If you’re planning to spend a lot of time outdoors this summer, you’ll need to take precautions against ticks. This tip sheet outlines some basic tick safety tips, including what to do if you find one on you. Read more

Last month, we took a look at pest control for businesses; this month, we’re examining pest control strategies for your home. With our moderate climate, pests are a year-round nuisance for Bay Area homeowners. Pests don’t go away on their own, so if an infestation is left unaddressed, it can lead to significant property damage and even harm the health of your family and pets. Keep reading to find out how pest control professionals handle a variety of common household invaders. Read more

I don’t know about you, but I enjoy long walks and hikes in different parts of the Bay Area. However, there are three things that detract from my enjoyment: poison oak, snakes and ticks. I’ve learned to spot poison oak and can usually avoid it. Snakes have predictable patterns and I’ve only seen a couple of harmless ones in the past few years. Ticks scare me the most because they’re so small and difficult to detect (the bites are painless), and they also may carry Lyme and other diseases. Read more

“I hate nature,” my 12-year-old daughter mumbled years ago as the urgent care doctor removed a tick embedded in the middle of her back. She’d been away at a week-long school camp in Northern California, so we had no idea how long the tick had been there. Fortunately, she didn’t contract Lyme disease from the bite.

I’ve always been afraid of ticks (along with snakes and poison oak), and I was reminded of my fears last month while taking a nature hike in the redwoods near the Russian River. Read more