Flea and Tick Prevention

Living just out of sight in your grass, under your decks, and in the shadows, fleas and ticks pose a hidden threat to your pets and your family. So be careful this summer when letting your children and pets play outside and make sure you are able to identify fleas and ticks.

How to Identify Fleas

Fleas are small reddish-brown wingless insects about 1/6 of an inch long. Fleas prefer the blood of pets rather than humans and can jump up to two feet high to reach them. Once they get inside your home, fleas can live up to 12 months and produce millions of eggs that wind up on your furniture and in your carpet. Fleas can induce allergies, carry tapeworms, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and Murine Typhus.

Flea Prevention

• Use a flea comb on your pet.
• Keep the outside of your house free of organic debris, such as rake clippings and leaves, and remember that fleas like to hide in dark, moist, shady areas.
• Put a fence around high-risk areas such as under decks and porches.
• Block off access to areas o f tall grass that pets could get into.

How to Identify Ticks

The most common types of ticks found in the south are the American dog tick, lone star tick, and deer tick. They usually live in tall grass and feed on the blood of small mammals and livestock. Ticks are known to transmit a number of deadly diseases such as Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Ticks can range in color from brown, black, reddish-brown, or yellowish in color. Unlike fleas, ticks prefer the taste of deer and human blood above all others.

Tick Treatment and Removal

The best way to avoid ticks is to stay away from the areas they live in such as tall grass or overgrown areas. When you find a tick on you or a pet you should remove it fast but carefully.

The tick’s blood can spread infection.

• Put on latex or rubber gloves.
• Use a pair of tweezers to grab the tick as close to the skin as possible.
• Pull straight up and place the tick in a jar of alcohol to kill it.
• Do not squeeze the body of the tick.
• Disinfect the bite area and wash your hands with soap and water.
• Sterilize your tweezers.
• Monitor the bite area over the next few weeks for infection.

How to Tell If You or Your Pet Has Ticks

Most ticks the size of a pinhead before they bite and get larger after they latch on and start to engorge themselves on blood. Usually, you won’t feel a thing when a tick has bitten you. If your pet likes to spend a lot of time outside check them when they come back inside. Just run your hand over and check around the ears, eyes, head, and feet.

Preventing Fleas and Ticks

You can always take preventative action to protect yourself from fleas and ticks. Make sure all high-risk areas are blocked off from your pets and children. This means putting a fence around your yard to keep them out of tall grasses and forests. Make sure your trees and shrubs are not touching your house and creating a bridge into your home. Finally, keep your grass short to prevent a cool hospitable place for lawn pests to rest.

Call The Pest Control Experts At TruGreen Midsouth

At TruGreen, we can protect you and your family from dangerous fleas and ticks. With our pest control program we can prevent fleas, ticks,  and other pests from taking over your yard. Choose from monthly treatments or one-time applications for special events like graduations, weddings, and other celebrations.

Call us at 225-465-0665 if you are a Louisiana client, but if you’re from Mississippi, call us at 662-330-1330. or get a free and easy quote here. Get access to all our tips on pest control, lawn care, tree care, and more by following our monthly blog. Check us out on Facebook for the latest TruGreen deals and news in your area.