How to Prevent Ticks on Your Pets This Summer

Ticks are a parasitic pest dangerous to pets in Henderson NV - Western Exterminator of Las VegasHere in Las Vegas, the warmer months of the year bring about more insects than ever. One in particularly that flares up with the heat is the tick! If you spend time outside in your yard or hiking, there’s a chance you may encounter a tick problem in your family. These blood-suckers can latch onto people and pets alike. They are most infamous for spreading Lyme disease, the most common vector-borne disease in the United States. For this reason, it’s crucial to learn how to prevent ticks on your pets this summer. The team at Western Exterminator of Las Vegas is here to help with expert tips.

5 Tips to Prevent Ticks on Pets

Ticks are a very dangerous pest–and more common than you may want to believe. In the summer, there are several things you should do to keep ticks away:

  1. Trim your shrubs and mow your lawn. By mowing your lawn regularly, you can make your yard less attractive to ticks. In addition, implement rodent prevention tactics to discourage rodents that could carry ticks.
  2. Ask your vet about tick preventatives for your pets. Talk to your veterinarian about prevention or treatment options, including heartworm protection.
  3. Inspect any pets that go outside for ticks on a daily basis. When inspecting, focus on areas under the legs and around the neck and ears. In addition, look out for excessive scratching, licking, or grooming behavior.
  4. Avoid areas with tall grass or off-path trails. Ticks are known to be in areas with high grass, be careful to stay on trails when hiking or walking.
  5. Protect your family from ticks. During the summer, regularly check yourself and family members for ticks after being outdoors. They can easily hop from you to your pets!

The Threats of Ticks for Dogs

Ticks are a parasitic pest that feed on the blood of their victims, including humans and pets. When an infected tick attaches to a dog for a few days, it’s possible for them to transmit Lyme disease, a serious bacterial infection. If you notice your pet is showing symptoms, including signs of depression, loss of appetite, fever, lameness, or swollen joins and lymph nodes, it’s important to contact your veterinarian. Ticks can also occasionally cause anemia in pets. Cats rarely get ticks, but could easily carry them into your home. From there, they can easily hop off you and onto other pets or family members, which is why it’s crucial to stay vigilant about their presence in your property.

How to Get Rid of Ticks in the Summer

If you or your pets are experiencing symptoms aligned with tick-borne disease, it’s important to act quickly and receive medical attention. Regularly clean your home on the inside and wash your pets bedding to keep ticks at bay. If you’re dealing with a tick problem, contact the exterminators at Western for advice and assistance!

Do Mosquito Bites Transmit Coronavirus?

Ticks do not spread COVID-19 in Henderson NV or worldwide. Learn more from Western Exterminator of Las Vegas.In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the team at Western Exterminator of Las Vegas is prioritizing the health and safety of our communities. We are closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation to stay up-to-date with the latest information. New data is being released every hour about the nature of this virus, but there are still a lot of questions about who and what spreads coronavirus. We’ve seen a lot of inquiries about the possibility of mosquitoes playing a role in the spread. However, there is no evidence to date that suggests that mosquitoes and ticks are transmitting the coronavirus. These insects may be vectors for some of the world’s worst diseases, but COVID-19 is thankfully not one of them. Keep reading to learn more.

Mosquito Bites & COVID-19

To date, there is no scientific evidence that mosquitoes and ticks transmit COVID-19. From what we know from the CDC, coronavrius is spread through person-to-person contact. This most likely happens from droplets from saliva or nasal discharge, often generated when an infected person sneezes or coughs. It can also be transmitted via contact with a contaminated surface and is increasingly considered to be an airborne virus. From what we know, coronavirus is best avoided by avoiding contact with infected persons. Diseases spread by mosquitoes and ticks are entirely different and are spread when people are bitten by these vector pests

What Diseases do Mosquitoes & Ticks Spread?

Ticks, fleas, and mosquitoes are vectors for infectious diseases. Vectors are organisms that transmit diseases to humans through bites. Ticks and mosquitoes are infamous for their roles in the transmission of dangerous diseases around the world. Some of the things to know about mosquito-borne and tick-borne diseases include:

  • Mosquitoes transmit some of the globe’s most deadly diseases, from malaria and Zika virus to West Nile virus, chikungunya, yellow fever, and more.
  • Ticks transmit Lyme disease, which is currently the most common vector-borne disease in the United States.
  • If these vector pests feed off a diseased host, they can transmit pathogens that will infect other hosts it subsequently bites. This is how humans are exposed to the above diseases.

Pest Control in the time of COVID-19

Mosquitoes may be feared for their transmission of diseases, but to date, COVID-19 is not one of them. That said, no one wants to deal with mosquitoes regardless. It’s increasingly important to take caution in the presence of pests and to always enlist the help of a professional exterminator to prevent dangerous insects. For the safety of our community, Western Exterminator continues to provide essential pest control services during these trying times.

With information about COVID-19 being updated daily, we want to encourage our customers to seek more information and follow guidelines released by the WHO and the CDC to better navigate this pandemic.