Some Interesting and Crazy Facts About Fleas and Ticks

Fact: Fleas and ticks are annoying.
Fact: Fleas and ticks are harmful.
Fact: Fleas and ticks cause problems for you and your pets.

None of this should be surprising in the least. If you’ve ever dealt with a flea infestation, you know how difficult this can be for your pet and your home. Once fleas infest your home, getting rid of fleas can be extremely difficult.

The more you know, however, the better off you’ll be. Knowing all about dangerous ticks and fleas will help you avoid an infestation. Read on for some interesting facts about fleas and ticks.

Crazy Facts About Fleas

1. Fleas are found everywhere on the Earth. That’s right. Even Antarctica, which is so inhospitable to be the only continent on Earth that doesn’t play host to mosquitoes, has a species of flea.
2. Mammals aren’t the only “lucky” hosts of fleas. Some species of fleas (only about 3 to 5%) are parasites to birds, and even accidentally to reptiles. There are also Coptopsylla lamellifer ticks which have been observed to accidentally parasitize ticks. A parasite parasitizing a parasite? Sounds fair, right?
3. Fleas can transmit diseases. Some fleas that have fed on rodents may transmit diseases like plague and murine typhus. Anemia, tapeworms, and flea allergy dermatitis are just a few potential flea related health problems.
4. If fleas were human, they’d be super jumpers. Well, fleas are already super jumpers, but it would just be a lot more impressive if humans had the same ability. A flea can jump vertically up to 7 inches. For humans, an equivalent jump would be an astounding 250 feet.
5. Fleas really need blood. It’s true that fleas can survive without a blood meal for two months to a year, but they can’t reproduce without blood.
6. Fleas are great at reproducing. A female flea lays around 20 eggs a day. Since half of those eggs will also be female, you could be dealing with about 20,000 new fleas in your house in just two months. That’s why swift flea control is critical.
7. The winter isn’t going to do them in. Unfortunately, cold temperatures won’t necessarily wipe out a flea population. They can survive short periods of cold if they’re wrapped in a cocoon. Some will even find warm spots to hide until winter is over.

Crazy Facts About Ticks

1. You may not realize you’re being bitten. The saliva of ticks contains anti-inflammatory and anesthetic compounds. This means you can’t feel when a tick is biting you. And because the proteins in the saliva also contain proteins with changing compositions, your immune system likely won’t even recognize it’s dealing with a threat.
2. There’s a reason ticks are hard to remove. Their saliva is really quite powerful. Not only does it act as an anesthetic so the host won’t feel the bite, but it also acts like a cement for ticks. This means ticks can maintain their position and be very difficult to remove.
3. Ticks are sneaky. Rather than falling from trees or jumping from bushes, ticks crawl up your body (or your pet’s body) from the tips of grasses and shrubs.
4. Ticks have long life spans. Ticks hang on for dear life. They live for years, and can even survive years of starvation if they can’t find a blood meal. That’s staying power, and another reason why pest control for ticks is vital in your yard.
5. Ticks don’t hang out inside. Ticks need to live in a place with high humidity, so you won’t often find them indoors for long periods of time.
6. Ticks are arachnids. Ticks are more closely related to spiders than to insects. Plus, they’re parasites. That’s plenty of creep-out factor for one creature.

Because fleas and ticks can carry dangerous and debilitating diseases, it’s important to use a professional tick and flea control service. Barefoot Mosquito can effectively get rid of fleas and ticks in your yard for an affordable price. Contact Barefoot today at 512-400-2008 (Austin) or 713-554-9430 (Houston) to learn more or request a free quote online.

Related Posts

• Tips to Help Get Rid of Fleas Naturally
• Protecting Your Pets From Fleas and Ticks
• Helpful Tips & Advice to Get Rid of Chiggers