There are more than 2,400 flea species world-wide. They are attracted to animals and people mostly by body heat, but also sense the carbon dioxide that mammals exhale. They can live more than a month without food, but consume up to 15 times their body weight when they do feed.
Fleas reproduce rapidly, and infestation is difficult to avoid once a female’s eggs have hatched. Fleas can live more than 100 days, in which time millions of offspring are produced. Their small size, quickness, and reproductive prowess make an infestation a tough problem to solve for the average pet owner.
Besides the risk of infection from a flea bite, fleas often carry many diseases that are harmful to pets and people. Among these are Endemic Typhus, Pneumonic Plague, and Bubonic Plague. Plague-carrying fleas were responsible for the death of over half of Europe during the Black Death of the Middle Ages. In modern times, the Bubonic Plague is treatable with large doses of antibiotics, but it still kills many people every year. A flea can transmit dangerous parasites, such as tape worms, to its host as well.
Unlike fleas, ticks are not insects. They are arachnids similar to spiders or scorpions. Some ticks have six legs for a period of their life-cycle, but all eventually develop eight legs. Ticks attach themselves to a host by burying their heads into the skin. Once lodged in a host’s skin, the tick drinks blood until it literally swells up like a blood-filled balloon.
Their sensory organs are complex. Ticks can detect gases, such as carbon dioxide exhaled by warm-blooded animals and people. They can sense the potential host’s presence from long distances and even select their ambush site by identifying paths that are well-traveled. Ticks can fall onto the host’s head by dropping from trees, crawl onto a host surreptitiously, or cling to the host as it walks through tall grass.
Ticks carry many diseases, and transmit a greater variety of infectious agents than any other arthropod. They are responsible for anemia from blood loss, Dermatosis, Ascending Tick Paralysis because of neurotoxins in their saliva, and infection.
Some of the more harmful – and potentially deadly – diseases spread by ticks are Babesiosis, Anaplasmosis, Ehrlichia, East Coast Fever, Relapsing Fever, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and Lyme’s Disease.
Contrary to popular belief, there are at least eight species of ticks that can transmit Lyme’s Disease. This disease is potentially deadly and has been contracted in 49 states as of this writing. Pets, as well as people, can catch this disabling illness. It is important to take preventive measures when entering areas that may harbor ticks and to seek medical advice quickly after being bitten.
Fleas and ticks are a serious problem for everyone, not just pets and their owners. Anyone who spends much time outdoors should take proper precautions to prevent being bitten by these disease-carrying bloodsuckers. If you are bitten, do not take it lightly – seek medical attention, and consult a pest expert to learn how to get rid of fleas and ticks.
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All about Blood Sucking Fleas and Ticks Species Bitten
Fleas and ticks are parasites that feast on their host’s blood. They are found in all fifty states. Although ticks will sometimes attach themselves to reptiles, both fleas and ticks prefer the warm blood of mammals.
Fleas are tiny insects with very powerful back legs. These legs enable the flea to jump relatively long distances. A typical flea is only one twelfth to one sixteenth of an inch long, but can jump 14 to 16 inches in a single leap.
