Perhaps you’ve been there. You’re outside and have plans to enjoy a nice summer day when suddenly you feel something buzzing around your head. Or maybe you just noticed a little parasite on your pet or in your home?
Mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks are more than just annoying pests—they can be dangerous to your family’s health and your pets as well. So what makes them so pesky in the first place? Take a closer look at these three creatures and find out why they are such an annoyance.
Mosquitoes
The most obvious nuisance with mosquitoes is their itchy bites, which can cause rashes and swelling. However, mosquitoes are also known for carrying illnesses like malaria, which can be serious concerns for public health.
So why do mosquitoes bite? It turns out that female mosquitoes need blood to reproduce—hence the need to “bite” humans or animals to get a meal of protein-rich blood. Female mosquitoes are also attracted to carbon dioxide, which is how they detect humans or animals nearby. Basically, the carbon dioxide you breathe out as you exhale is what draws them in.
Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water sources like ponds, puddles, and bird baths—even the edges of house plants. They lay eggs that hatch into larvae within 48 hours. So if you have a small pond on your property, these pesky little bugs could invade the pond and breed multiple times a week!
Fleas
Fleas are small jumpers—usually about the size of a sesame seed—that feed on animal blood but will still bite humans if they get the chance. They usually feed on cats, dogs, and other small mammals like rats and mice. Your pet might scratch more than usual and could even break off their own fur or skin to ease the flea irritation.
Flea saliva contains anticoagulants to help them feed on blood easily and, at the same time, cause allergic reactions in their hosts. They can sometimes be difficult to get rid of due to their fast reproduction cycle. One female flea can lay over 50 eggs per day!
The larvae live in dark areas with lots of debris like carpets or furniture, which makes them even harder to detect until they become adults and start to bite their hosts.
Ticks
Ticks feed off some kind of host animal that live near residential areas. This fact alone makes them an especially dangerous pest for homeowners who live close to wooded areas where tick populations thrive.
These pests are perhaps the most annoying pest of all because, unlike mosquitoes or fleas, ticks hang around for a while before they bite their hosts. And their bites often go unnoticed for a while. The small arachnids attach themselves to their host’s skin and feed on blood for several days before they eventually fall off again.
Most tick species carry both Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. These diseases pose a serious, often permanent risk to your health.This is why you should check yourself after outdoor activities like when you camp or hike in wooded areas. Ticks can easily attach themselves to human skin and can be hard to remove when their mouths grip onto their host.
Mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks might be small, but they can pack quite a punch. These pests can cause extreme discomfort for those who live near infested areas. Take a proactive step towards prevention and contact The Mosquito Masters for professional pest control services.
We have the knowledge and tools to help you get rid of mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks on your property. We aim to make your life much more pleasant both indoors & outdoors!