Flea and Tick Identification & Prevention
Frequently Asked Questions About Fleas and Ticks
Fleas and ticks are tiny pests that frequent outdoor spaces around our Jacksonville, Florida properties; learn more about them with the help of our pest guide.
What are fleas and ticks?
Fleas and ticks are two outdoor pests that thrive in Florida's warm, humid climate. Both feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals, and blood is their sole source of nutrition.
Many people think that only those with pets will experience a problem with fleas and ticks, but the truth is that these pests consume the blood of many different hosts. In addition to cats and dogs, fleas and ticks feed on the blood of rodents, wild animals, and people. As wild animals and rodents travel to and from your yard, they can transport fleas and ticks onto your property.
Fleas are wingless insects with large, powerful back legs they use for jumping onto their hosts. Adults have short lifespans and spend their lives on the back of an animal host, feeding and breeding. After females lay their eggs, they drop from their host's body onto the ground below. Flea infestations often develop in our yards in the damp soil under mulch, woodpiles, and decks.
Ticks are arachnids with a four-stage lifecycle (egg, larva, nymph, and adult). Each new life stage requires the tick to consume a blood meal from a new host. After they are full, engorged ticks drop from their host to the ground to digest their meal. When ready to feed again, the ticks crawl to the top of vegetation and wait for a host to brush past them.
Are fleas and ticks dangerous?
Both fleas and ticks can spread diseases to people and pets. Ticks in Jacksonville are known for spreading Lyme disease and ehrlichiosis, causing serious health consequences.
Flea bites are itchy, and excessive scratching can cause a secondary infection. Fleas also spread diseases like typhus and plague and parasitic tapeworms.
Both fleas and ticks can wreck our ability to enjoy our outdoor spaces. No one wants to share their yard with biting pests.
Why do I have a flea and tick problem?
Fleas and ticks are tiny in size. Their small size makes it so that most people don't realize they are present. It is usually only when something happens that causes their populations to increase, or they move into our homes that we notice them. An increase in rodent or wildlife activity in your yard or a rodent infestation inside a home is often why these pests take over our properties.
Additionally, if you or your pets spend time in areas populated with fleas or ticks, you could accidentally introduce them into your yard. Fleas also hitchhike from house to house in things like upholstered furniture, bedding, and rugs.
Where will I find fleas and ticks?
Most ticks cannot complete their life cycle indoors; tick infestations typically occur outdoors. Ticks thrive in dark, damp areas. In our yard, ticks typically gather in tall grass, weeds, and under leaves or grass piles.
Fleas, on the other hand, can complete their life cycle indoors and quickly establish large indoor populations. Inside houses, fleas develop from egg to adult and hide in damp, dark crevices in cushions, rugs, bedding, and floorboards.
How do I get rid of fleas and ticks?
Dealing with fleas and ticks is a frustrating problem. The best way to control the populations of these pests is to work with a professional and schedule regular pest control visits. In Florida, fleas and ticks are active most of the year, which is why year-round home pest control is the best way to control these pests.
Here at Wildlife and Pest Control Experts, we take a proactive approach to flea and tick control; we eliminate the current infestation and ensure they won't become a problem again in the future. We have the quality flea and tick control you want; call today!
How can I prevent fleas and ticks in the future?
Fleas and ticks are some of the trickiest pests to keep away from our Jacksonville, Fl area yards. Use these tips to help prevent problems with these pests:
- Keep your grass cut short.
- Remove leaf piles and yard debris from your property.
- Make your property unappealing to wildlife; remove bird feeders, keep lids on trash cans, and avoid feeding pets outside.
- If you own pets, place them on a year-round flea and tick preventive program under the guidance of their veterinarian.
- Wash bedding frequently, both for family and pets.
- Regularly vacuum your floors and upholstered furniture.
Keep biting fleas and ticks out of your yard by partnering with Wildlife and Pest Control Experts.
