How To Prevent Fleas And Ticks In The Summer

Summer is in full swing and with it comes a whole host of different insects and mini-beasts that we often don’t see during other parts of the year. Unfortunately, two such little creatures that are more prevalent during the summer season can cause significant problems for pets and us, their owners. These are fleas and ticks.

Why is flea and tick prevention important?

Fleas and ticks are both classified as parasites since they survive by drinking the blood of their host. While animals, both wild and domestic, are their natural meal sources, they will happily chow down on the blood of a human being if there is no choice. Unfortunately, their parasitic nature can have a variety of consequences for the people and pets living in your property. Some animals who have severe flea infestations can start to suffer from the symptoms of blood loss, while many parasites also carry infectious diseases that will unwittingly be passed on to your pet. These include parasitic worms, Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Anaplasmosis, all of which could make your pet very unwell.

Pets tend to contract a single tick at a time, meaning that blood loss isn’t too severe. However, fleas reproduce at an exponential rate and this, combined with their short lifecycle, means that just a few fleas can turn into a small army of parasites in just a few months. They will also begin to take over your home, lurking between floorboard and in folds of furniture until they are ready to feed again.

How to prevent fleas and ticks

In addition to timely tick removal to reduce the likelihood of your pet being affected by tick-borne illnesses, there are plenty of different things that you can do to help keep your pet safe from fleas and ticks this summer.

Preventative treatments for your pet

Preventative treatments are your pet’s first line of defence against any sort of parasite including fleas and ticks. There are a multitude of different products available on the market today, many of which combine both flea and tick repelling chemicals into one, simple solution. These include:

- Oral medications

- Sprays

- Shampoos

- Spot-on treatments

- Collars

The most important thing to remember is that each type of preventative has a certain ‘life’ for which it will actively repel fleas and ticks. After this point, the product is ineffective, and your pet is left vulnerable to these parasites. As such, it is essential that you follow a carefully pre-planned schedule of treatments so there are no gaps where your pet could be unprotected.

It is also crucial that you choose the right type and dosage of preventative for your species and size of pet. Not enough of the repelling chemical could render the product useless, while too much could potentially be harmful to your furbaby.

Preventative treatments for your home

It is possible for you to protect your home and backyard from fleas and ticks too. Again, there are different repellents available and you should choose one suited to the size of your home. Follow the instructions very carefully as you may need to remove all people and animals from your property to use some types of preventative property treatments.

Staying on top of your housework is very helpful too. Fleas like to hide in crevices, under furniture and in other small, dark places around your home. Vacuum daily and empty and dispose of the bag daily to help prevent re-infestation.

If you would like further information on the best way to protect your pets from fleas and ticks during summer, please do not hesitate to contact us and speak to our friendly, well-informed team.