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The great outdoors awaits us all with the glorious advent of spring and summer.
Hikes with the family dog through lush green fields, walks through a garden resplendent with colorful blooms or lazy afternoons lounging in a hammock on a back porch are the kind of moments people wait all year to enjoy.
Like all things in life, however, the warmer season has its drawbacks.
It also marks a time when fleas and ticks begin to breed and surface, wreaking havoc with our pets by impacting their health, and if left untreated by pest-control and pest-maintenance experts, infesting an otherwise happy home.
What Exactly Are Ticks And Fleas?
Ticks and fleas can be differentiated by four major factors; namely, the type of parasite they are; the hosts they seek; the weather they can tolerate and their tendency to infest a home. More on each follows below.
A flea has no wings and its form of mobility is to use its six legs to jump on prey, which can be either a passing dog, cat or hapless human. Ticks are also wingless, but have eight legs.
They are related to the family of spiders (arachnids). Adult fleas seek out one host, which is usually a dog or cat, and remain for the duration of their lifetime, which is usually about two to three months.
Fleas, more than ticks, are more likely to infest a home, and they find their way into absolutely everything including:clothes, carpets and furniture.
Flea bites can cause skin irritation and potential infections resulting from incessant scratching.
One female flea can lay up to 260 eggs per day on a single dog and more than 2,000 within the span of just one week!
If that isn’t bad enough, fleas are hosts for tapeworm larvae, which means that if a pet ingests a flea while grooming, the animal can easily develop tapeworm, which requires veterinary attention to treat.
Ticks are diversified insects and known to feed for several weeks at a time on diverse hosts such as rodents, rabbits, deer and pets at various stages of their development, and they can live up to three years.
Environment is also a factor in their diversity.
For fleas, the warmer months are ideal, and while ticks like warmth as well, they are also known to survive in cold weather by hiding underneath snow.
Ticks are most often found in long grass and heavily wooded areas.
They attach themselves to an animal or human in order to secure a blood meal which is the sustenance required for them to lay their eggs.
While a tick bite is usually painless, the ramifications can be quite serious, as they are vectors of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme disease.
Why Are These Insects Attracted To Our Pets?
Research indicates that fleas and ticks are attracted to our pets for a number of reasons.
They are drawn to the carbon dioxide that pets produce while breathing.
They can also sense the heat produced by warm blooded mammals, like our cats and dogs. In addition, the warm soft fur on our pets provides the perfect milieu for both fleas and ticks.
Whether outside for a long time or just a few minutes, they can still pick up fleas and ticks and bring them inside, sparking an infestation.
Due to the fact that these insects feed on blood, they can cause serious health problems ranging from allergic reactions to serious tick-borne maladies.
They can also put your pet at risk for a number of serious and potentially life-threatening illnesses, which include: anemia; Lyme disease; Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and heart worm disease.
Illnesses from these as well as mosquito bites have tripled in humans over the past 20 years throughout the United States, which is why its is more important than ever for home owners to get proactive and consult a pest control and pest-maintenance specialists or advice on how to keep family members with both two and four legs safe.
For fleas, our home, family and the bodies of our pets are the source of their food supply.
The blood in the bodies of mammals is their solitary source of nourishment.
The bites leave little red marks and bumps.
Below are are some measures that home owners can take to reduce the chances of a flea or tick infestation and keep our beloved pets safe.
Some Helpful Tips To Protect Your Pet From Flea and Ticks
1. Bathe Your Petes
Bathing your pets on a regular basis is a good idea, especially if they are indoor/outdoor animals. This will not prevent fleas from returning to the scene of the crime, so to speak, but done vigilantly will help to keep them at bay. Also, if a flea or tick does attach itself to a dog or cat, a tangled coat can make it more difficult to detect.
2. Apply Proactive Medications
Vets can advise about monthly medication that can protect your pets from the onslaught of ticks and fleas.
3. Avoid Placing Birds Baths and Feeders Near Pets
These should be kept as far away as possible from where pets congregate outdoors. Both fleas and ticks are attracted to these items and tend to linger nearby. Pets should also not be able to drink from any water ounces that may be shared with insects.
4.Maintain Lawns And Bushes
Beyond the advantage of aesthetics, tending to trees, bushes and grass helps to keep fleas and ticks away because they provide ample breeding grounds. Gardens should also be fenced off so that pets can’t wander inside and avoid walking your dogs in overgrown grass.
5. Wash Pet Bedding And Toys Regularly
Fleas lay eggs anywhere they can, and to prevent an infestation and a desperate call for help to the pest-control and pest-maintenance specialists at Pestco, wash pet bedding and toys often.
What to Do If You Find A Flea Or Tick On Your Pet?
Time is the most important element here.
There are effective shampoos and other products on the market that can help, but think about asking your vet BEFORE you have a situation.
Ask for product recommendations and keep them in your medicine cabinet, which will make the emergency situation flow a lot smoother.
Call Pestco For Any And All Pittsburgh Pest Control Needs!
Pest-control and pest-maintenance are the cornerstones of Pestco Professional Services!
Based in Pittsburgh, PA, we are a family-run company that has been in continuous operation since the late 1940s, making us one of the oldest pest control companies in the region.
Equipped with the most cutting edge and cost-effective solutions, our unwavering mission down through the decades has always been to provide experienced, responsive and uncompromising pest-control and pest-management services to all of our loyal customers (and their beloved pets).
Summer is fast approaching! Call our teams at Pestco today and find out how to properly arm your family and your pets against the onslaught of fleas and ticks. We’re always here to help!