FLEA & TICK IDENTIFICATION & PREVENTION

(Siphonaptera | Ixodida)

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What are fleas and ticks?

Fleas and ticks are both biting pests that often view our Tarrant County, Texas yards as a place they can call home. Both are wingless and move most efficiently on the backs of their animal hosts. Blood from warm-blooded animals is the sole source of food for fleas and ticks.

Though the fleas and ticks in our area have descriptive names like cat flea, dog flea, and brown dog ticks, they all feed on a variety of hosts. Mice, squirrels, raccoons, foxes, skunks, dogs, and cats are all animals that fleas and ticks use as hosts to feed on. Both fleas and ticks will also feed on people if we are available.

Fleas are insects and are brownish-red or dark brown. Their oval-shaped body is flattened from side to side and covered in a hard-shell to protect these tiny pests from being squished. Fleas have six legs and tube-like mouthparts.

Ticks are a type of arachnid, so adults have eight legs and two body parts. The ticks that we most often come into contact with have a soft, oval-shaped body with a small rigid plate on their back behind the biting mouthparts (head).

Are fleas and ticks dangerous?

We do not want fleas or ticks on our properties; not only are they annoying and difficult to eliminate, but they also create health problems for us and our pets. Fleas can transfer tapeworms, and if their host is allergic to their saliva, they can cause skin problems for people and pets. Itching at the bite sites may lead to secondary infections. Ticks are significant vectors of diseases and spread various pathogens to both people and animals.

Why do I have a flea and tick problem?

Fleas and ticks are most often introduced onto properties by a wild animal host or our pets. They then become a problem in our yards because the grass and other vegetation provide them with the damp areas they need to complete their life cycle. Eggs will develop into new adults in damp soil, and new adults will lay in wait in our yard's vegetation for a host to happen by they can take advantage of.

Where will I find fleas and ticks?

Warm, humid weather provides fleas and ticks the environmental conditions needed to be active and breed. In Texas, this means fleas and ticks are active from spring well into the fall season. Fleas successfully live outside in our Texas yards in dark, damp areas like leaf piles, shrubbery, brush piles, and spaces under decks. You can find ticks along the edges of wooded areas, wooded paths, and under fallen leaves.

How do I get rid of fleas and ticks?

The best way to stop fleas and ticks from overtaking your yard is to consult with a professional. At Trees Hurt Too, Inc., we understand how stressful having biting fleas and ticks on your property is and will work with you to eliminate them from your property. Using natural and organic products, our professionals will take back your yard from fleas and ticks.

We are a locally owned and operated company and understand the pest control needs of home and business owners located in Tarrant County, TX. To learn more about our flea and tick control services, give us a call today!

How can I prevent fleas and ticks in the future?

Limit the chances of your yard becoming a home to fleas and ticks with the following prevention tips:

Keep the grass in your yard cut short.
Cut back trees and shrubs to allow the sun to hit the ground and keep the soil dry.
Clear leaf piles, brush piles, and other debris from your yard where fleas and ticks can hide.
Reduce the chances that wild animals like rodents will forage for food on your property by keeping lids on trash cans and removing bird feeders.
Reduce your pet's risk of becoming infested with these pests by placing them on a year-round flea and tick preventative program.