Blood Suckers Of Spring

Ticks are small, blood-feeding parasites, barely able to be seen this time of year because they are about the size of a dot. They are found throughout America, but especially in the northeast, and certainly here in Philadelphia, Bucks County, and the surrounding areas.
They carry diseases like Lyme disease, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, which can be serious health risks to you, your family, and other animals.

Fleas are blood-feeding parasites, too. They do not often carry the kind of serious diseases ticks do, they multiply super quick and will infest an environment in little time.

What is the worst aspect of these blood sucking parasites? These tiny, yet potentially dangerous creatures thrive in suburban areas, in your backyard, and are not necessarily just isolated to heavily wooded areas.

There are a lot of ways to control these pests yourself, many DIY treatments work, and the experts at Evans Pest Control can help combat and prevent ticks and fleas too. Combining DIY treatments with professional treatments will ensure a highly effective strategy—one that is safe for your entire family.

Fleas do not live out in the yard in foliage, or grass. Adult fleas are parasitic and live on animals. They lay their eggs in the environment in which they are in, outdoors, or indoors. Flea eggs are very slippery, and they tend to fall off the host into the environment. These eggs then hatch into larvae. The larvae grow into a pupal stage, and they can stay at this stage for a long period of time. Vibrations, such as those caused by an animal walking by, will cause the adult flea to come out of the pupae and jump onto the pet. Your pet does not have to be directly exposed to an animal with fleas to become infected. He just must walk through the same place a flea infected animal passed by.

Where do ticks live? Adult ticks like to inhabit areas with tall grasses and brush. They climb up to the tips of the grass, and from there they can wait for you or another animal to walk by. They don't reproduce in the house like fleas will. Pets that are mostly indoors are at a low risk of getting a tick attached. Pets that go to dog parks or are out in the back yard are at high risk of encountering ticks.

Fleas can introduce Tapeworms which are serious enough, but ticks carry Lyme Disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and many other serious infectious diseases. In addition, both parasites can lead to a type of anemia, in more vulnerable humans and other animals.
What time of year do we worry about fleas and ticks? Yes, you are right – Spring! They start hatching in the spring. When warm weather is consistent for a few days in a row hatching begins. As the weather gets cold, the fleas get killed off with the first frost, but ticks can persist late into the fall or even through a very mild winter. Of course, if fleas are already in your house, they can remain there throughout the cold weather.

So now, in Spring is the time to start an active flea, and tick control program. Evans Pest Control will help, so please give us a call at (267) 582-2687, and talk to an expert about your spring pest control options.