Flea and Tick Bite Prevention

Flea and tick bites are common during the summertime when we venture outside for longer periods. Ticks and fleas can transmit a variety of diseases; however, Lyme disease is the most common. Flea and tick prevention and early detection of a tick bite is very important. This article will look at how to identify ticks and fleas as well as their bites, and prevention techniques.

Ticks

What do ticks looks like?

Ticks are 8-legged parasites that are about 1/8-inch long and can expand up to ½-inch after a bite. Bites typically are not noticeable unless in the case of Lyme disease, where a red bulls-eye like mark will appear around the bite.

Tick removal

Remove the biting tick with a pair of tweezers being careful not to detach the head of the tick in your skin. A detached head is hard to remove and can be painful and can lead to infection. Once the tick is detached, I usually either flush it down the toilet, crush it or you can use a match and burn it until you hear a "popping sound".

Tick prevention

Prevention of tick bites are the first line of defense. Use bug spray that contains DEET and labels that it prevents ticks. The best product from personal experience is Backwoods Cutter as it works well to repel all common biting insects, including ticks, fleas, and mosquitoes. Since ticks are most common around outdoor household pets and in the woods, be sure to use a flea and tick collar on your pet and use insect repellent anytime you venture outdoors. Ticks look for warm areas on the body so be sure to check to check your head, armpits, and private regions every time you go outside. Often times you will not even feel a bite, so early detection is the best prevention for any disease the tick may be carrying.

Fleas

What do fleas look like?

Fleas have are small, about 1/8-inch long and have six legs. They are incredibly good jumpers and jump from host to host in order to get a meal. Since they reproduce at a fast rate, it is important to identify fleas as soon as possible. Fleabites make a red spot around the bite and will cause irritation and itchiness around the bite.

Flea removal

Flea removal is much harder than tick removal because typically you will have an entire colony of fleas infesting you. Click here for an ehow.com article on how to remove fleas from you and your pet in detailed steps.

Flea prevention

Flea prevention is the first line of defense against fleabites. Products such as Backwoods Cutter (as mentioned for tick prevention) are a great DEET bug spray that deters biting insects and parasites. Household pets also are a known carrier for fleas, therefore, you should regularly check your pet with a fine tooth comb to make sure that they are not carrying fleas into the house.

Sources:

Personal experience with both ticks and fleas

http://www.ehow.com/how_2439_get-rid-fleas.html

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ig132http://cipm.ncsu.edu/ent/southern_region/ripm/chap8/ticks/tickmain.htm