An Overview Of
Blood Feeding Pests
Not all pests need to feed on blood for their survival. Therefore, you need to understand which of the pests can bring serious damage to your well being by sucking on your blood. These kinds of critters do not bite for self defence. They do it simply to get their next meal.
Mosquitoes Mosquitoes are one of the most notorious summer pests because of their pesky nature. They are brown, gray, or black with white, silver, green or iridescent blue scales. Only female mosquitoes bite. They hunt by detecting body heat and the carbon dioxide we exhale. Habitat: Mosquitoes need water to breed. They are often found near water sources. Remove all sources of water from your backyard, and if that is not possible, consider to cover them up. Threats: Mosquito bites leave red, itchy bumps on the skin. They can spread many serious and potentially fatal diseases like eastern equine encephalitis, yellow fever, dengue, malaria and Chikungunya virus fever. Prevention Tip: Drain standing water from flowerpots, birdbaths, baby pools and other sources. Install mosquito nets at the windows or open places.
Fleas Fleas are parasites that love to feed on the blood of any warm-blooded host. Most fleas are dark reddish-brown in colour and range in size from 1/12 to 1/6 inch long. Fleas can jump up to 8� high. Habitat: Fleas transport themselves on household pets, rodents and wild animals. Some of the adult fleas usually remain on their hosts at all times. Threats: Bites from fleas result in painful, itchy red bumps. Their saliva can cause serious allergy dermatitis in pets. Prevention Tip: Practice flea management for your pets that includes bathing and grooming on a regular basis.
Bed Bugs They get their name from their preference of hiding near beds. Adult bed bugs are about Ÿ� long. They have red-brown bodies that are flat and oval. Bed bugs can ingest seven times their weight in blood. Habitat: Bed bugs are excellent hitchhikers. They hide in luggage, purses and other personal belongings in an effort to find a human food supply. Threats: Bed bugs are known to bite humans while sleeping. They don’t transmit diseases, but the actual bed bug bite marks on the skin can turn into red, itchy welts. Prevention Tip: Never bring second-hand furniture into the room without thoroughly examining it. Knowing about these pests can let you determine the infestation and help you in ensuring success of the removal process.
Ticks Like the fleas, ticks are biting pests also, known to suck the blood of their host. They are actually arachnids, not insects. Ticks vary in colour depending on the species, but most of them are flat, oval and smaller than a sunflower seed. Some of the ticks can live as long as 200 days without food or water. Habitat: Found near woods or other highly vegetated areas. Threats: Ticks bite causes Lyme disease, spotted fever and a variety of other tick-borne diseases. Prevention Tip: Inspect yourself carefully for ticks after being outdoors. If you find a tick, remove it with a slow, steady pull.
PRESENTED BY.. R.I.P Pest Management Pty. Ltd.
02 9999 5510
www.rippestmanagement.com.au