Mesa Flea Extermination
Fleas have the ability to jump up to 8 inches high and 16 inches forward to reach their victim. Fleas can carry and transmit a wide variety of infectious disease pathogens. Contact us today to get your property checked for fleas!
Common Types of Fleas
Within the US, there are two common types of fleas: cat fleas and dog fleas. They are very similar, but have some differences. Cat fleas are slightly larger and have the ability to spread tapeworms among pets. Adult fleas have a lifecycle of 2-3 months.
Related: Common Types of Ticks
There are two common families of ticks. Hard ticks (family Ixodidae) have a lifecycle of 1-2 years. Soft Ticks (family Argasidae) have a lifecycle ranging from a couple months to 4 years, depending on species.
The United States is home to several types of ticks that feed on human blood. American brown ticks, black-legged ticks, brown dog ticks, groundhog ticks, Lone Star ticks, Pacific Coast ticks, Rocky Mountain wood ticks, soft ticks, and western black-legged ticks are some of the most frequent pest ticks.
Flea Infection Risks
Fleas carry hundreds of pathogens, which are spread into the bloodstream through their bites. They can lead to a variety of diseases including the bubonic plague, typhus, Lyme Disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, ehrlichiosis, Heartland virus, tularemia, and more. The CDC has a full list of infectious diseases known to be frequently spread to humans by fleas.
What Fleas Look Like
Typically, fleas are small, wingless insects that can grow up to 1/6 of an inch long. Their powerful legs differentiate them from ticks, enabling them to achieve impressive jumping distances. Their bodies are thin, narrow, and spiny, making it easy for them to move around in and latch onto your furry friends. Their mouthparts are denoted for a blood-sucking proboscis, which can pierce human skin as well as pet skin. Fleas can be brown, gray, or dark in color.
Related: What Ticks Look Like
Adult ticks have eight legs, while tick larvae and nymphs only have 6. Tick larvae are small, and are less than a millimeter, or about the size of a grain of sand. Nymphs are a bit bigger at just over a millimeter, or about the size of a poppyseed. Adult ticks may grow to a quarter-inch after feeding.
Both hard ticks and soft ticks begin their lives as eggs that hatch into larvae and molt into nymphs. As larvae and nymphs, they begin seeking and feeding on mammalian and human blood. When they reach adulthood, hard ticks develop an exoskeleton on their back that soft ticks lack.
Flea Removal Service
Unfortunately, when female adult fleas feed, they also lay eggs. These eggs fall off soon afterward, spreading the infestation to all areas in immediate contact, and these eggs are so small that pesticides are needed to kill them. Of course, these eggs grow and mature, and larvae and pupae will even seek protection indoors inside carpeting furniture, baseboards, and more as well as outdoors.
The goal of our flea removal service is to kill these dangerous pests at all stages of development and get them out of your house and property.
Flea Treatments
Please consult your healthcare provider for any concerns about flea bites on your skin. Also, please consult your veterinarian for any concerns about fleas on your pet.
Related: Tick Treatments
Please consult your healthcare provider for any concerns about tick bites on your skin. Also, please consult your veterinarian for any concerns about ticks on your pet.
Flea Prevention
If you suspect that you have flea infestation problems, give us a call to get your pest issues checked and controlled right away!