Ticks and Fleas
Ticks
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Ticks feed on the blood of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians.
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Adult female ticks will feed for several days to more than a week on the same host.
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Ticks can not fly or jump and can not crawl up high shrubs or trees. They must grab ahold of the human host from a point relatively close to the ground: shoe ankle, lower leg, and crawl upward until they reach the head or tight clothing.
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A fully fed adult female can lay up to 4000 eggs and then she dies.
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Visiting or roaming pets can transport ticks into your yard as can rodents.
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The tick's ability to creep up us unnoticed is second only to its being able to attach to us and feed without us noticing.
Control and Prevention
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Reduce rodent habitat to reduce the host for fleas and ticks.
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Keep vegetation cut short, paying close attention to fencelines and borders that your pet checks daily.
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Visually inspect the place where your pet likes to take their afternoon nap (under a favorite tree).
Fleas
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The secret to flea population management is the flea's life cycle. The adult flea must contribute timely nourishment for the larvae or the young will not survive. It is not uncommon for a family to go away on vacation and return home to find a house full of ravenous fleas.
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Flea bites often produce an allergic reaction in the person or pet that is bitten. The saliva from the flea contains several chemicals that cause an irritating response and often build up to hypersensitivity to future bites. Flea allergies also seem to be hereditary.
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Flea populations are seasonal, building up in the warm, humid weather of spring and summer.​
Control and Prevention
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Lowering the humidity of your home and vacuuming daily can control flea outbreaks.
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Pet bedding should be washed weekly as well as pet kennels.
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Pets should be treated prior to flea season to prevent allergic dermatitis. If this has already happened they should be treated by a vet.
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Always follow the directions on the label!
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Flea collars are helpful but usually the least effective treatment.