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Flea & Tick Information

    Fleas thrive in warm, moist environments, like our pet's fur. Their main food is blood from their host, which they get from biting their host (up to 400 times per day!). Fleas also have a variable life cycle, which makes them so hard to control. An adult female flea can lay up to 50 eggs per day, and up to 600 eggs over several months. These eggs can hatch anywhere from 2 days to a few weeks later, depending on the environment. Once the eggs hatch, they enter the larva stage, which lasts anywhere from 5 to 18+ days. Once in larva stage, the flea spins a cocoon where it can survive anywhere from 3 days to over a year, waiting for the right stimulation in the environment to trigger its emergence (such as warmth, high humidity, movement, or even carbon dioxide from a passing animal). Once it breaks free of the cocoon, the flea is ready to start laying eggs, and the cycle starts all over again. Because on average only 5% of the flea population is in the adult phase, there are always more fleas waiting to emerge from their cocoons. This is why we recommend year round flea protection, to keep your pets flea free! 

    Ticks are attracted to motion, warm temperatures, and carbon dioxide exhaled from mammals. Here in Western North Carolina, our tick season is usually April - November, but due to the sometimes mild winters, ticks can be seen year round in some areas. Ticks carry diseases, which can affect both people and pets, and the number of tick-borne diseases is on the rise. These diseases include: Lyme Disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Anaplasmosis, and Ehrlichiosis. If you find a tick on your pet, the best way to remove it is with tweezers. Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible, and pull out with a steady motion. A year-round prevention is the best way to keep your pets tick-free!

Click here to visit our online pharmacy and have prevention delivered right to your door!

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Click here to see our brochure "Controlling Fleas and Ticks".

Click here to see our newsletter "PawPrint" devoted to flea and tick control.