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Behavior –
Soft ticks differ from the hard ticks in that their body
shape is oval and the head and mouthparts are hidden
underneath the body. Soft ticks also are more flesh-like
in appearance and do not have the hard, flattened
exterior of ticks such as the brown dog tick, American
dog tick, and similar species.
The most commonly encountered soft ticks around
buildings are those that infest birds belonging to the
genus Argas and those infesting rodents of the genus
Ornithodoros. Rodents transmit the spirochete that
causes relapsing fever in the western U.S. Cabins, rural
homes and other secluded buildings that become infested
with rodents may potentially house Ornithodoros soft
ticks. Should the rodents leave or tick populations
become too high, the ticks may attach themselves to
persons residing or sleeping in infested buildings.
Bird or fowl ticks of the genus Argas may be encountered
on farms where poultry are kept or in buildings infested
by pigeons that carry the pigeon tick, A. reflexus.
These ticks are quite mobile and may crawl significant
distances seeking hosts, such as invading a structure on
a farm or moving down through a building from pigeon
roosts.
Habitat – Soft ticks will be present
wherever their rodent or bird hosts live. Rodent
burrows, attics, wall voids and crawl spaces are just a
few examples.
Tips for Control – When soft ticks
are found within a building, Rebel Exterminators
recommends consulting a professional for assistance. The
birds or rodents serving as hosts must first be
controlled and/or excluded. Further steps must be taken
ensuring rodents or birds cannot reenter the building.
It is important to remove any rodent or bird nest that
is accessible and also treat cracks and voids where
ticks may be located.
Should you discover a tick imbedded in your skin, do not
grasp it by the abdomen and pull. You may squeeze its
fluids into your skin, which increases the chances for
infection. Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick by
the head next to the skin and slowly pull backwards.
Working slowly will permit the tick to withdraw its
mouthparts so they do not detach and remain in the skin
to become infected. Once the tick has been removed,
cleanse the area well with soap and water. You may want
to disinfect the bite site with alcohol or apply an
antibiotic cream.
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