Interesting Flea and Tick Facts You Need To Know- BudgetPetSupplies

1. Interesting Flea and Tick Facts You Need To Know Fleas and ticks are the unfortunate facts of a pet’s life. Whether dog or cat, these pesky pests don’t leave the pets until they get enough living from them. There may be other parasites that trigger your pet’s health but fleas and ticks rule the parasitic world as they are ubiquitous creatures. Well! As pet parents, we all are aware of the dreadful causes of fleas and ticks on our furry buddies. However, this is not enough to know about fleas and ticks. So, let’s unfold the other sides of these critters. Here are some crazy and weird facts about fleas and ticks to keep you more informed. Feisty Flea Facts 1. The world of fleas is female dominant because female fleas are larger than the males among all flea species. 2. Fleas have been spreading their freakiness on this planet approximately for 100 million years. Woah! 3. Not all devils have wings; some have a tough cuticle bearing many bristles of the broad, flattened spine. In a nutshell, fleas are wingless creatures that get onto their hosts by jumping. 4. On a daily basis, a female flea can consume 15 times its body weight (in the blood). 5. Female fleas are firmly devoted to expanding their population as a female flea will lay at least 20 eggs a day. Half of which will be female, that can, in turn, produce around 20,000 new fleas in 60 days.

2. 6. If you think winters can eliminate fleas, I am afraid that isn’t really true. Winter doesn’t always kill fleas as many larvae can survive short span of freezing temperatures until wrapped in their cocoons. They can find a warm spot to hide until the temperatures are favourable. 7. Fleas can stay for a long time without eating because pupae can survive in their cocoons for up to a year. Then they hunt for a blood meal immediately once they emerge as adults. But, fleas can survive without eating for 7 days or more to find a blood meal. 8. Fleas possess Olympic-calibre jumping skills. They’re known to be some of the best jumpers in the world because fleas are able to jump 150 times their body length. 9. Fleas can infest your pet along with other parasitic companions. This means that fleas alone weren’t enough to make your pet suffer so they also carry parasites such as tapeworms which are most commonly transmitted by fleas. 10. Pets weren’t sufficient for fleas so they also carry several potential illnesses including plague and typhus. It can transmit cat scratch fever among cats that can then spread the disease to humans. Tricky Ticks Facts 1. Ticks are classified as arachnids, relatives of scorpions and spiders. This is something for ticks to be proud of! 2. Ticks don’t jump or fly. They crawl up a grass to attack the hosts. They hold the first pair of legs outstretched in order to climb on the host. And the tick quickly climbs abroad on the host when brushes the spot where a tick is waiting. 3. Just as no one is born with evil desires, even ticks aren’t born with disease agents. They acquire them during feeding and pass them along to other animals during subsequent feedings.

3. 4. There’s a similarity between ticks and pet parents, both are dog lovers. Some ticks species such as American dog tick and brown dog tick, prefer dogs as hosts. 5. Male ticks die right after cuddling...this is weird, no time for cuddling! 6. Unlike many humans, hard-shelled ticks are keepers. They don’t give up easily. They remain attached to their host by forming a glue-like substance called ‘cementum’ along with their mouths lactating deep into the skin. 7. Not only pets but also humans may contract multiple diseases from a single tick bite. 8. Hard ticks have a very long single feeding session while soft ticks have several separated sessions by a few hours. 9. Majority of ticks use 3 hosts, feeding on a different host for the larvae, nymph and other life stages. 10. Ticks can live as long as 200 days without feeding. Moreover, they can live from 2 months to 2 years depending on their species. Were you surprised by any of these facts? Well! The brutal fact is that fleas and ticks pose a threat to your pet’s health. However, the best way to protect your pet from those pesky creatures is to prevent them by using flea and tick preventives for your pet on a regular basis. Reference: https://www.budgetpetsupplies.co.za/dogs/fascinating-facts-about-fleas-and-ticks.cshtm