Fleas and ticks are ecto-parasitic pests that feed primarily on animal blood. They mainly plague your beloved pets, but if not treated, they can multiply quickly and create discomfort for you in your home. Fleas are small laterally flattened insects. Their legs have been modified for jumping and when your pet passes, they jump on, at which point they bite. Their bites cause small itchy red bites on you or your pet which can make life for your or them unbearable. An excessive amount of itching from your pet may indicate a problem with fleas. The flea life cycle takes place on and off the host. Their eggs are not glued to the body or fur and when the pet scratches or shakes, the eggs may fall elsewhere. Fleas are vectors of Cat Scratch Fever, Typhus and the Plague in humans. Some fleas also carry Dog Tapeworm which can be passed on to humans through ingestion.

Ticks are arachnids which are related to spiders. In their adult form they have 8 legs as opposed to the usual 6 for insects. They are known to latch onto the host and feed. Ticks, unlike fleas, do not jump. They practice geotropism which means they climb to the highest point possible. They use carbon dioxide emissions, shadows and vibrations to alert them of a host and drop off where they are onto the host. They may also cling onto the animal’s fur when they walk by. The lifecycle takes place both on and off the pet. The female mates on the host, engorges with blood and drops off to lay her eggs and she can lay up to 10,000 of them. They will hide in any crack or crevice and underneath carpets. This coupled with the large number of eggs deem them a more difficult pest to control and a problem which can get out of hand quickly if not treated. Ticks are also disease vectors which can transmit Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Tickborne relapsing fever to humans.

If you believe there are fleas or ticks in your home, inspect areas where the pet spends the most time. It is crucial to have your pets treated as well as your home and yard if these pests are found in order to get these pests under control. Please call our professionals today to schedule your free flea and tick control inspection. We Serve West Palm Beach and all of South Florida.