Flea & Tick Identification In Alabama & Florida

Frequently Asked Questions About Fleas And Ticks

What are fleas and ticks?

Fleas are a type of wingless insect with large back legs they use to jump, and ticks are a type of eight-legged arachnid that can't jump, but both feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals as their sole source of nutrition. To feed, they bite an animal or human food source and insert their specialized mouthparts into the skin. Warm weather and plenty of moisture allow both of these pests to thrive, making Florida and Alabama fitting places for fleas and ticks to live.

Are fleas and ticks dangerous?

After feeding, both fleas and ticks leave behind red, swollen, itchy skin on their hosts. To feed, they cut through the skin, causing a small opening that can potentially become infected. Dangers fleas pose during the feeding process include skin issues like flea allergy dermatitis. Many people and animals are allergic to their saliva. Fleas also carry and transmit tapeworms to animals and people.

Ticks are less known for causing major skin problems but are more well-known for transmitting diseases. As ticks feed, they pass on pathogens and bacteria that cause diseases like Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and tularemia.

Why do I have a flea or tick problem?

People can come into contact with fleas and ticks in a variety of outdoor spaces, including their yards, campgrounds, parks, wooded trails, and athletic fields. These pests are associated with pet owners; a pet's fur provides the perfect place for ticks and fleas to hide in and be near a food source.

Fleas and ticks are also a threat to people that don't have pets. In addition to pets, other favorite food sources include the blood of deer, raccoons, squirrels, rats, mice, and other wild animals. As wild animals move across your yard, they will leave behind fleas and ticks. After they crawl or jump onto you or your clothing, you can accidentally introduce them into your yard.

Fleas also move into homes and other structures on used furniture or rugs, or on the backs of mice or other critters that have found a way into your home and can be hard to treat.

Where will I find fleas and ticks?

Adult fleas often find an animal host to feed and breed on for their entire life, which is about three months. After the female lays its eggs, the eggs will roll off the host's back and onto the ground and develop into new biting fleas. People are not a flea's preferred host, but in the case of a large infestation or if we are all that is available, they will bite us and feed on our blood.

Ticks differ from fleas because they feed on multiple hosts. They find a new host to feed on at each new life stage, feeding for up to two weeks. Ticks have a much longer lifespan than fleas; depending on environmental conditions, they can live for two to three years.

Ticks are usually not a problem inside our homes as most cannot complete their life cycle indoors. Fleas, on the other hand, can live their entire life indoors. Fleas hide throughout a home in rugs, upholstered furniture, bedding, and in the cracks of floors.