Pets and Pest Control

For many homeowners, just as it is important to protect the safety of themselves and their children, it is equally important to provide a safe, comfortable and healthy shelter for their pets. Whether living with dogs, cats, bunnies, hamsters or fish, providing a home for these animals provides people with a great deal of joy and fun.

When you own a pet, there are the basic necessities you must provide – food, water, shelter and grooming – but one we don’t think about enough is protection from pests! Not only can certain household pests bother and bite your canine and feline friends, they can transfer bacterial viruses and cause more serious complications that you can prevent by taking simple pest control measures.

From Bites to Bacterial Viruses and Other Bothers

Just as a tick bite is uncomfortable for you, a bite from one of these pests can be equally bothersome to your pets. Unfortunately, the thick fur of your animals will make ticks more difficult to spot, and thus it is important you do a thorough inspection of your pets (especially their limbs) whenever they return from time in the yard. Ticks who remain embedded in your pets fur for more than 24 hours can transmit Lyme disease, which can cause fever, lethargic behavior and swollen lymph nodes that must be treated by antibiotics.

The vaccination of your animals for Rabies is also critically important. Transmitted through the bites of infected nuisance wildlife such as bats, raccoons and skunks, Rabies will spread through your animal’s nerves. In unvaccinated animals, the contraction of Rabies is always fatal.

Fleas can feed on the blood of animals, causing discomfort and incredible itching. More troubling, fleas can transmit issues such as tapeworm and be carried inside your house by your animals, in time spreading and bothering the other residents of your home.

Don’t forget your everyday mice and rats. Their shed fur, saliva and droppings carry a number of bacteria types that can make your pets ill or at least, transfer from the rodents to the pets and on to the humans in the household. While these health risks don’t generally come with a risk of death, they can cause discomfort for everyone who lives in the home.

Protecting Your Pets With Pest Control

The same reasons to take preventative pest control steps for your comfort are exactly why you should take it for your pets’ happiness. Here are a few easy steps to take to begin limiting your pets exposure to nuisance wildlife and problematic bugs:

– Keep your property’s lawn and plants trimmed closely and maintained, while keeping a watchful eye on leaf debris and cluttered gutters, which should be cleared to reduce habitats for pests and small animals.
– Seal up all cracks and gaps in the flooring and foundation that could be used an entryways for pests, and install screens on all windows and doorways.
– Regularly sweep and vacuum your floors and windowsills, removing crumbs, dust and fur that could attract rodents looking for food and building materials for their habitats.
– Check your pets frequently for signs of bites or bugs nested in their fur. Watch your pets for new behaviors outdoors such as frequenting certain spots in the yard to be sure no pest population or nuisance wildlife nest has piqued their interest.

Enjoy your time with pets – and not pests.

Should you have questions about the steps you’ve taken to reduce your risks of infestation, contact us today. It’s important to us that your whole family – including your loved animals – are living in a safe, sanitary and pest-free environment.

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