Keep Your Pets Safe: Winter Flea and Tick Prevention in Atlanta

When winter arrives people often think that the threat of fleas and ticks is gone. However, the deer tick can remain active in temperatures as low as 30 degrees Fahrenheit. That makes flea and tick prevention in Atlanta a year-round job.

Even though fleas and ticks are less likely to bite you during the winter, this doesn’t mean that they disappear until spring. In nature, fleas and ticks survive by overwintering in the soil, leaf litter, or housing structures. Once inside your house, the warm temperatures can keep them active and hungry all winter.

Ticks

The deer tick and the black-legged tick are the primary carriers of Lyme disease in the United States. These insects can live a long 2-3 years and include distinct developmental stages that each require fresh blood. 

After the eggs hatch, larvae emerge and begin the process of feeding in order to survive the summer and fall. In the winter they enter a dormant state inside leaf litter or soil. Here in Atlanta, temperatures rarely get below freezing. That means ticks can survive outside all year quite easily. 

How to Tell If You Have Ticks

Ticks are tiny, about the size of a pinhead before they engorge themselves on blood. Tick bites are not painful and usually, you won’t feel a thing. If you have pets that spend time outside then they can still be at risk of ticks even in the winter. It’s best to check your pets regularly after they come back inside. Check under the fur near the ears, eyes, head, and feet.

Tick Removal

Tick removal is a careful and tricky process that requires patience. Gather the materials you will need.

• Rubber gloves
• Tweezers
• Disinfectant

Carefully grab a hold of the tick with the tweezers as close to the skin as possible. Pull straight up and the tick should come free. Clean the area with disinfectant and wash your hands with soap and water.

Fleas

Fleas prefer the blood of your pets over your own but. Fleas generally have a short lifespan of a few weeks to a couple of months. But they can still cause you a headache if they get into your home this winter. To complete their life cycle, temperatures must hover around 75 degrees Fahrenheit for a couple of weeks. Fleas do not take temperature fluctuations well but pre-emerged adults still in cocoons can. Fleas can remain dormant in their cocoons until favorable conditions present themselves in the form of a host. The flea is alerted to the presence of the host by sensing vibrations, carbon dioxide, and body heat. The flea will then emerge from its cocoon and leap onto the host.

Protecting Your Home From Fleas and Ticks

Fleas and ticks can be a real pain once they get inside your home and on your pets. Here are some tips to help you stop the invasion.

Natural Remedies

Herbs, spices, and essential oils have numerous effects and benefits. Some of them can even keep fleas away. Try using garlic, apple cider vinegar, lavender, lemongrass, while lavender, lemongrass, citronella, and peppermint to help protect your home.

Wash Your Pets Regularly

Even our pets need a bath once in a while. Especially if they are infested with fleas. Use a flea comb while bathing your pet and pay special attention to the head and neck area. 

Vacuuming

Fleas can get a foothold in your home very quickly. Once inside they can jump off their hosts and hide in your carpet and furniture. Here they will mate and continue to multiply. Vacuuming your home and furniture regularly will help ensure that fleas don’t take over.

Hire The Pest Experts at Environmental Turf management

At Environmental Turf Management, we want you and your family to stay safe from fleas and ticks. With our effective flea and tick control program, we can put your mind at ease by eliminating and keeping these pests out all year.

Give us a call at (770) 466-0234 for more information on how you can get started. You can also request an easy quote here. For more monthly tips on all things lawn care, check out our blog and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for our current deals and news.