Flea and Tick Information
Over the years, flea and tick problems have been on the rise in Florida. Many of our clients are coming in with flea and tick problems that they have never even experienced before, even after many years of patronage. A lot of it has to due with Florida's humidity and how fleas and ticks thrive off of it. This problem is easily spread, especially when hurricanes come through. With Florida's fairly warm winters, many of these little annoyances are not killed off.
Fleas are the one of the fastest multiplying insect. If your dog starts off with 25 fleas, within 10 days that number can multiply to 250,000 fleas. This is why it is extremely important and necessary to treat this problem immediately. Fogging or "do it yourself" products are not recommended because most of these products are not strong enough. The fleas have adapted and become immune to most of those products. Fleas live mostly in carpets, baseboards, bedding, and couches. It is necessary to wash all of the areas your pet has been, and to vacuum your carpet daily while treating this problem. Our shop has found that Frontline is not working as well to get rid of fleas and ticks as Advantix does. Please do NOT use flea collars! It is a complete waste of your money. They can be extremely harmful for small dogs especially. Small breed dogs have come close to dying from owners using flea collars. They do nothing but keep fleas away from the neck area, not the whole body. Use a topical ointment like Advantix to rid fleas. It works by absorbing into your pets' oils and bloodstream, so that once the flea bites the pet it will die and prevent the flea from laying eggs.
Ticks are very hard to get rid of. They can lay dormant for up to 4 years! Tick infestations are usually found in baseboards and mostly along the crease of a ceiling and wall. It is almost impossible to kill them off using "do it yourself" products, and they will not die off when treated only once. Spraying for ticks may have to be done upwards of 5 times.
Both fleas and ticks can cause severe skin problems for your pets and pose health issues. Fleas are known to pass diseases and can give your pet tapeworms. Ticks also carry blood diseases, such as lyme disease, and can cause anemia from having a low blood count if the pet is completely infested. Pets need to be treated immediately if their gums are pale in color, their noses are dry and warm, and if they seem to be lethargic. Please do not let this be an ongoing problem. Imagine how you would feel with tiny bugs crawling and biting all over you everyday. It can be solved if proper action is taken.
The best thing for you to do is:
- Schedule an appointment with an exterminator.
- Once the appointment is made, try to make an appointment with us on the same day he comes out to spray, notify us of the issue, and we will perform a flea funeral and remove ticks at your expense.
- Before the exterminator sprays, put all bedding and any cloth the pet has touched into the washer, and vacuum all carpeted areas.
- Throw out the vacuum bag or empty the canister after vacuuming and dispose immediately.
- From there, the exterminator will spray and schedule an appointment to come back 10-14 days later when re-hatching usually starts.
- After we have rid your pet of fleas, you MUST wait 24-48 hours to put on the topical flea ointment, or else it will not work. Your pet must process its own oils again in order for the flea treatment to be absorbed and work.
The exterminator we work with is very affordable and works well with your schedule. We have been using his business for the past 10 years, where he comes to spray our shop multiple times a year to keep us flea and tick free. Many of our clients have been very satisfied with his work, including our staff who have used his business for their personal home. You may reach this highly recommended exterminator at:
Pest-Off Termite and Pest Control
Mike Bishop957 Mimosa Dr
Chuluota, FL 32766
*407-366-6007*