Fleas and ticks might be small, but they can cause big problems. Although the probability of dealing with these pests is higher when you have pets or animals on your property, you can still encounter them in outdoor spaces and even in your own yard. Because of this, you should know how to identify fleas and ticks, what problems they cause, and what to do about them on your Pensacola property.
What Do Fleas And Ticks Look Like?
Both fleas and ticks are small organisms that can be difficult to see, fleas more so than ticks. Fleas are about 1/8th of an inch and you will need magnification to see their features. Without magnification, they will appear like small dots. They are wingless and have large legs that they use to jump.
Ticks range in size depending on the species but are commonly the size of an apple seed with oval and flat bodies. Once they have fed, they will become engorged and round. As a part of the arachnid family, ticks have eight legs but can jump. Although fleas and ticks look and behave differently, they can cause many similar problems.
What Diseases Do Fleas And Ticks Spread?
As external parasites, fleas and ticks feed on warm-blooded animals, including people. When they bite a host, they can cause red, swollen, and itchy skin. This can cause a rash, allergies, and perhaps a secondary infection.
You’d be lucky only to experience the reactions listed above as both fleas and ticks can transfer pathogens that cause dangerous diseases. For fleas, this includes tapeworms, typhus, plague, and cat-scratch disease. While ticks are known to spread Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, tularemia, and ehrlichiosis. These diseases can have lasting effects and lifelong complications.
To keep this from happening, you should be aware of how these vectors make their way onto your property and how to deter them.
What To Do About Fleas And Ticks?
The warm and humid weather in Florida provides the necessary environment for fleas and ticks to thrive. They can easily make their way onto your property by hitching a ride on an animal. Once on your property, they can populate and be picked up by you or a pet. To stop them from making your property their home, you should:
- First and foremost, deter wildlife and strays from coming near your home by not providing accessible food, water, and shelter.
- Put your pets on preventatives to keep them safe and to stop them from carrying fleas and ticks into your home.
- Keep your yard maintained by cutting the lawn short, removing excess foliage, clearing leaves, grass clipping, and yard debris.
- Use wood chips or gravel to put a barrier between wooded or overgrown areas and your lawn. The barrier should be at least three feet wide to keep fleas and ticks from migrating onto your property.
You can also pick up fleas and ticks while outdoors. To prevent this, you should:
- Wear full-coverage clothing while walking in the woods, through tall grass, or working outside.
- Use bug spray to repel fleas and ticks.
- Always inspect yourself and your pets before going back inside.
The best way to protect yourself against fleas and ticks is with professional assistance.
What Can EnSec Do About Fleas And Ticks?
If you are worried about fleas and ticks on your Pensacola property, you should contact EnSec. Our treatment and prevention control measures will keep you, your family, and your pets safe from these dangerous parasites. EnSec can provide ongoing assistance to keep these parasitic pests from being a problem.