Fleas

Knowing The Facts About Fleas

Pets and wildlife can be a wonderful thing. There is no companionship like to compared to a dog. A dog will love you unconditionally. Heck, even just feeding the squirrels and foxes in your backyard can be rewarding. While extremely rewarding, some unwanted risks and threats come with wildlife and pets. One of those known threats is fleas. Just about every pet owner is aware of the risks of flea, but they don’t understand the real threats they pose. It is without question the fleas are a nuisance, but what about the health risks they pose?

Did you know fleas carry and transmit diseases like typhus and plague? They do, and they transmit such diseases through their bite. Knowing this type of information could not only make you a more informed individual all-around, but it could help you with prevention and elimination.

What Types Of Fleas Are Common In My Area?

While there are a variety of flea species known throughout the world, there is just one that you’ll find yourself dealing with in North America. This doesn’t mean there are tons of different species in North America because that wouldn’t be true. It just means that one only species will invade your home and pets. And given its name, you can likely see why there are a lot of myths and misconceptions surrounding the flea. This species is known as the Cat Flea. You can likely tell from the name that most people would suspect this flea to only infect cats or felines.

Unfortunately, this is not the case at all. This flea can be found on anything from the common house canine to opossums, foxes, raccoons, and even skunks. The adults have flat bodies and usually grow to 1/8 inch in full length. Despite the name, cat fleas will target many animals. Plus, they’re going to make your life difficult. It is pertinent to deal with them promptly to prevent them from ruining your life.

Understanding The Flea Bite

Flea bites can be more than just a nuisance. They will certainly be a nuisance, but they could also lead to the result of hair loss, constant scratching, and even flea allergy dermatitis. This usually happens when the victim has an allergy reaction with the protein in the flea’s saliva. There have been some reported cases of blood loss and anemia in large fleas infestations. In the most severe of cases, death can even result.

While this is rare, it has happened before. In addition to all this, fleas are a host of tapeworms. Tapeworms can infect both pets and humans. Once you’ve learned that fleas are targeting your dog or cat, don’t wait to act. Doing so will only prolong the misery. Get rid of the fleas quickly to ensure your pet doesn’t suffer a terrible death.

Preventing Fleas Infestations

As with just about any insect, it is always best to try to prevent the problem before it starts. While it might not be entirely possible to eliminate all your potential risks, there are things you can do to greatly lower your risks. Here are some helpful tips and information that’ll help you possibly prevent fleas:

• Think twice about getting a pet. If you bring home a pet with fleas, you’ll create a flea infestation in your home.
• If you do get a pet, keep, and maintain a regular flea prevention routine. Be sure to use an anti-parasite medication that is designed for flea control and prevention.
• Think twice about feeding the local wildlife. They might contain fleas. Feeding them will increase the likelihood that you’re going to experience a flea infestation.
• Maintain a good clean, neat lawn. Try to keep your yard mowed to three inches or less. When you do this, you’ll prevent these pests from hiding around your property.
• If you have a low deck, cover it with heavy gauge wiring or barricade material. The barrier will prevent animals from crawling under your deck and bringing fleas with them.
• Wash and vacuum your pets’ clothing, house, and bedding regularly. Vacuuming is a good way to get rid of fleas around your home.

Fleas are both a nuisance and a threat. Elimination can also be tricky. Prevention will be just as tricky, but this is something we are more than happy to help with. After helping you successfully eliminate your flea problem, we’ll provide you with a list of acceptable methods as to how you can prevent future infestation. Whether you just have questions, concerns, or want to talk to someone about fleas and their potential threat, you can give our offices a call.

We always have someone standing by, ready to assist at the drop of a hat. When you call us, you can expect to get a call from us within 24 to 48 hours.

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