AC Pup: Summer is season to beware of ticks, fleas and mosquitoes
There are so many things to enjoy during the summer. Although I don’t know anyone who enjoys soaring temperatures that hover around 100 degrees and humidity so high it’s hard to breathe, there are still the beautiful bright blue skies, sunny days and colorful flowers that make summer a lovely season of the year.
Something that seems characteristic of this season is rainfall. Summer rain tends to be accompanied by loud thunder and dangerous lightning, which pets are not usually fond of, but the grass and flowers always look so pretty and happy after the storms.
Speaking of pets not liking thunderstorms, there seems to be an uptick in lost pets after thunderstorms just like there is after fireworks. So if you know to expect a thunderstorm in your area, please make arrangements to keep your pets safe and inside if you can.
While the rain can hydrate thirsty lawns and flower beds, it can be a reason for an outbreak of pesky pests that may be hazardous and terribly annoying to humans and animals alike. In fact, some of the pests may even be fatal to pets, so your environment should be monitored following rainfall to make sure you don’t make it an inviting area for them.
It’s not uncommon for there to be an outbreak of fleas, ticks and mosquitoes following a rainy period. The humidity level during this season makes it a perfect environment for an explosion of these little varmints.
Fleas are sturdy, flat, jumping pests that bite people and pets. There can be a sudden outbreak following rain when the humidity is just right. And they can catch a ride from the yard on shoes and pant legs and be carried inside your house where they can wreak havoc on families and pets.
Fleas may not only bite, but they also can spread disease to people and pets. It is wise to keep pets on flea preventive throughout the year since fleas can appear anytime.
Ticks are the slow, crawling, eight-legged critters that find a likely victim and latch on for dear life. They embed in the pet or person’s skin, drawing blood until their heart’s content. Ticks also can transmit some very serious diseases to people and pets.
Mosquitoes love standing water, even the smallest amount. They seek out standing water, where the female lays her eggs. Then it only takes about two weeks before they develop into a new crop of flying vampires searching for people and pets to bite.
Mosquitoes in the South are particularly dangerous to pets. A single bite from a mosquito carrying heartworms can infect your pet if he is not on heartworm preventive. And a heartworm infestation in unprotected pets is deadly, so please make sure your pets are on heartworm prevention.
Even though the pests are aggravating and dangerous, precautions can be taken to minimize the outbreaks and protect your family, including your pets. Making your environment less appealing to fleas, ticks and mosquitoes, especially following the rain, can help keep everyone comfortable and safe.
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This story was originally published August 14, 2015 at 9:41 PM with the headline "AC Pup: Summer is season to beware of ticks, fleas and mosquitoes ."