Fleas and ticks are a huge problem here in Akron, OH. While they die down for the winter, in the warm months, they make up for lost time. While these pests have very different approaches to getting a meal, they only want one thing: to suck your blood. Unlike mosquitoes – which only need a blood meal to lay their eggs – fleas and ticks need blood for survival, and they’ll get it any way they can. Fortunately, there are a few measures you can take to thwart them. Let’s talk about what you can do.
How Fleas And Ticks Attack
Fleas and ticks both need blood, but they go about getting it in different ways. Fleas live on their animal hosts, feeding on them and breeding on them for generations. However, fleas don’t typically live on people because we don’t have enough hair to support them. Instead, they’ll breed and hide in our habitats – carpet, furniture, landscaping, bushes, etc. – hopping onto our skin for a quick bite when we come conveniently close.
Ticks, meanwhile, don’t ever live on any of their hosts. They hide in trees, brush, long grass, and other features of wilderness areas and drop onto or climb up their hosts whenever they get an opportunity. Once they’re on, they embed themselves in the skin, feeding for hours or days until they’re so full they’ve swollen to several times their original size. Then, they drop off to digest.
Dangers Of Fleas And Ticks
Since they suck blood, both ticks and fleas have the potential to spread disease, though ticks are the more dangerous parasite in the modern-day United States. Once upon a time, fleas were one of the main vectors spreading the plague across Europe, making them responsible for thousands – if not millions – of deaths. Today, the plague is mostly a thing of the past, meaning fleas are usually a nuisance pest, though they can spread things like typhus and cat scratch fever.
Ticks, however, are another story. Ticks commonly spread dangerous infections like Powassan virus, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Anaplasmosis, and Lyme disease. Many of these illnesses can cause life-threatening symptoms and lead to long-term disability. If you experience any of the following symptoms in the weeks after a tick bite, call your doctor right away:
- Bullseye-shaped rash
- High fever
- Headache
- Nausea/vomiting
- Muscle pain
- Joint pain or stiffness
- Irregular heartbeat
- Dizziness or trouble breathing
Flea And Tick Prevention
You can’t do anything to kill off fleas and ticks in the woods, but you can keep them off your property. To prevent infestation, take measures like:
- Deter potential wildlife hosts like raccoons, opossums, rabbits, stray cats, and dogs, etc.
- Wear protective clothing and/or DEET insect repellant when in wooded areas so you don't bring ticks or fleas home.
- Trim back bushes and trees to reduce flea and tick hiding places.
- Keep grass cut short to eliminate more hiding spots.
If these measures don’t prevent infestation, never fear – help is just a click or call away. Here at Epcon Lane Pest Control, we’ve been effectively dealing with a variety of pests in the Northeast Ohio area since 1945. We take an eco-friendly approach to pest management. We offer same-day service for pest emergencies, and best of all – we have a 100% satisfaction guarantee. You can trust us to help you with our effective flea and tick control!
We also feature limited-time coupons on our special offers page, like $100 off our extermination packages or up to 20% off commercial services. So if you’re ready to get peace of mind that your home or business is free of fleas, ticks, and other pests, give us a call at (330) 278-8939 or visit our contact page to get your free quote today!