Fleas are annoying pests that can multiply rapidly and make you and your pets miserable. It is important to understand the life cycle of a flea so that you can understand the best way to treat for fleas.

Eggs

Fleas will lay four to eight eggs after each meal. The amount may increase as the female flea gets older. The flea eggs are not sticky and will not stay on your pet, which is one reason you may need to treat the entire house for fleas after you pet gets fleas. Flea eggs can hatch in just one day, but they can take up to twelve days to hatch.

Larvae

After hatching, a flea will be larvae between four to eighteen days. Larvae are small and semi=transparent.  The amount of time depends on how often the flea can feed. If it can feed more, then it will develop more quickly. The larvae do not feed on hosts. They will eat the feces of adult fleas or other organic matter that they can find.

Pupal Stage

The larvae will weave a cocoon and enter the pupal stage. This stage can last from three days to a year. During this stage, it will transform from a shape similar to a maggot to the adult flea stage.  They will wait in this stage until they know that there is a meal nearby. This is the stage that can last the longest.

Adult Flea

The adult flea can live several months on a host. The adult female can start laying eggs after 48 hours, but she does need a blood meal in order to lay eggs. The flea will usually feed within five minutes of landing on your pet and will continue to feed regularly until it finds a new host or dies.

Treating and Preventing Fleas

Once you understand the flea life cycle and realize that only adult fleas actually live on your pet, you can understand the importance of treating more than just your pets when they have fleas. The eggs fall off, and you will not kill them with the flea treatments. However, the eggs may be all over your home and will just infest your pet when they hatch. A professional can treat your home to kill the eggs, larvae and pupal fleas that may be around your home.

You can prevent fleas from being a problem by treating your pet with a flea preventative like a flea collar, flea drops you apply to your pet’s back or oral medication. Your vet can help determine the best option. Additionally, you can treat your yard to prevent your pet from getting fleas when spending time outdoors.

While the name Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever may lead you to assume that this disease is the most prevalent in the western portion of the United States, this simply is not true. In fact, North Carolina regularly ranks as one of the states with the most reported cases in the United States each year.

Symptoms of Rocky Mountain Tick Fever

Initial symptoms include a severe headache, joint pain, muscle aches, stomach issues, fever and lack of appetite. These symptoms usually begin anywhere from two days to two weeks after a bite. A rash will appear between two to five days after the onset of the symptoms. The rash consists of small flat pink spots that will appear around the wrists, forearms and ankles. It can spread to the soles of the feet and palms of the hands. See the rash pictured above. 

Treatment for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

Fortunately, there is a treatment available for Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Antibiotics can clear up the symptoms and the disease. It is important to seek treatment right away because there can be serious complications if you do not treat for the disease. You may also end up in the hospital if not treated early enough.

Preventing Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

If you can find the tick within the first 6-12 hours of it attaching, you are less likely to contract Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Regularly checking for ticks can help. It is also important to wear DEET when going into areas with a lot of ticks, as well as tucking your shirt in and tucking your pants into your socks. 

Ticks are not only found out in the woods, but they can also be found in and around your yard. There are steps you can take to reduce ticks in your yard including keeping your grass cut short and free from debris. Additionally, you may want to consider treating your yard for ticks. This can reduce the chance of you or a family member contradicting the disease and allow you to rest easy when you send your children out to play. Contact Mosquito Tek to learn more about available tick control services.

Learn about 4 Most Common Mosquito Borne Illnesses in Virginia Beach

Ticks are a parasitic arachnid. Adult ticks have eight legs and are related to spiders and mites. Many people mistakenly call them insects, but no matter what you call them ticks can be a major nuisance. They carry serious diseases and can harm you, your loved one and your pets. Here are five facts about ticks.

1. Number of Ticks

There are about 850 different species of ticks. Not all of them will carry diseases, but some do. Common ticks in the United States include the Lone Star tick, the blacklegged tick, the brown dog tick and the Gulf Coast tick. These ticks are found in the south and along the East coast.

2. Ticks Can Cause You to Develop Allergies

People have recently begun to develop allergies to beef and other meats after being bitten by the Lone Star tick. The Lone Star tick can be identified by the single dot on its back. The allergy will worsen overtime and may start out as simply feeling sick when eating red meat. Overtime it will worsen and can eventually get to the point where it causes anaphylactic shock. While it initially begins with just red meat, it can also develop into an allergy to poultry. People are allergic to the Alpha-Gal protein in the meat.

3. Ticks Have a Unique Feeding Process

Ticks need blood to advance through the different stages of their life cycle. Many ticks die because they are not able to attach to a host and drink their blood. Unlike other insects, ticks can feed for between 24 to 48 hours at a time. The tick may take up to 2 hours to attach to the host, but they often apply a glue-like substance to attach to the host.

4. Ticks Go Through 4 Stages

Ticks go through four different stages during their life cycle. They begin as eggs, then hatch as larvae with just six legs. Ticks will then develop into nymphs with eight legs and finally mature into adult ticks that will lay the eggs. The entire life cycle can take up to three years. As the ticks grow they will molt their shells as they grow bigger.

5. Ticks Lay Up to 4000 Eggs

Female ticks lay up to 4000 eggs during their lifetimes. Some species of ticks will lay all 4000 ticks at once, while other species will lay them in smaller batches. The tick must feed before laying the eggs, since they need the protein in the blood.

If you are worried about ticks bothering you or your pets, you can take the steps to prevent getting ticks. Treating your pet for ticks and fleas is just one step. Another option is to wear bug repellent when you go outside. You can also treat your yards for ticks. The experts at Mosquito Tek can apply a barrier spray that will keep your yard free from ticks all summer long.

Contact Mosquito Tek today to learn more, or go here to find out about a comprehensive flea and tick extermination through EcoTek.