Can you think of things you want to avoid? Perhaps you thought of your desire to avoid losing your job, getting in a car accident, or conflict with coworkers, spouse, or children. We want to avoid those things because they bring us pain, frustration, and turmoil.
We need pest control to avoid living with pests in our homes. For example, fleas and ticks on your property make everyone in the house uncomfortable, susceptible to diseases, and anxious. Therefore, we do whatever we can to avoid having these pests inside our home, and the best way is to secure flea control in The Woodlands from Chase Pest Control.
We are a family-owned and operated company that treats our customers like family. Our technicians are certified and trained on current pest control methods and products. Since our founding in 1997, we have earned an outstanding reputation in the Montgomery County community, proven by our five-star Google rating. When you partner with us to remove fleas and ticks from your home in The Woodlands, you will get superior service and avoid fighting against these pests in your home.
You probably found this article because of the discomfort fleas are causing you as you lay in bed or watch TV in your easy chair; perhaps the problem is an abundance of ticks on your property. Whether it is fleas or ticks, we will provide the information you need to avoid future problems with these pests.
The Dangers Fleas And Ticks Pose To People And Pets In The Woodlands
Fleas and ticks are tiny creatures that cause big problems. Fleas are insects with 1/12 to 1/6-inch dark brown or reddish-brown flat-shaped bodies. Like all insects, fleas have six jointed legs, two antennae, and a three-part body (head, thorax, and abdomen). Distinguishing features include large hind legs that give them jumping abilities and backward-pointing bristles that allow them to move through hair and fur. Cat fleas and dog fleas are common in The Woodlands.
Ticks are not insects but are arachnids. Unlike insects, arachnids do not have an antenna, have eight legs (adults), and have a two-part body; however, unlike their spider counterparts, ticks do not have spinnerets. The color and shape of a tick's body depend upon whether or not it has fed. An unfed tick has a 1/10-inch reddish-brown flat body, but a fed tick has a pea-sized grey body. American and brown dog ticks, blacklegged (deer), and lone star ticks are common in The Woodlands.
Although fleas and ticks do not share the same scientific classification, they have one thing in common; fleas and ticks consume blood. Fleas jump onto people or animals, anchor themselves using claws on their feet, pierce the skin, and quickly withdraw blood. Females need protein, amino acids, and other components from the blood to enable egg production; within 36 to 48 hours after a blood meal, the female fleas will lay eggs. Fleas bite around the ankles, waist, knees, and elbows.
Ticks do not jump on their hosts but use their back legs to stand on tall grasses and leaves, extend their front two legs, and grab onto people and animals as they walk by. Once the tick gets on its host, it travels to the warm, moist areas of the body (i.e., armpits, groin, the back of the knees, around the waist, etc.). Like fleas, ticks need nutrition from the blood for egg-laying and survival. Unlike fleas, ticks do not quickly consume blood but feed for several days until they detach and fall off the body.
When fleas and ticks bite, they inject an anticoagulant and anesthetic into the host's body to promote blood flow. While these may mask the pain from the bite, they are also vehicles for disease transmission. If a flea or tick drew blood from an infected host, they may transfer it to their next victim. Murine typhus, tungiasis, tularemia, bartonellosis, and tapeworm are diseases spread by cat and dog fleas; they are known to transmit tapeworms to animals and cause anemia.
Although dog and cat fleas spread the same diseases, there is more variety with ticks. Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever are associated with ticks. However, they also spread additional bacterial and viral infections (i.e., anaplasmosis, B. miyamotoi disease, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, and the Powassan virus). Some tick illnesses (e.g., canine ehrlichiosis and canine Babesia) affect primarily animals.
The best way to protect your family against the many diseases fleas and ticks in The Woodlands spread is to get flea and tick control from Chase Pest Control. We have the tools, experience, and knowledge to stop an infestation on your property.
Comprehensive Guide To Flea And Tick Prevention
Fleas and ticks are hitchhikers. Ticks use a method known as questing, whereby they use their front legs to grab onto a host while anchoring to an object with their back legs. Due to their massive hind legs, fleas can vertically jump eight inches or 150 times their height onto a nearby host.
Now that we know how they enter homes, how do you keep them out? After all, pet lovers will not give up their furry companions. Fortunately, you do not have to get rid of your pets to stop fleas and ticks from infesting your house in The Woodlands. Many of these flea prevention tips will also deter ticks:
- Inspect animals when they return from the yard
- Keep pets on a leash when walking
- Vacuum the house regularly
- Suction out corners and cracks
- Wash and dry bedding
- Use an insect repellant
- Review clothing and skin when returning from the outdoors
- Tuck pants into your socks
Walking your pets on a leash will enable you to control their desires to investigate in places where fleas and ticks hide (i.e., tall grasses and shrubs). If you have a fenced-in yard and allow them to roam, comb their fur before allowing them to reenter the house to remove fleas and ticks.
Sweeping the house will remove flea dirt, another disease-spreading source, flea eggs, and adult fleas and ticks. After vacuuming, pour the contents into a sealable bag and dispose in an outdoor container. Washing and drying animal bedding and linens in the hottest temperatures the fabrics will tolerate will kill fleas and ticks.
Applying a repellent containing 20% DEET will deter the pests from jumping or attaching to your body. Tucking your pants into your socks will keep ticks from accessing your skin when you walk through areas with a suspected infestation.
Finally, when you return home, inspect your body for ticks. Ticks take a few hours to burrow into your skin, so you can remove them before they begin feeding. However, if they do attach, use a pair of tweezers to grasp the tick's head as close to the skin as possible and pull backward until you remove its head from your skin.
The best way to prevent fleas and ticks from attaching or biting your body is to secure flea and tick control from Chase Pest Control.
What Attracts Fleas And Ticks To Certain Homes?
How can you have a flea and tick infestation while your neighbor enjoys a pest-free home? The reason is that your property is conducive to fleas and ticks. These are attractants to fleas and ticks:
- Tall grasses
- Debris and junk
- Overgrown vegetation
- Unkept shrubbery
- No barriers
- Poor drainage
- Rodents
Removing debris, overgrowth, and other shelter locations for rodents will discourage rodents from invading the property and limit questing opportunities for ticks. Keeping the grass cut short will also deter ticks from living on the property.
Many homes that experience flea or tick infestation have wooded areas surrounding the property. Although these areas provide solace and privacy, they can be tick paradise. Create a barrier or dead space between wooded areas and your property to discourage ticks from entering your location.
Although many associate cats and dogs with flea and tick carriers, rats and mice carry these pests; an infestation may indicate the presence of rodents in your house. Rodents shelter underneath wood and leaf piles, junk, and other debris in the yard, so removing these will deter them from staying on the property.
Rats and mice also enter properties for food and water. Providing drainage to ditches, gutters, and low-lying areas will discourage their presence. Also, eliminate or keep bird feeder areas clean.
When a Chase Pest Control technician inspects your property, we can provide additional flea and tick prevention tips for your situation.
Benefits Of Comprehensive Pest Management For Fleas And Ticks
Partnering with a highly-rated, experienced company like Chase Pest Control for professional flea and tick control in The Woodlands is the best way to control fleas and ticks on your property. We will send a trained, certified technician to inspect your location to determine attractants and hot spots. After identifying these areas and items, we apply liquid and granule products to the yard to eliminate adult fleas, ticks, and eggs. In addition to drastically reducing the current population on the property, we use our professional products to create a barrier between your property and surrounding sources. We've been protecting people, pests, and property since 1997. Contact us today to request your free estimate.