Copyright 2010-2011 Updated December 9, 2011 Ultralawn, Inc. 1055 East 260th Street Euclid, Ohio  44132 (216) 731-7756 (440) 951-3738 About • Lawn Care • Trees/Shrubs • Pest Barrier • Questions • Contact Lawn Pests   We welcome the opportunity to answer your questions Fleas and Ticks   You might think that fleas and ticks are just a bit of a nuisance for your pet, an irritating bite at the most. But these parasites can cause more serious problems ranging from skin allergies that can affect you as well as your pet to even death. Don’t Fleas Produce Just An Irritating Bite? No! At the very least, fleas cause irritation and skin problems in pets - you'll see this if your pet is itching, scratching or biting their coat. Newly hatched fleas will often jump onto pet owners causing discomfort for us too, but the problem doesn't end there. Fleas can carry diseases that affect people as well as pets. Are You And Your Pet At Risk From Ticks? Wherever you live in Northeastern Ohio, if you have cats or dogs, they could pick up ticks in rural areas, public parks, and even in your garden. Ticks are blood-sucking parasites that can pierce your pet's skin with their mouths and cement themselves into position to prevent easy removal. Most ticks in the U.S. are 'hard ticks' which means they have a hard outer shell protecting their body. The most common type is Ixodes scapularis, known as the deer tick. It's not only a risk to our pets, but can also infest other animals - and humans too. Ticks are temporary parasites that spend 3-10 days feeding on your pet. They rely on their host for a blood meal - all stages of the life cycle, except for the egg, must attach to a host to feed before falling off into the environment to develop into the next stage. Is It Just A Temporary Irritation? No. Ticks can cause a variety of problems, some of them with serious consequences for your pet. At the very least, the physical presence of the tick is uncomfortable for your pet and can lead to a skin reaction or abscess where the tick is attached - particularly if the mouth parts are left behind when a tick is removed. But the problem doesn't end there, as ticks can also carry diseases that can be transmitted to your pet. Lyme disease is most common and is caused by the parasite Borrelia burgdorferi and transmitted by Deer ticks. Lyme disease can affect humans as well as dogs and on occasion cats. It may cause fever, lethargy, arthritis skin disease, and even death. Treating the Problem Is a Team Effort Neither indoor nor outdoor treatments alone will solve the problem, since the fleas and ticks will simply migrate from one to the other after the control period. The treatment process needs to be repeated. Even when you treat the lawn, the house and the pets in the proper sequence, it’s not a permanent fix. If your pet picks up new fleas or ticks, the whole process can begin again. On the other hand, efforts to prevent flea and tick problems can be done outdoors; we apply 3 applications to your lawn. We apply 1 in the spring 1 in the summer and 1 in the fall. This will provide you with season long outdoor protection.