As the weather warms up, pests start invading your indoor and outdoor spaces. When there are more pests bothering you, there are more pests bothering your pets, too. When your beloved pets spend time outdoors, they are more likely to encounter various pests, including ticks. But ticks are much more than a nuisance; they can be deadly to a pet. If a tick comes into contact with your dog or cat, it can transmit diseases such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme Disease. These illnesses can be seriously dangerous to your pet, so learning how to protect pets from ticks is key.
To help keep your pets safe, we recommend taking preventative steps to keep pests away. Here are a few we recommend:
Pet Pest Treatments
There are a variety of treatment options to help protect pets from ticks and other pests. These include treating your pet with a tick preventative product or spending a little time to treat your yard and the perimeter of your home to ensure your pet’s environment is tick-free. Keeping pests out of the home and yard is one of the best ways to keep them away from your pets.
Fortunately, Bug & Weed Mart carries products that are safe for pets that you can spray or spread around your home and yard. These products will prevent ticks and other pests from making your home and the areas around it theirs. We also have products that can be used to treat your pet to make them less desirable for a tick to snack on. Treating your pets directly will keep them safe on walks or in new places that may not have been treated for ticks.
Prevention without Chemicals
There are also a variety of things that can be done to prevent ticks and other pests from bothering your pets without using any chemical products. Here are some simple steps you can take to help keep your pets tick-free and reduce the risk of having pests in your home:
1. Inspect your pets
It’s important to carefully look through your dog or cat’s fur, especially if they have been playing in any tall grass or wooded areas. Look for ticks around the head, neck and eyes, between the toes, in the “armpits” under your dog’s legs, and in their ears. It is also important to note that ticks look different throughout their life cycle. For the most part, you are looking for a small bump on your pet's body.
2. Regularly change bedding and clean
If any ticks end up inside your home, there are many places they can end up throughout your home. Cleaning and changing your pet’s bedding, your own bedding and vacuuming floors and carpets is essential. If pests such as ticks come inside, they can also start laying eggs. Cleaning regularly is an easy preventative treatment for keeping pests from claiming your home as their own.
3. Don’t leave food out
After feeding your pets, don’t leave their food out. Pet food, as well as leftover crumbs of human food in the kitchen or pantry, can be a magnet for all types of pests. Vacuum regularly and store food in airtight containers so there’s less of an attraction for the many pests that are on the lookout for food.
Flea Prevention and Other Treatments
Keeping your pets safe from other pests also means keeping them away from other four-legged creatures such as rodents or other feral animals. Rodents often carry fleas, which pose a risk to your pets. Treating a flea infestation can be time consuming, so prevention is the way to go.
Preventing rodents and feral animals from entering your home can be done by eliminating clutter and food sources. Spreading granules around your property and spraying to establish a pest barrier will keep other pests away as well.
Protect Pets from Ticks and Other Pests at Bug & Weed Mart
We love our pets at Bug & Weed Mart, so we understand wanting to keep your pets safe and healthy. Stop by one of our several Valley locations and we can help you create a custom treatment plan for your yard and home.