How to Deal with Ticks

Ticks and Lyme disease are a real threat. Here’s how to avoid them.

Southern California’s wonderful weather means a lot of us go outside every chance we can get. But whether you’re hiking, camping, paddling, or just grilling in the backyard, don’t forget about a silent threat to you, your children, and your pets: ticks.

“Ticks are known for spreading lyme disease to people, but pets are also susceptible to this serious disease,” says Efrain Velasco, Lloyd Pest Control’s Technical Director and a trained entomologist. “Pet owners and parents in Southern California should be especially vigilant against the Western blacklegged tick, which spreads Lyme disease.”

Why Worry About Ticks? Lyme Disease.

Lyme disease is a scary illness. If it’s discovered early, the majority of patients with Lyme disease make a full recovery. But left untreated, the bacteria that cause Lyme can attack many systems of the body, including the skin, heart, nerves, and joints. Unfortunately, Lyme can be contracted more than once, even in someone who has been previously treated for the disease.

Pets sickened with Lyme disease may suffer from fever, decreased appetite, painful joints, limping and lethargy. In severe cases, kidney disease can also occur.

California’s Other Worrisome Ticks

Western blacklegged ticks have us worried about Lyme disease. But American and brown dog ticks are also common in SoCal. These ticks are larger than blacklegged deer ticks and don’t carry Lyme—though they can cause “tick paralysis” when a female dog tick attaches near a pet’s spinal cord. Tick paralysis can lead to muscle weakness, loss of coordination and, in some cases, death from respiratory failure.