Fleas and ticks are very different pests yet similar in many ways. Adult ticks are arachnids with eight legs, and adult fleas are insects with six legs. Yet both are parasites that look for host animals and survive on blood meals. These two pests also come into your yard and get into your home in similar ways. They hitch a ride on wild animals, drop on your property, and get picked up and carried inside. But they're somewhat different in how they do it. For example, a tick can climb on a dog, cat, or human, while fleas rarely use humans to hitch a ride indoors.

As you attempt to navigate the complexities of flea and tick management on your property, it is helpful to know a bit about each of these tiny parasites. Join us as we break down a few important topics. We'll cover the signs of fleas or ticks in your home, the problems they cause, flea and tick prevention tips, and professional solutions, both indoors and outside. If you need to speak with someone about a problem with either of these pests, your HomeShield Pest Control team is here to assist you. We provide advanced tick and flea control in Orange County. Connect with us by phone or text to get the help you need.

How To Identify: Signs Of Flea And Tick Infestations

It is a challenge to detect fleas in your yard. A flea is nothing more than a tiny speck. You'll have a hard time seeing it when one leaps up from the grass. Ticks are a bit different. You might notice a tick on your clothing and brush it off. If you don't and accidentally carry it inside, you may get another chance to detect it when it climbs off your clothing onto your skin. But, if fleas or ticks come into your home on your dog or cat, you'll have a better chance of detecting them.

Fleas:

When pets bring fleas inside, the first sign is that they start to scratch. If you notice this behavior, use a flea comb to check your pet for adult fleas or flea dirt. Fleas are small brown insects that are thinner than they are tall. Flea dirt is black and looks like dirt flecks.

Ticks:

When pets bring ticks inside, you'll find them attached to the skin. Inspect your pet's ears and between the toes. These are common places ticks attach. Once you've done that, run your fingers through your pet's fur and feel for any unusual bumps. When ticks engorge, they become larger.

What do you do when you find either of these pests in your home? It is essential to take action and apply effective control as these pests have the potential to make everyone in your home sick, not just your pets.

a tick crawling on human skin

The Dangers Fleas And Ticks Bring To Your Property

It is not commonly understood, but fleas and ticks carry diseases that can impact human and pet health. Of the two, it is worse to have a tick problem by far. Here are a few facts to help you navigate the health implications of fleas vs. ticks.

Fleas:

You can have a flea infestation and not get sick. Fleas are more common, but most people don't realize these pests even transmit diseases. The reason why they don't commonly transmit diseases is that most of the fleas that bite in the home are fleas that have hatched in the house. These are the facts you should know about flea infestations:

  • Fleas bite, and the bites are often intensely itchy.

  • Sometimes flea bites get infected, and this can require treatment.

  • Repeated bites can lead to anemia.

Unfortunately, an infected flea bite can lead to bartonellosis, murine typhus, or tularemia.

Ticks:

You can have a tick in your home, quickly remove it, and have no further issues. Most ticks can't complete their reproduction cycle indoors. It is also possible to get a tick bite and not get sick. But here are a few facts you should know about tick-borne diseases and infestations:

  • Ticks pick diseases up from animals and transmit them to humans. If you find a seed tick attached to your skin, the risk of disease is low. A seed tick is the six-legged nymphal stage of tick development.

  • Ticks can spread a long list of diseases, including ehrlichiosis, Heartland virus, Boutonneuse fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lyme diseases, tick paralysis, and tularemia.

  • Early detection and removal can stop the spread of disease. Some diseases take more than 24 hours to transfer.

Now that you know a bit about what it means to have a flea or tick infestation in your home, let's look at how you can prevent trouble before it begins. We'll walk you through our best all-natural flea and tick prevention tips.

Preventing Fleas And Ticks: Proactive Tips And Tricks

Fleas and ticks share many similarities, which makes preventing an infestation similar between the two pests. But there are some notable differences that are worth keeping in mind. We'll start with how they are the same.

Both fleas and ticks are parasites that ride into your yard on furry animals and can get into your home if mice, rats, or some other animal finds its way indoors. Step one is to keep these wild critters away from your exterior and out of your home:

  • Keep your trash protected.

  • Trim your vegetation and keep your lawn mowed.

  • Remove objects near your exterior walls.

  • Remove bird feeders. Seeds are an ideal food source for several furry critters that explore Orange County properties.

  • Rake up nuts and pick up fruit.

  • Remove objects from your yard that don't need to be out there, as they provide a means for rats and mice to navigate across your property.

  • Store collected sticks in a bin or trash container to keep them off the ground.

  • Consider creating a fenced-in area for your dog to play outdoors. Doing so will keep your dog from exploring areas on your property where fleas or ticks are hiding and deter wildlife from getting into this area and depositing fleas and ticks.

Once you've removed the attractants that lure wildlife to your property, you need to set your sights on sealing any potential entry points rats and mice may use to enter your home.

  • Fill in wood cavities and gaps around pipes with expanding foam.

  • Replace damaged weatherstripping and door sweeps.

  • Seal gaps around door frames.

  • Trim tree branches that touch your roof.

  • Install rodent guards on pipes or wires.

  • Install hardware cloth over downspouts to allow water to run out while preventing rodents from running up.

These tips will reduce wildlife activity and help keep rats and mice out of your home. On top of these, you need to consider the ways fleas and ticks differ.

Fleas:

Moisture control is incredibly helpful with managing fleas because eggs and flea dirt fall from animals, and the larvae that hatch from the eggs can dry out in the sun if your property is dry. Gutter cleaning and managing plant watering can make a big difference. Additionally, apply screens or hardware cloth to prevent animals from accessing voids underneath structures, where they can bed down and create the conditions for flea development. Why does this create the perfect condition for flea development? Because the eggs and the flea dirt fall in the same area. Newly hatched fleas require flea dirt for sustenance. They can't bite to draw a blood meal.

Ticks:

When a tick drops off an animal, it may crawl a distance to get to another. If you lay down mulch or stone around outdoor human or pet recreation areas, you can deter ticks because their feet are sensitive to these materials.

On top of these prevention tips, talk to your veterinarian about what flea and tick products are best for your dog, cat, and family. A protected pet is resistant to carrying these parasites into your home.

The Trick To Total Flea And Tick Control For Your Home

You're never alone when battling ticks and fleas. Your licensed pest management professional can help quickly rid your home of these critters. Contact us if you need tick or flea extermination. We use a scientific approach that breaks the cycle of infestation. But we can help even more by providing ongoing flea and tick management around your home.

Do you know that year-round pest control in your yard can get rid of fleas and ticks so that these pests don't climb onto you, your kids, your dog, or your cat? We inspect your property, evaluate the conducive conditions, and apply routine treatments to make it very hard for either of these pests to live on your property. We'd love to tell you more.

If you're in Orange County, reach out to your HomeShield Pest Control service team to get answers to your questions or to get started with flea and tick yard control.