Many homeowners in the Frisco area think fleas and ticks are not pests they have to worry about unless they go backwoods hiking or don’t treat their pets. However, you can get a breeding population of fleas or ticks on your property without being an avid camper or even owning pets. All you have to do is have wildlife coming back and forth onto your property, and you are opened up to potential infestation from these annoying and possibly dangerous parasites. That’s why tick and flea control measures are vital even if you’re a pet-less indoor enthusiast.
Flea VS. Tick Fight Night
Fleas and ticks are very different parasites that can cause a host of problems for their hosts. Both of these parasites are external, meaning they pierce your skin to feed on you rather than living inside your body as worms do. Fleas can live in your pets’ fur, but they usually hop on and off when they feed on humans. Our hair doesn’t provide sufficient cover for fleas, so they live in our furniture and carpet instead.
Ticks have a different strategy. They lie in wait for a host and then crawl up or drop down from above. Once on your body, ticks embed themselves in your flesh to feed. Ticks can suck on a host’s blood for several days before finally dropping off. A full tick can be many times its original size.
If you find a tick in your skin, avoid harming it until it’s out. Gently pull the tick straight out without twisting it or tearing it apart. Full ticks can easily be crushed underfoot. Empty ticks are harder to kill. Flushing them down the toilet is typically the easiest solution, though you can tear them apart with your fingernails.
The Problem With Parasites
Fleas and ticks pose different threats to you and your pets. Fleas don’t spread disease from human to human like they used to (they were one of the vectors for the Black Plague during the Middle Ages). However, though it’s uncommon for humans to get diseases from fleas, it’s still possible. Fleas can also pass diseases to your pets, and they can trigger allergies. Both people and pets can have a flea allergy. Symptoms of flea allergy include a red rash, bald spots, constant scratching, and sores or “hot spots.”
The main threat with ticks is a serious illness. Ticks spread several debilitating diseases, including Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. When a tick bites you, the pathogens that cause these diseases are injected into your skin. Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness. This disease attacks everything from your nervous system to your cardiovascular system and can lead to permanent disability. That’s why it’s vital to keep ticks off your property.
Flea And Tick Prevention
Of course, it’s easier to get ticks if you go to the wilderness a lot, and it’s easier to get fleas if you have pets. That means you’ll need to take steps to mitigate these two risk factors if you have them. Talk to your vet about keeping pets on year-round tick and flea control medicine. Wear long pants and sleeves and bug repellant to avoid getting ticks on your skin while you’re out hiking or camping.
Keeping wildlife off the property is another step everyone needs to take to avoid tick and flea infestations. Everything from rats and mice to raccoons and opossums can bring these external parasites into your yard or home. That’s where All-Safe Pest & Termite comes in. We’ve got the tools and techniques to keep wildlife and their pesky parasites away from your property. So give us a call or visit our contact page to schedule your consultation today!