Flea And Tick Identification & Prevention

Frequently Asked Questions About Fleas And Ticks

What are fleas and ticks?

Fleas and ticks are tiny pests that cause significant problems when they find their way to our properties.

The sole source of nutrition for fleas and ticks is the blood of warm-blooded mammals. Their primary hosts are wild animals, rodents, cats, and dogs. While people aren’t their preferred hosts, they won’t hesitate to feed on our blood if convenient or necessary. 
Fleas are tiny (the size of a speck of dirt) wingless insects. They are reddish-brown, have oval bodies flattened from side to side, and powerful back legs they use for jumping away from danger and onto their hosts.

The tick is not an insect; they are an arachnid. They have oval bodies, no wings or antennae, and adults have eight legs. Ticks come in various colors, including yellow, red, black, and brown.

Are fleas and ticks dangerous?

Fleas and ticks are dangerous pests. Both of these pests bite through our skin to feed on our blood. Most people are allergic to flea saliva; flea bites leave behind red, itchy rashes. Fleas are also responsible for spreading some diseases and other parasites like tapeworms.

Through their feeding habits, ticks in Columbia spread many diseases that can cause serious health consequences, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Heartland virus, tularemia, and ehrlichiosis. Controlling ticks is vital to the health and safety of people and animals and preventing the spread of diseases they carry and transmit.

Why do I have a flea or tick problem?

Wild animals are the main culprits for fleas and ticks becoming an issue on your property. As the infested animals travel to and from outdoor spaces, they will introduce these parasite pests.

Fleas spend their adult lives on the backs of their animal hosts. The females breed and lay their eggs, which promptly roll off the backs of the animal hosts, landing on the ground below to develop into new adults. The adults will jump onto an animal host to feed, breed, and continue the life cycle.

Ticks have a four-stage life cycle (egg, larvae, nymph, adult). Each new life stage requires a meal from a different animal host. The hungry tick will crawl to the top of a piece of vegetation, where they wait for a host to brush past them that they can crawl onto and use as a food source. Once full, the tick drops to the ground below, digesting its meal and developing into its next life stage.

For more information about the Columbia flea and tick control options we offer at BugOut Pest Control & Lawn Care, please contact us!