Fleas and Ticks

Fleas and ticks are annoying, unsightly, dirty and can be disease-ridden. Fleas and ticks are not just problems for your pets, they can be dangerous to people as well! Historically, diseases such as Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and even the Bubonic Plague are just a couple diseases these pests are known to spread. 

General Information

One reason that flea and tick infestations are so difficult for homeowners to manage on their own is that the infestations can be severe both inside and outside, which requires thorough treatment in both spaces. Often, pets bring these pests in on their fur, where they crawl onto carpet or floors to hide and breed until they find their next victim. Other types of wildlife, including rodents, opossums, raccoons and even birds, can also be the source of flea and tick infestations.  Effective treatment of flea and tick infestations involves professional treatment to the inside and outside of the home and also having pets treated for fleas and ticks either by the customer or by the veterinarian.

Ticks

Ticks are small eight-legged parasites that thrive in well-vegetated areas where they wait for a host to pass by. Ticks thrive in humid, moist environments, and tend to populate wooded areas, meadows, and other areas with moderately dense vegetation. When a host walks through the vegetation where the ticks live, they will hitch a ride and begin looking for the best spot to bury their head into the surface of the host’s skin where they live off of blood.

These pests have flat, oval-shaped bodies, and, depending on their exact species, vary in color and appearance. However, these parasitic pests are typically brown, black, or orangish-red in color with distinctive markings. To feed, ticks will burrow their head into your skin and feed on blood. After consuming a meal of blood, these small pests swell and expand and often become a bluish-gray color.

Ticks are known for spreading a wide variety of dangerous tick-borne diseases including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, and ehrlichiosis, and more. These diseases are transmitted to their hosts as they feed and can lead to life-long health implications if not detected and treated in early stages.

Ticks are in some ways harder to spot than fleas. Their bites are not usually felt until after they are no longer on the host. They bite in snug areas of the body like bends of the knees, elbows, or the groin area. Ticks can feed on a host for 3-10 days.

Our tick control and treatment plan starts with an inspection of your property in order to identify possible problem areas and potential solutions.

Fleas

Like ticks, fleas are also carriers of disease and other parasites. They may carry parasitic worms such as dog tapeworm, which can be transferred to humans as well.

Fleas are incredibly small (about 1/8 of an inch in length), which makes spotting them in your home rather difficult. Many people don’t discover a flea infestation until they are bitten by them. Fleas have flat bodies, and are typically black or reddish-brown in color. Adult fleas are fastidious egg-layers and just two adults can quickly lead to a full-blown infestation.

Fleas and ticks can hitch a ride on you from your yard right into your home, escalating your problem. Like lice, fleas can live in carpet, bedding, or clothing material. Fleas will feed on the blood of any warm-blooded body and typically leave behind itchy, unsightly marks and can cause severe allergic reactions as well. After feeding on your pet, a flea leaves behind a tiny amount of saliva that can trigger an inflammatory reaction that causes itching. Animals that have a flea-bite allergy are particularly sensitive to flea saliva, and affected dogs and cats can break out in an intensely itchy rash after just a single bite. Although flea control is important for all pets, owners of pets with flea allergy dermatitis must be particularly diligent about prevention.

Pets are often the biggest victims when it comes to fleas and ticks. Unfortunately, if your pets have fleas or ticks, it is not enough to simply treat your pets.  Professional help is almost always necessary. Unless your pets environment is flea and tick free, they will continue to be tortured by fleas and ticks. If you don’t have pets but you begin noticing itchy tiny bite marks in clusters on your ankles or skin after being in the backyard, give Altus Pest Control a call!

How Altus Pest Control Can Get Rid of Fleas & Ticks

We understand how fleas and ticks behave, where they live, and how they survive so we can more effectively treat your property.

With our flea and tick control services, we can eliminate populations of these pests in your yard, allowing you, your family, and your pets to relax and enjoy your time outdoors—without the threat of bites and illness! As a leader in the pest control industry, Altus Pest Control specializes in all things pests – including flea & tick control.

At Altus Pest Control, we take a proactive approach to flea & tick control. A professional Altus exterminator will do a thorough inspection of your home to identify areas of infestation and provide you with pest control options and recommendations to get rid of fleas & ticks and prevent them from coming back. Our treatments work to get rid of existing fleas and ticks and create a preventative barrier around your property, so you can stay flea and tick-free all summer long.

Our technicians are trained to safely apply treatments in accordance with state laws. We only use products specially formulated to be pet-friendly in order to eradicate and prevent flea and tick activity in and around your home. Routine pest control is a pivotal element in reducing the chances of flea and tick infestations developing.

CONTACT US TODAY TO DISCUSS YOUR SPECIFIC PEST CONTROL NEEDS! (541) 709-5033

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