home’s patio furniture far away from greenery like bushes, trees and gardens. Dispose of leaf litter on a regular basis. Clear out tall grass and other overgrown greenery from your yard. You can also prevent ticks by placing gravel or wood chips between lawn sections and wooded spaces.

Do your best to keep deer away from your property. Deer often carry ticks that will hop onto your shrubs, grass and other greenery. Install some physical barriers to prevent deer from accessing your property. You should also take an inventory of your plants and read up on which are the most attractive to deer. Remove all the plants that pique the interest of deer and you’ll decrease your susceptibility to Lyme disease.

Pets and Ticks

You can prevent your family’s pets from bringing ticks into your home if you don’t allow them to enter spaces that commonly have ticks. Don’t let them wander into the woods, hiking trails, or other areas with significant greenery. You can also prevent ticks on animals by using a spot-on treatment or a tick collar as prescribed by your veterinarian.

Tick Check

Inspect your body for ticks after you’ve spent time outdoors. Even if you’ve only spent an hour in your backyard, you should still conduct a tick check. Perform a full body check after you’ve been to areas like the woods, camping sites and hiking trails. Don’t merely look down to your bare skin to check for ticks and bites. Perform a thorough examination with a full-length or handheld mirror. Ticks are often found in and around the ears, under the arms, on the backs of the knees, around the waist, between the legs, on the head, in body hair and inside the navel.

Once you’ve checked your skin for ticks, you should examine your clothing. Ticks can attach themselves to clothing and eventually make their way onto your skin or even onto your pets. So check your pets every now and then for ticks. If you’d prefer, you can just put your clothing into the dryer on the highest heat setting; that will kill any ticks that may have found their way onto your garments.

Found A Tick? Remove It Right Away

If you discover a tick on your skin, hair, clothing or pets, you should remove it within minutes. If you eliminate the tick within 24 hours of its attachment, you’ll significantly decrease your chances of developing Lyme disease. Use fine-tipped tweezers to remove the tick. If you notice your temperature increasing, or if you develop a rash in the ensuing hours, days or weeks, you should see your doctor in order to determine if you have Lyme disease.

Peter Benz Can Help

Peter Benz Landscaping installs deer fencing, which can significantly reduce the number of Lyme disease-carrying ticks on your property. We also install Damminix Tick Tubes® to successfully protect against any of the Lyme disease-carrying deer ticks that deer transport onto your property. For more information about our services, don’t hesitate to contact us today.

And yet the unfortunate truth is that wild deer aren’t always the gentle creatures we see in nature programs on television. In fact, they often bring ruin in their wake.

Why would you want to guard your property from deer?

• Deer often destroy gardens, orchards and nurseries in their quest for food.
• Disease prevention! Deer often play host to ticks, which infect thousands of people every year in Pennsylvania with Lyme disease.

Deer cause millions of dollars worth of property and land damage each year. That’s why it’s in everyone’s interest to safely and humanely keep deer away from our property.

What are the different types of deer repellent?

• Taste-based repellents
• Odor-based repellents
• Deer fencing

Taste- and odor-based repellents are used on and around plants that deer are naturally attracted to. Many of these repellents can be purchased commercially; they can also be homemade. Deer fencing, meanwhile, is a type of fencing that is virtually invisible, and physically keeps these animals from entering your property.

Unfortunately, taste- and odor-based repellents are very limited in their effectiveness. They can be expensive to use, and they only work some of the time. They need to be reapplied frequently due to the weather, and this can be very inefficient. Deer can also develop a tolerance to these materials. During times of drought, or when food becomes scarce, deer will quickly learn to ignore these types of repellents. Because these animals are still roaming your property, they still are a source of deer ticks and Lyme disease.

Protecting you and your loved ones from Lyme disease

Lyme disease is carried by deer ticks, which sicken thousands of people here in Pennsylvania annually. Prevention is easily the best way to deal with the deer tick problem. By keeping deer away from your property, you will severely reduce the chances of this disease being spread.

Aside from preventing deer on your property, you can also utilize other methods to control these ticks. In conjunction with keeping deer off your property, Damminix tubes are one of the safest ways to address the problem.

Deer fencing is the only truly effective deer repellent 

Deer fencing is the most cost-effective way to humanely keep deer from destroying gardens, orchards and nurseries. Deer fencing is also one of the best ways to help prevent the spread of Lyme disease. Along with fencing, you can also install deer grates into your driveway. These grates are made up of slats that deer are unable to walk on, and can be used with a gate to your driveway, or in lieu of a gate.

By installing deer fencing, you will save money by preventing the damage to your property these adorable creatures can cause. You will also not have to worry about consistently applying and reapplying odor and taste repellents that are only partially effective, and expensive to use.

What is deer fencing?

This is a particular type of fencing that is made of a poly coated steel web material. It is black in color, and it has a very consistent grid that allows the fence to blend in easily with its surroundings. In fact, when you walk several feet away from the fence, it virtually disappears.

Ultimately, the aesthetics of your property are maintained by the use of this fencing, not only because it disappears into your yard’s landscaping, but also because it prevents deer from ruining your property in the first place.

When considering all the methods of keeping deer off your property in a safe and humane way, deer fencing is without a doubt the best way to go. To learn more about customized deer fencing, contact us at Peter Benz Landscaping. We look forward to helping.

What’s a Deer Tick?

Deer ticks are also known as “black legged ticks,” and can be confused with other kinds of ticks, especially dog ticks. They live by attaching to and then feeding off of unsuspecting hosts; their favorite host is the white tailed deer, as their name suggests.

What They Look Like

Small, brown and flat, deer ticks have eight black legs. Because of their small size and unobtrusive color, they appear nearly invisible; they’re about the size of a sesame seed. They’ll turn rust-colored or brownish-red after they’ve fed.

How You Acquire Them

Contrary to what is sometimes popular belief, deer ticks don’t “jump onto” their hosts. Instead, they make their way to your clothing or your pets’ fur by simply “brushing onto” you or your pets as you pass.

Why They’re Dangerous

• They carry bacteria and viruses – which can be transmitted to you and your pets

Dear ticks can be dangerous because they are carriers of many bacteria and viruses, which they can pass them on to you once they bite you. Deer ticks are the primary carriers of Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease.

• You won’t feel the bite

The deer tick bite is painless when it occurs, so that you won’t feel it. You won’t know that you’ve been bitten until you begin to have symptoms of illness – which is why it’s imperative that you don’t get them on you at all. And remember, your pets are at risk, too.

Where Do Deer Ticks Commonly Live?

• In forests and in heavily wooded areas

Deer ticks are most commonly found on their preferred hosts, white tailed deer, and therefore frequent heavily wooded areas and forests. However, they also like other hosts just fine are not picky. They live “on top of” grass and leaves, meaning that it’s very easy for them to crawl right onto your clothing or skin, or your pet’s fur.

• On the edge of suburbia

Yes, that’s right. Even if you live in a suburban area, you’re still at risk for deer tick infestation and thus exposure to dangerous diseases like Lyme disease. As suburbia (and urbanization) advances into previously “wild” locations, they also advance on those areas where deer ticks live. Because of that, you’re not safe even if you don’t live in or near a forest or heavily wooded area.

How Can You Tell If You Have Deer Ticks?

Unfortunately, the only way to really tell whether or not you have ticks is to spot them or their effects (bites) – on you, or on your pets. Actually finding deer ticks can be difficult to do because they are so hard to spot. The unfortunate result may be that you won’t know you’ve actually got them until you begin to experience symptoms of illness – and by then, it’s too late; you’ve already been exposed. At that point, seek medical treatment.

What Can You Do About Deer Ticks?

While certain preventative measures (wearing long sleeves and pants, for example) are often touted as good protection against deer ticks, remember that these little pests like nothing more than transferring onto clothing to get to you. Therefore, even if you do wear long pants, you’re not necessarily going to prevent deer ticks from getting on you. What you really should do is to test for them first and then control them with specific professional services.

Testing and Then Control Is Best

Deer Tick Control Equals Lyme Disease Prevention

The best way to protect yourself against deer tick infestation is to have a professional inspect your property for deer tick infestation. Once that’s done, your professional will install Damminix Tick Tubes® to both eradicate the current deer tick population and prevent re-infestation. After treatment, exposure to deer ticks and resultant Lyme disease dropped by 90%.

• No harm done to pets or other animals

This method of deer tick eradication and reinfestation prevention does not harm pets or other animals in the environment. The only creatures affected by the chemical used, permethrin, are the deer ticks themselves. Housed in biodegradable cardboard tubes, these treatments are safe for you, your family, the environment and your pets.

Take Control, Now

• With a Lymenator tick test

If you’ve found a tick a host already, make sure to preserve for testing. Call Peter Benz Landscaping and ask to schedule a Lymenator tick test. The test can tell within 10 minutes whether or not a tick is infected with the Lyme disease pathogen, so that you can seek treatment as early as possible if needed.

• By controlling deer tick infestation

Let a professional inspect your property for deer ticks and then install Damminix Tick Tubes® to both eradicate existing deer tick populations and prevent them from returning. Contact Peter Benz Landscaping today for a consultation.

At Peter Benz Landscaping we put a strong focus on helping our clients prevent the spread of Lyme disease through a variety of tick control services in Bucks County. These services include the installation of deer fencing and Damminix Tick Tubes. If you or someone you know has already been diagnosed with the disease, here are some helpful suggestions on how to take care of yourself.

Diet

The bacteria and microbes of the disease feed on glucose for energy so you should try and cut as much as this out as you can. This means to eat less of sweets and simple carbohydrates like cakes, pastas and breads. Lyme microbes can actually produce chemicals that can make you crave sweets so that you can feed them. The more you are able to avoid giving into them, the better you will feel. Resist the urge to feed the problem!

Vitamin C

Once you cut out the glucose you will need to give the Lyme disease microbes another source of food. A raw form of vitamin C, called ascorbic acid, is very similar to glucose and tricks the microbes into eating it. The ascorbic acid actually oxidizes inside the organism and kills it. The acid can also be very harsh on your stomach, so it’s important to follow these directions:

Mix the powdered vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in a cup of six to eight ounces of water with the baking soda in a ratio of 1:1, using about ½ teaspoon of each. Try to do this at least three times per day and after a couple of weeks you may be able to increase your intake. This actually helps to kill the Lyme disease microbes so take in as much as you can handle.

Natural Salt

Ingesting Celtic Sea Salt or Himalayan Salt makes the body uncomfortable for Lyme disease microbes and forces them out of hiding. Herbs of Light (sold at Whole Foods) makes capsules that are convenient to take with meals. The recommendation is approximately one capsule for ten pounds of body weight per day (maximum of ten capsules daily).

Apple Cider Vinegar & Baking Soda

Lyme microbes thrive in acidic environments which our bodies tend to be. By consuming both apple cider vinegar and baking soda you help raise your PH levels toward to the alkaline side where Lyme microbes struggle to survive.

Since you will already be consuming baking soda, just drink one ounce of apple cider vinegar (Bragg Organic Raw Unfiltered) three to four times a day, preferably between meals. You can drink it straight or mix it with water.

Flushing

After following the previous steps, you will make your body an uninviting environment for the Lyme microbes to survive, and you will need to flush them out. You can do this by drinking water, exercising and sweating. It’s recommended you drink eight ounces of water about every thirty minutes.

Exercise enough to sweat but don’t push yourself past your physical limitations. Try taking a walk or bouncing on a trampoline, a proven helpful exercise for Lyme patients.

Flushing out the dead microbes is so important because keeping them in your body can lead to feelings of queasiness and exhaustion, also called Herksheimer’s Reaction.

Probiotics

Take a probiotic (Primal Defense Ultra from Garden of Life) thirty minutes before or two hours after you eat once a day for the first few days. Then try taking two a day for a week and then increase to three a day for the next few weeks.

Please note: This protocol was created by people suffering from chronic Lyme disease searching for relief.

Remember, you can help you and your family by preventing the spread of Lyme disease through our tick control services. Please contact us to schedule an appointment.

Make sure you and your family are aware of the following symptoms Lyme disease may cause and contact your physician right away if you notice any sign.

Early Symptoms: These can occur within a month after being infected with Lyme disease.

• Rash: This is the most vital and obvious symptom associated with Lyme disease.  A small, red bump may appear at the site of the tick bite, although a red bump associated with a tick bite doesn’t necessarily mean it’s Lyme disease. But, if the redness increases over the next few days, forming a bulls-eye pattern it is a serious sign of a Lyme disease infection. Some people may develop this rash in several different places on their body.

• Flu-like Symptoms: You want to keep an eye out for feelings like: fever, chills, fatigue, body aches and a headache (usually associated with the bulls-eye rash).

Later Symptoms:  Several weeks to months after being infected you may notice some of these symptoms.

• Joint Problems: You may notice outbreaks of severe joint pain and swelling, especially in your knees. The pain can shift back and forth between different joints.

• Neurological Problems: Some serious issues may occur weeks, months or even years after you have been infected. These issues may be inflammation of your brain membranes (meningitis), temporary paralysis of one side of your face (Bell’s palsy), numbness or weakness of your limbs and impaired muscle movement.

Don’t let anyone in your family come in contact with any infected deer ticks. By taking advantage of tick control services, you can avoid the dangers and threats of Lyme disease. Contact Peter Benz Landscaping to have one of our experienced tick control technicians install the right tools to decrease the population and prevent the spread of Lyme disease on and around your Bucks County property.