Flea & Tick Identification Guide
What are fleas & ticks?
Fleas and ticks are common outdoor pests that, unfortunately, often find their way into our homes. Fleas and ticks feed on a wide variety of animal hosts and people. Fleas are insects known for their tiny size and superior jumping skills, which allows them to find their way onto a host easily. Ticks are arachnids; they have eight legs and do not fly or jump, so they wait for a host to brush by them that they can crawl onto. Both fleas and ticks are ectoparasites, meaning they feed on the blood of their hosts from outside their bodies using specialized mouthparts.
Are fleas & ticks dangerous?
Fleas and ticks are both pests that should never be ignored when living on our Cypress properties or in our homes. Both fleas and ticks deliver bites to their host in order to feed. Those allergic do flea saliva will develop a very itchy rash. Fleas are also intermediate hosts of tapeworms that they pass to both animals and people. During the feeding process, ticks can transmit a variety of serious diseases to people and animals. Diseases that ticks spread throughout Texas and that make people ill include Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Why do I have a flea & tick problem?
Insects, spiders, and other pests find their way onto properties on their own, usually while foraging for food. In contrast, fleas and ticks move into our yards on the bodies of their hosts. Common hosts for both fleas and ticks include rodents, skunks, deer, raccoons, and other wild animals. After being introduced onto your property, there is a very high chance that you, your kids, or pets will come into contact with them and unknowingly bring them into your home. Fleas can live successfully both outside and inside our homes, while ticks are more of an outdoor pest because most are unable to breed indoors.
Where will I find fleas & ticks?
Ticks spend most of their lives outside on the backs of their host. If a tick is not on a host, it will hide outside, waiting for one to happen by. You'll find ticks in many outdoor spaces, including tall grasses, fence lines, dense vegetation, in road ditches, and at the edges of woods or wooded paths.
Damp, shady spots and sandy areas are a flea’s favorite place to hide, when it is not feeding on a host. You’ll often find fleas under piles of leaves, shrubs or bushes, under decks, or in woodpiles; they do not like to live in areas of direct sun. Fleas, their larvae, and eggs live inside homes in rugs, furniture, blankets, and bedding.
How do I get rid of fleas & ticks?
The best solution to your problem with fleas and ticks is a professional solution. At TNT Home & Commercial Services, we take our time and provide the thorough services needed to solve pest problems once and for all. Our central focus is to ensure that our customers are satisfied, and their property is free of pests! For more information about protecting your Greater Cypress home or business from fleas and ticks and our area’s other common pests, reach out to TNT Home & Commercial Services today!
How can I prevent fleas & ticks in the future?
More than an inconvenience, pests can be dangerous and cause a lot of damage. In addition to our professional home pest control and commercial pest control services, use the following tips to keep fleas and ticks out of your home:
- Trim back overgrown shrubs or bushes on your property.
- Keep the grass cut short.
- Cut back wooded or overgrown areas from your property.
- Remove excess piles of wood and leaf piles from your yard.
- Remove bird feeders from your property that could attract wild animals.
- Place locking lids on trash cans to make sure that you don't attract wild animals to your property to forage for food.
- Don’t purchase used furniture or rugs for your home.
- Wash your pet’s bedding regularly.
- Vacuum your home frequently, especially areas where pets spend a lot of time.
- Place pets on a year-round flea and tick control program with the help of their veterinarian.