Dealing with Tick Bites on Your Dog

Person removing tick from dog | Inman-Murphy | Tick Control in TN

Ticks can spell trouble for our furry friends, causing irritation, infections, and even serious diseases. Understanding the impact of tick bites on dogs and learning how to protect them from these pesky parasites is crucial. There are many ways to keep ticks away from your dog, including preventative medications and property pest prevention.

Dangers of Ticks in Tennessee 

Here in Tennessee, we primarily deal with two kinds of ticks: the Deer Tick and the American Dog Tick. These ticks often live in taller grass, close to walkways and trails, waiting for a host to get close. Ticks are ectoparasites that feed on the blood of animals, including dogs. They often target areas with less hair and more blood vessels, such as the ears, neck, belly, and legs. Within 24 hours of biting, ticks can transmit diseases such as:

  • Rocky Mountain spotted fever
  • Lyme disease
  • Tularemia

Tick Preventative Measures

Preventing ticks on your dog is best achieved by using tick-preventive products that kill or repel ticks before they can bite. Various options are available, including topical products applied to the skin once a month, oral tablets or chews given monthly or every three months, and collars worn continuously for up to eight months. Your veterinarian can guide you in selecting the most suitable preventive product based on your dog’s age, weight, health condition, and lifestyle.

In addition to using preventive products, there are practical steps you can take to protect your dog from ticks. 

  • Conduct daily tick checks, especially after outdoor activities, and avoid areas with tall grass, brush, or woods where ticks may lurk. 
  • Keeping your yard clean and well-maintained helps reduce tick habitats.
  • Wearing long pants and socks when venturing into wooded or grassy areas adds an extra layer of protection.
  • Having a professional tick exterminator treat your property.

Tick Removal Steps

If you discover a tick on your dog, it’s important to act swiftly but calmly. 

  1. Using gloves, tweezers, or a tick removal tool, grasp the tick’s base near your dog’s skin and pull it out slowly and straight. 
  2. Avoid squeezing or twisting the tick too forcefully. 
  3. Dispose of the tick in a jar with alcohol, clean the bite and apply antibiotic cream. 
  4. If you encounter difficulties removing a tick or if it’s in a delicate spot, like the eyes, mouth, or ears, seek assistance from your veterinarian.

Professional Tick Control Experts

Even with preventive measures in place, encountering ticks on your property or in your home is still possible. That’s where Inman-Murphy Termite & Pest Control’s PestFree365 services come into play. As a trusted pest control company serving Mid-South Tennessee since 1992, we have the expertise, knowledge, and tools to identify, eliminate, and prevent ticks and other pests from harming your family and pets.

By choosing our PestFree365 services, you can benefit from:

  1. A thorough inspection of your property
  2. A customized treatment plan. 
  3. Regular service schedule to maintain a pest-free* environment. 

We also provide a guarantee that covers any pest issues that may arise between services.

Don’t let ticks compromise you and your dog’s health and happiness. Contact Inman-Murphy today for a free inspection and estimate. Our team is dedicated to keeping your home and pets protected year-round.

Tips For Preventing Ticks This Summer

Dog jumping in grass

Picture this: it’s a glorious summer’s day, and you eagerly step outside, relishing the warmth of the sun on your skin. The gentle breeze carries the sweet scent of blooming flowers, and the world seems alive with vibrant colors and joyful sounds. You envision a day filled with outdoor adventures, picnics, and maybe even a refreshing swim. However, amidst this picturesque scene lies an unexpected threat, lurking in the tall grass and leafy trails, ready to disrupt your idyllic summer experience: ticks.

Ticks, those tiny pests that latch onto the unsuspecting passersby, can quickly turn a beautiful day into an itchy and worrisome nightmare. Their presence not only poses a nuisance but also brings potential health risks. From transmitting diseases such as Lyme disease, babesiosis, and anaplasmosis, ticks have gained notoriety as a significant concern for outdoor enthusiasts during the summer months. But don’t worry – with the right tips and tricks, you can protect your pets from ticks all summer long.

How to Keep Ticks Off Your Dog

Preventing tick bites is not merely a matter of convenience; it is a vital step in safeguarding your health and ensuring a worry-free summer. Here are some of the most effective ways to keep your furry friends safe from ticks:

Check Your Pets Daily

After every outdoor adventure, take a few minutes to check your pet’s fur for those pesky parasites. Look everywhere, from nose to tail, and do not let any tick hide. If you find one, it is time to act! Use tweezers or a tick remover tool and get rid of them fast.

Avoid Tick Territory

One of the best ways to prevent ticks is to keep your pets from wandering into tick hot spots. These tiny pests often hide in tall grass, ready to pounce. Keep your pup on groomed trails and paths, away from tick traps. You can also make your backyard a tick-free zone by mowing and clearing debris. 

Bathe Your Pets Regularly

Routine baths can help you discover any ticks or prevent new ones from hopping into your pet’s fur. Grab a mild dog shampoo and get ready to lather up. Wash your pup from head to toe, checking for any sneaky ticks. You can also try adding some apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, which are natural tick repellents.

Try a Tick-Proof Dog Vest

When it comes to protecting our furry companions from the dangers of ticks, one effective solution worth considering is tick-proof dog vests. These specialized garments offer a shield of defense against ticks, minimizing the risk of infestation and potential tick-borne diseases. Tick-proof dog vests are designed with durable, tightly-woven fabrics that create a physical barrier, preventing ticks from attaching to your dog’s fur.

Talk With Your Veterinarian

Your vet is your tick-fighting expert. Ask them about tick prevention to get personalized, pet-friendly advice. They will give you expert advice and the best products for your dog’s needs—whether collars, sprays, drops, pills, or vaccines, your vet has it all. 

Get Professional Tick Prevention

When ticks take over your property and your pet, it is time to call Inman-Murphy, Inc. They are the tick-busting pros. By using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques, they can provide personalized and environmentally responsible solutions that will keep ticks out of your backyard. No more ticks, just peace of mind.

Do not let ticks hold your pet’s adventures hostage. Take charge, pet parents! Call Inman-Murphy, Inc. to learn more about their exceptional pest control services.

Enjoy Sting-Free Summers: Stinging Insect Prevention

a wasp outside a windowpane

The arrival of summer brings with it the excitement of being able to finally spend time in your backyard, barbequing, and creating lasting memories with your loved ones. These beautiful summer days can quickly turn into a nightmare by a few stinging party crashers. Nothing ruins a fun summer afternoon quicker than a sting from a wasp or yellow jacket. These pesky stinging insects can leave you with painful stings or send some to the emergency room due to allergic reactions. Don’t spend your summer in fear of stinging insects. With proper preparation you can reclaim your outdoor space and enjoy a sting-free summer!

How to Identify Common Stinging Insects 

Wasps and yellowjackets are the most common stinging insects you may encounter in your yard. Like most common household pests, they come seeking food and shelter in and around your home. 

  • There are a few types of wasps that you may find in your yard such as mud daubers and paper wasps. Mud daubers are easily identified by their extremely long, thin waist and unique tube shaped mud nests. Paper wasps are brown in color and build papery umbrella-shaped nests, usually found hanging from tree branches or eaves of a home.
  • Yellow Jackets are bright yellow and black in color and have a stockier body compared to most wasps. Some yellow jacket nests will look similar to a wasp nest, hanging up high in a tree or eave but yellow jackets are also known to build nests in the ground or hollowed out areas, often in old rodent burrows. You will commonly see yellowjackets at your outdoor gathering. They seek out meat and sugary foods, whereas wasps prefer over-ripened fruit and flowers.

Preventing Stinging Insects in Your Yard

It is important to be proactive in preventing stinging insects in your yard. Below are a few tips to keep these stinging pests away!

  • Cover Food: Yellowjackets are attracted to meat and sugary foods. Make sure to cover food while dining outdoors to keep these party crashers away.
  • Pick Up Fallen Fruit: Fresh fruit from your fruit trees is not only your favorite snack; stinging insects will seek out over ripened or decaying fruit that may have fallen from your trees. If you have fruit trees, make sure to regularly check for and remove any fallen fruit.
  • Remove Old Nests: Most stinging insects will abandon their nests in the winter. Dispose of these nests while they are inactive. If the nest is active, many people choose to use canned spray treatments. Be extremely cautious when using these DIY methods. Wasps and yellowjackets are aggressive when threatened and are able to sting multiple times. Removing active nests is best left to professionals.
  • Close Garbage Cans: You will often find stinging insects buzzing around garbage cans looking to scavenge thrown out food or sugary snacks. To prevent these little dumpster divers from hanging out in your yard, make sure to securely close garbage cans.

Professional Extermination: The Safest Solution

Attempting to remove a wasp or yellow jacket nest on your own can prove ineffective and hazardous, potentially resulting in swarms of aggressive stinging insects. The best and safest way to ensure your yard is free of stinging insects is to enlist the help of a professional extermination service like those from Inman-Murphy Termite & Pest Control. Our expert technicians have both the experience and equipment to safely and effectively remove and stinging pests from your yard. Enjoy a sting-free summer this year and contact us today!

Mosquito Prevention: Some Do’s, Some Don’ts

A person spraying bug spray on someone else's arm.

For those living in the beautiful city of Memphis it seems mosquito season is never ending. Many people are looking for a fast and easy solution to ending the attacks by these blood-thirsty feeders. While mosquito bites are annoying, they also cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals.
According to the World Health Organization, mosquitoes account for over 700,000 deaths per year. Mosquitoes pose great health risks from vector-borne diseases they can spread, such as:

  • Malaria
  • Zika Virus
  • West Nile Virus

DIY Mosquito Prevention Do’s

It is imperative to start mosquito prevention early before an infestation can start. Ultimately, the best method is professional pest control. Yet, many methods of DIY prevention can work, including:

  • Remove Standing Water: Dumping anything that water collects in as well as fixing any leaky or broken faucets will prevent standing water from forming. Mosquitoes love stagnant water as it is a perfect nursery for laying eggs.
  • Use Outdoor Fans: Considering mosquitoes are weak fliers, air currents from fans can push mosquitoes out and disperses the carbon monoxide we exhale.
  • Mosquito Netting: By adding netting to your doors and windows, you place a barrier round your space to keep the invading mosquitoes out. This netting also prevents other insects from getting into your home.
  • Use Bug Spray: Many EPA-approved insect repellent containing DEET or Picaridin are available on the market. Use any insect repellent in accordance with the supplier’s instructions.

DIY Mosquito Prevention Don’ts

While there are many DIY methods that work, many methods do not work. Steer away from these:

  • Citronella Candles: While these candles are great for ambiance and saving electricity, they do little for repelling mosquitoes long-term. They need to be replaced often as they lose potency quickly. These candles are effective for a short amount of time and only if you are directly next to the candle.
  • Coffee Grounds: There is no solid evidence that burning coffee grounds or spreading the grounds around your yard works  in repelling mosquitoes. Instead, use the grounds in your compost bin for the garden!
  • Bug Zappers: Mosquitoes are attracted to the carbon dioxide we exhale and our body heat. Bug zappers do not have either of these qualities going for them. Instead, these zappers can kill natural predators of mosquitoes and other good-doing insects.

Professional Pest Control Services

The never-ending fight against mosquitoes can leave you drained from keeping up on the DIY methods you choose. Spend your spring and summer months pest-free* with the help of Inman-Murphy Termite & Pest Control. Our expert technicians come to your property to conduct an inspection and formulate a plan that suites your needs! Call today for a no-obligation consultation.