Flea & Tick Identification

What are fleas & ticks?

Fleas and ticks both feed on the blood of people, wild animals, and our pets. While they feed in a similar manner and on similar hosts, they are two very different pests.

Fleas are wingless insects that, despite their tiny size, have large back legs that allow them to jump great distances. They have a distinct reddish-brown body that is flattened from side to side. Their flat body and hard exoskeleton make it difficult to squish these pests. Fleas have a short life cycle, and once adults find their way onto an animal, they typically spend their life on that one host.

Ticks are arachnids and related to spiders and mites. Adults have eight legs, oval-shaped bodies, are generally a dark color, and have pincer-like jaws to latch onto and feed on their hosts. They are wingless and wait at the tops of pieces of vegetation for a host to happen by they can crawl onto. Ticks have a four-stage life cycle and a much longer lifespan than fleas. At each life-stage, ticks feed on a new host, allowing them to spread more diseases than fleas.

Are fleas & ticks dangerous?

Both fleas and ticks feed on blood as their sole source of nutrition and, as they feed, can acquire and transmit diseases that can make people ill. 

Ticks are a bigger threat when talking about the spread of disease and transmit things like Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease. 

Fleas spread parasitic tapeworm, cat-scratch fever, typhus, and the plague. Severe flea infestations can cause anemia in our pets, and those allergic to their saliva will develop red itchy rashes. Scratching at the bite sites can lead to secondary infections, especially in young children.

Why do I have a flea & tick problem?

Ticks and fleas often find a way into our homes and yards and usually spend some time feeding and breeding before you'll finally notice them. Their small size makes it easy to overlook these pests, allowing large populations to develop before taking action.

Wild animals, our pets, and stray pets are the most common way that ticks and fleas move from place to place. As animals travel across our Encinitas outdoor spaces, they leave behind fleas and ticks. Moist warm habitats allow fleas and ticks to thrive. Things like leaf piles, grass piles, overgrown vegetation, and wooded areas will cause flea and tick populations to explode in our yards.

Where will I find fleas & ticks?

When you and your family and pets spend time in your yard, it is easy for you to come into contact with these pests and then accidentally introduce them into your home. Besides our yards, other places we commonly come into contact with these pests include:

• Wooded areas 

• Walking trails and vegetation along roadways

• Fields and meadows

• Athletic fields and dog parks

Fleas can live and breed indoors and create a large-scale indoor infestation; ticks, on the other hand, aren't usually able to reproduce indoors and are generally just an issue in our yards. When not feeding on a host in our homes, you'll often find fleas in upholstered furniture, under rugs, and in bedding.

How do I get rid of fleas & ticks?

Nobody wants to have a yard filled with fleas and ticks. It makes spending time in your backyard unbearable for you and your pets; it also makes it more likely that these pests will find a way into your home. 

With decades of experience, you can trust Green Flash Pest Control to rid your California or Arizona property of fleas and ticks. We are a locally-owned, family-based company that takes protecting its community from unwanted pests seriously. Through our wide variety of pest control services, outstanding customer care, and guaranteed solutions, you can trust the dedicated professionals at Green Flash Pest Control with all your pest control needs!

Call us a call today, speak with one of our helpful professionals, and learn more about our flea and tick solutions!

How can I prevent fleas & ticks in the future?

Taking the following steps will make your property less attractive to fleas and ticks and help you avoid problems with these pests in your home and yard.

• If you own pets, make sure to regularly groom and bathe them.

• Place pets on year-round flea and tick preventative under the guidance of their veterinarian. 

• Overgrown vegetation, leaky pipes, and clogged gutters provide the moisture and shade fleas, and ticks like to hide within. 

• Clear out leaves and grass clippings, and yard debris to provide fleas and ticks with fewer hiding spots. 

• Keep the grass around your home short. Cut back overgrown areas or wooded areas back away from the perimeter of your property. 

• Keep rodents and other flea and tick carriers out of your yard by taking away food sources like bird feeders and their easy access into trash cans.

• Seal holes in the foundation, exterior walls, and roofline of your house to keep rodents and other wild animals out.

• Regularly vacuum floors and upholstered furniture in your home. 

• Wash bedding in your house frequently.

Learn more about our home pest control and commercial pest management options.