A canine flea collar commercial currently running on television asks the question: What’s behind two fleas? Answer: The next generation. A female flea can lay hundreds of eggs on your pet, ensuring that its work will be carried on by generations to come.
One Flea 400 Bites
A single flea can bite your cat or dog more than 400 times. During the day, the flea can consume more than its body weight of your pet’s blood. While flea bites may be just a nuisance to some pets, they can be dangerous to others. They cause allergies and a pet’s constant scratching to rid itself of fleas can cause permanent hair loss and other skin problems. A pet can get a tapeworm if it eats a flea that has one. Fleas feasting on your pet’s blood can cause anemia and, in rare cases, death.
About 1/16th of an inch, fleas are dark, reddish-brown, wingless insects. Their bodies are flattened side to side, which allows them easy movement through your pet’s coat. Their bodies are hard, polished and covered with many hairs and short spines directed backward. Their long legs give them the ability to jump seven or eight inches into the air.
A VIP Flea
The cat flea, which attacks both cats and dogs, is the most important flea species in the U.S. While fleas actually prefer to feed off of your dog or cat, if there is an infestation of fleas, they will jump on any host, including you, for a meal. Fleas can settle into your hair in less than 10 minutes, causing soreness and itching. If you have small, red bumps that are itchy, especially around your ankles and calves, it’s probably fleas.
An easy way to tell if you have a flea infestation is to put down a white sheet on the floor and brush your pet’s hair. If you see black specks that move on the sheet, you have fleas. Adding cider vinegar to your pet’s drinking water can discourage fleas from taking up residence on your pet in the first place. Start by adding a few drops to your pet’s water over time so that the pet gets used to the taste. Build up to 1 teaspoon for a small pet and 1 tablespoon for a larger one.
Ticks Another Evil Nemesis
Fleas are not your pet’s only enemy. Tick bites can give your pet such infections as Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Ticks can also give these same infections to you. About 200 species of ticks live in the U.S.
The American dog tick is one of the most prevalent tick pests in the Eastern U.S. Adults are about 1/4 inch long, and the shield has variable white markings. While larvae and nymphs prefer to feast on mice, the adults prefer dogs and other large animals.
The brown dog tick is one of the most common pests of dogs. Adults are 3/16 inches long and are reddish-brown. All stages prefer dogs and are prevalent in homes and kennels.
In addition to these ticks, the Gulf Coast tick and the black legged tick are both widespread in the Southeastern U.S. The lone star tick is one of the most common ticks on humans. Its long mouthparts allow deep penetration of the skin, often causing pus sores.
There’s Good News
The good news, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, is that fleas and ticks are getting easier to control. Flea products have greatly improved in recent years and some also help kill ticks. The FDA advises treating your pet at the beginning of flea and tick season. This being Florida, however, fleas can live all year long, so treatment is an ongoing task.
In years past, veterinarians advised getting rid of fleas by simultaneously bombing the house with insecticide, spraying the yard and dipping the dog or cat. Today, treating only the pet usually takes care of the problem. However, the FDA further advises that if there is a severe infestation, or if the problem persists, then you may need to treat the pet’s environment.
If you do need to treat your home, the pros at Insect Protection Pest Control are the guys in the white hats who can come to your aid with environmentally and pet-friendly solutions. Call today for a FREE consultation.
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