What Do You Need To Know About Flea & Tick Treatment?
Can Fleas or Ticks Damage My Home?
While fleas and ticks do not cause permanent property damage, they can bring numerous health risks to the humans and animals in your home.
Fleas can cause severe allergic reactions in some people, and in rare cases, may carry typhus or the bubonic plague. They can also transmit tapeworms to their hosts.
Ticks are associated with numerous diseases, including Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Your pets may also become anemic due to blood loss from flea and tick bites.
Fleas and ticks can soil carpets, fabrics, upholstery, and pet fur with their droppings since these are the areas in which they tend to live. While thorough cleaning and pet hygiene practices can help curb the presence of fleas and ticks, a professional exterminator is generally the best way to eliminate them once and for all.
How Do Fleas & Ticks Get Into My Home?
Ticks & fleas typically enter homes by hitching a ride on people or animals. Fleas most commonly attach themselves to your pet’s fur from dirt or grass outside (although they can also ride on human clothing). Ticks can attach themselves to people or animals and usually hide in the following areas:
- Groin
- Armpits
- Inside the ears
- Hair
- Bellybutton
- Backs of the knees
Are There Different Kinds of Fleas & Ticks to Worry About?
Thousands of flea species exist around the world, but the most common varieties found in California are:
- Cat fleas
- Dog fleas
- Sticktight fleas
- Ground squirrel fleas
Most fleas that cause problems for people and their pets in California are cat fleas—which, despite their name, can also land on dogs and other pets. Dog fleas and sticktight fleas are less common, but all varieties can be a problem and should be exterminated quickly.
There are 47 known species of ticks in California, but only 8 that bite humans:
- Western black-legged ticks
- American dog ticks
- Pacific Coast ticks
- Wood ticks
- Brown dog ticks
- 3 species of “soft ticks” without common names (Ornithodoros hermsi, Ornithodoros parkeri, and Ornithodoros coreacius)
Different species come with distinct risk factors and may require unique extermination approaches. Our pest control experts can help you determine the particular species of fleas or ticks in your home and take appropriate steps to get rid of them.
How Can I Reduce My Risk of Flea & Tick Infestations?
The following strategies can help you lower the likelihood of a flea or tick problem in your home:
- Mow and weed your lawn regularly throughout the year to eliminate areas where fleas and ticks tend to thrive.
- Keep your pets on high-quality flea preventatives throughout the year to discourage fleas from biting.
- Vacuum your home and wash your bedding often to destroy fleas and ticks that may have made their way inside before they can reproduce.
- Wear long sleeves and tuck pants into shoes if you live in an area where ticks are common.
- Perform regular tick checks before entering the house.
- Consider spraying wooded areas or heavy brush near your property with pesticides to kill ticks that may be living there.
- Clean any areas on your property that might attract rodents (since they commonly carry ticks with them).
Several over-the-counter products are also available that can kill fleas or ticks, but these may pose health risks to animals and small children. Instead of taking the risk, contact experienced pest control professionals who can solve these problems safely and decisively.
