March 21st marked the beginning of spring. Along with warmer weather, comes exposure to ticks and their diseases. Tick activity slows over the winter months but will bounce back after just a few days of above-freezing weather.

As if humans and their pets aren’t worried enough about Lyme Disease, there is a newer tick borne disease that sadly has already claimed a life in Warren County.  Powassan virus is a deadly tick borne disease that is making its way eastward from across the Hudson River.  Although rare, this emerging tick-borne disease is thought to transmit into the bloodstream even quicker that most tick born diseases.  It is thought that the virus can be contracted within minutes after a tick bite.

While Lyme disease is rarely fatal, the Powassan virus is fatal in 10 percent of cases, said Tom Mather, director of University of Rhode Island’s Center for Vector-Borne Disease and its Tick Encounter Resource Center. The disease is spread by two kinds of ticks: the black-legged, or deer tick, which can also carry Lyme disease, and the woodchuck tick. It is more important than ever to establish a tick management program in your yard.

Tick Tackler provides organic residential tick control to help battle ticks both at home and while you are enjoying the great outdoors.  Our service has expanded to Eastern PA and in New Jersey includes Hunterdon, Warren, Somerset, Sussex, Bergen, Mercer, Union, Essex and  Middlesex Counties.  We are family owned, fully insured and licensed by the DEP. Tick Tackler now holds pesticide applicator licenses for both residential and school certification.  To find out more about Tick Tackler, call Jennifer Molzen at 908-612-4736, send an e-mail to [email protected] or visit us at ticktackler.com.