Tips for Flea and Tick Control
Spring is the season for fleas and ticks, and if you have a furry friend, you know how stressful that can be. Having an infestation of fleas in your home is never an easy situation to deal with. Not to mention the diseases they can potentially spread to your pets and family members. So, how can you get in front of the issue and keep these pests at bay? Scout Pest Control has compiled a list of preventative measures you can take to ensure your pets are safe from fleas and ticks.
Make Bath Time a Priority
If your pet enjoys rolling in the grass, going on walks, or exploring, they are at risk for fleas and ticks. Having a regular scheduled day for baths once a week can help keep these pests out of their fur. Be sure to use a flea shampoo to keep them protected for a longer period of time. These pests can transmit vector-borne diseases through bacteria, pathogens, and viruses. Protecting your furry family member should be a top priority, or else you can end up with an expensive vet bill.
Wash Bedding Frequently
Fleas and ticks tend to hide in dark and small cracks and crevices. This includes your carpet, rugs, closets, cars, carpets, or even your bedding. That’s right, fleas can set up shop underneath your covers for weeks or even months before you begin to notice. Washing your pet’s bedding and your sheets frequently can give you peace of mind, knowing you aren’t sharing a bed with an intruder.
Vacuum The Right Way
If you already have a flea infestation in your home, unfortunately, vacuuming alone won’t fix the problem. However, vacuuming frequently can help an infestation from occurring when it is done correctly and often. When vacuuming your floors, be sure to empty the bag at the end of vacuuming and dispose of it in an outside trash receptacle. Fleas can survive in the vacuum bag and reproduce, ultimately causing your efforts to be a waste.
Scan For Ticks Often
Ticks tend to nest in dark, moist areas and can be very hard to spot with the naked eye. Ticks are most commonly found in high grassy areas or bushes. They wait there to latch on to passing animals or people. When your pet comes in from outside, giving them a quick rub down or brushing may help you locate ticks faster. If you feel a tick on your pet or yourself, carefully remove it and dispose of it properly. Ticks can spread Lyme disease, rocky mountain spotted fever, tick-borne relapsing fever and more harmful diseases.
Treat pets with preventative flea and tick treatments
Veterinarians can recommend high quality flea and tick prevention treatments for your fur babies. This is important to help keep them from getting out of hand, but alone it doesn’t guarantee you won’t have an infestation. The best practice is to mark your calendar to ensure you are giving your pet the proper dose on the proper day each month. We recommend prevention treatments from veterinarians rather than many of the over the counter products as they are more effective.
Scout Pest Control Services
Preventative steps and treatments certainly help prevent bad infestations, but even taking all the preventative steps fleas and ticks can still become a problem. Fleas and ticks are regularly introduced into yards and around homes by the wildlife that passes through. Birds, squirrels, as well as larger wildlife normally are carriers for fleas and ticks and they will leave behind flea eggs as they pass through your yard. Scout Pest Control can rid your home of fleas, ticks, and other pests both inside and in the yard through one of our customized treatment programs. Our Mosquito, Flea and Tick Service is a great option to control and prevent infestations in your yard and around the outside of your home. Our General Pest Program is great to control Fleas and Tick problems you may be having inside your home.
Once your technician arrives, let them know what areas your pet’s spend the majority of their time as well as any activity you’ve seen. These areas are most likely to have the bulk of the eggs and larval stages of the pests. After your treatment, you should continue to vacuum often and wash bedding regularly. Depending on how large the infestation is, you may need multiple treatments before the fleas are completely gone.
Scout Pest Control proudly services all of Limestone and Madison counties. Contact us today for a free quote!
