Tick & Flea Control

The Importance of Tick & Flea Control

The most common way fleas get inside homes is by hitching a ride on our pets. In other cases, other types of rodents or wildlife can bring fleas and ticks to your home. This can happen when a pet owner leaves out food and water for a dog or cat and other animals help themselves without the homeowner realizing. Not only is this annoying, but it’s also potentially dangerous considering that fleas and ticks carry harmful diseases.

What’s the difference between a flea and a tick?

• Ticks are much bigger and have 8 legs instead of 6. They live mostly outdoors and latch onto their host as they brush past. Ticks can be red, brown, yellow, gray or even black. As they eat, a tick’s body will grow greatly in size. Once they’re satisfied, a tick will unlatch and wait for the next host.
• Tick bites often have a bullseye appearance since they attach themselves to the host by digging their head into the host’s skin. 
• Fleas are much smaller than ticks which can make them difficult to spot. They are tiny insects with brown bodies and attach themselves to animals in order to feed on their blood.
• Flea bites are typically much smaller and may appear in a line or small cluster of red bumps.

At ABC, we pride ourselves on taking care of your home as if it were our own. Whether you suspect a tick problem or a flea infestation, we are happy to help. Contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation. 

Signs of a Flea Problem

When homeowners notice their pets scratching more frequently, they may begin to suspect a flea problem. However, there are several other reasons your pets may be more itchy than normal, including allergies or dermatitis. Plus, not all dogs and pets scratch when they have fleas.

If you notice your pet seems more irritated than usual, look for these other indications that you may have an issue with fleas:

• Bites around the ankles and feet of human members of your household
• Blackish brown dots that appear and then disappear on your socks as you walk along a carpeted surface
• Pets licking and biting their fur excessively
• Black specks, which are flea waste products, falling off your pets as you brush them

Due to how quickly a flea problem can turn into a full-blown infestation, the best course of action is often to promptly call in a pest control professional who can advise you on next steps.

What to expect at your initial visit

Your ABC pest control specialist will treat for fleas by applying proven solutions inside your home in common problem areas, as well as in your yard, attic and crawl spaces. During the few hours that our technicians are on your property, we ask that you keep pets and children away so that the products we apply can sufficiently dry before you return. Since our technicians need a few hours to fully treat your property and for the products to dry, we ask that our customers and their pets be away from the home during these service calls.

You can expect your ABC tick control professional to:

• Ask you questions about your pest problem to get a better idea of the severity of the issue.
• Conduct an initial assessment of your property to understand where fleas or ticks might be, as well as any wildlife that may have introduced these pests onto your property.
• If necessary, confirm which pests are on your property.
• Determine if there are any unique factors that make your home more susceptible to an infestation.
• Give you an opportunity to ask us any questions you have about ABC’s pest protocol or our treatment options.
• Provide you with an estimate then, with your approval, treat your home.

In most cases, only treating the inside of the home, or treating the home once, will not solve a flea problem. Our technicians understand that a holistic approach is the best way to successfully eliminate infestations. For that reason, we usually schedule a follow-up appointment after the initial treatment to ensure these treatments have effectively halted the reproductive cycle. Contact ABC Home & Commericial Orlando and get started today with a free estimate.

Female fleas lay up to 50 eggs a day, averaging about 20 to 30 daily.

Once the egg becomes a larva, it spins a cocoon which is resistant to pest control products. Unfortunately, fleas can survive safely in this dormant state for up to six months. This allow fleas to stay alive while remaining hidden from homeowners, and is one of the most common reasons for homeowners to think that they have no more fleas in the home, only to be surprised when eggs begin to develop into adults.

Because cocoons are resistant to pest control products, killing fleas in the adult stages of life is the most effective way to address a rampant flea infestation. This is why we usually recommend that our customers receive two or more appointments to treat fleas and target them in all stages of life.

ABC has over 70 years of experience handling pest problems across Florida and Texas. During this time, we have established a proven process, and our skilled technicians have learned the most effective methods for controlling fleas, ticks and other pests. Our technicians are required to participate in in-house training to understand more about localized pest behavior and how to successfully eliminate these creatures from a home. Also, our technicians must pass a drug test and criminal background check before they are offered a position. Finally, we believe in treating your home as if it was our own, meaning that our technicians are trained to leave your home in better condition than they found it.