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Ticks (Order: Siphonaptera)

General Characteristics:

Ticks (Order: Siphonaptera)

- Belong to a class named Arachnida, which also includes spiders, mites and scorpions
- Commonly mistaken as insects (Adult insects have a three-segmented body, two antennae and six legs), while adult ticks have a two-segmented body, no antennae and eight legs
- All ticks feed on the blood of invertebrates
- Two families of ticks: Ixododae (hard ticks) & Argasidae (soft ticks)
- Common Species include: the groundhog tick, Ixodes cookei (Packard), the American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis (Say), the blacklegged tick (deer tick) Ixodes scapularis, the winter tick Dermacentor albipictus (Packard), the brown dog tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille) and the rabbit tick Haemaphysalis leporispalustris (Packard)

Fleas (Order: Ixodida)

- Adult fleas range in length from about 1/16 to 1/8-inch long
- They are dark reddish-brown in colour, wingless, hard-bodied, have three pairs of legs (hind legs enlarged enabling jumping)
- Bodies are flattened vertically allowing easy movement between the hair, fur or feathers of the host animals
- Fleas are excellent jumpers, leaping vertically up to seven inches and horizontally thirteen inches. (A similar jump for a human would be 250 feet vertically and 450 feet horizontally.)
- They have piercing-sucking mouthparts and spines on the body projecting backward
- Eggs are smooth, oval and white
- Larvae are 1/4-inch long, pale coloured, brown headed, wormlike, bristly-haired legless, have chewing mouthparts, are active, and avoid light
- Common species include: the Cat Flea Ctenocephalides felis (Bouche), the Dog Flea Ctenocephalides canis (Curtis), the Northern Rat Flea Nosopsyllus fasciatus (Bosc), the Oriental Rat Flea Xenopsylla cheopis (Rothschild) and the Rabbit Flea Cediopsylla simplex (Baker)

Reproduction:

Ticks (Order: Siphonaptera)

- Four life stages (egg, larva, nymph and adult)
- Mating usually occurs on body of host invertebrate
- Female places eggs in/on the ground
- Female hard ticks feed only once and lay a batch of 10,000 or more eggs
- Female hard ticks may feed multiple times and lay 20 – 50 eggs following each meal


Fleas (Order: Ixodida)

- Four stage life cycle (egg, larva, pupa and adult)
- A typical flea population consists of 50 percent eggs, 35 percent larvae, 10 percent pupae and 5 percent adults
- Completion of the life cycle from egg to adult varies from two weeks to eight months depending on the temperature, humidity, food, and species
- Normally after a blood meal, the female flea lays about 15 to 20 eggs per day and up to 600 in a lifetime usually on the host
- Eggs loosely laid in the hair coat, drop out most anywhere especially where the host rests, sleeps or nests
- Eggs hatch in two days to two weeks into larvae found indoors in floor cracks & crevices, along baseboards, under rug edges and in furniture or beds
- Outdoor development occurs in sandy gravel soils (moist sand boxes, dirt crawlspace under the house, under shrubs, etc…
- Adult fleas emerge may remain resting in the cocoon until the detection of vibration, pressure, heat, noise, or carbon dioxide
- Adult fleas cannot survive or lay eggs without a blood meal, but may live from two months to one year without feeding

Signs of Infestation:

Ticks (Order: Siphonaptera)

- Most ticks will not establish indoors but will attach themselves to any suitable host
- Bites usually cause irritation of the skin and swelling but if some ticks’ mouthparts remain in the skin, the wound may become infected
- A small percentage of the members of tick populations carry diseases including: Rocky Mountain Fever, Tularemia (rabbit fever), Tick paralysis, and Lyme disease

Fleas (Order: Ixodida)

- Biting of humans and/or pets may be evidence of flea activity
- High risk areas for homes with dogs are usually areas where the pet goes in and out of the house, eats, sleeps and spends time with the family at the base of furniture
- For cats, check the tops of refrigerators, cabinets, book cases and higher locations
- One can monitor flea populations by placing a shallow pan of water with a little dish detergent (acts as a wetting agent which breaks water surface tension) on the floor. Position an adjustable lamp with the light on about five to six inches above the liquid surface. Adult fleas will leap toward the light at night, fall into the detergent solution and drown. THIS IS NOT A CONTROL TECHNIQUE, IT IS FOR PEST IDENTIFICATION ONLY.

Control Techniques:

Ticks (Order: Siphonaptera)

- Avoid tick infested areas if possible.
- Wear protective clothing (eg. secure trouser cuffs inside boots and leggings to prevent ticks from gaining access to legs).
- Check your body thoroughly for ticks. Also, before your pets enter the house, check them thoroughly for ticks as well.
- If ticks are found embedded in the skin, remove carefully, using small tweezers. Grasp the tick with the tweezers at the point where the mouth parts enter the skin, and use a gentle, firm, tugging motion until the tick releases hold of one's skin. Do not kill the tick before it has been removed. Treat the bite wound with antiseptic to avoid infection, and save the tick in a jar labelled with the date and location, in case complications arise.
- An insect repellent containing DEET sprayed on the clothes is also effective at repelling ticks
University of Guelph: Pet Diagnostic Clinic


Fleas (Order: Ixodida)

- Both pets and premises should be treated at the same time for effective control
- A variety of flea control products for pets are available at local stores or veterinarians
- A professional should be contacted at all times for treatment of any flea species

Please click here to contact a Focus Pest Control professional to inquire about further treatments for this pest species.



References:

Ticks (Order: Siphonaptera):

Benett, Gary W., et.al.. Truman’s Scientific Guide to Pest Control Operations. Duluth: Advanstar Communications, 1988. Pp. 231-234.

“Ticks of Eastern Canada” (On-line).University of Guelph – Pet Diagnostic Clinic. Accessed Jan.
14, 2010 at http://www.uoguelph.ca/pdc/Factsheets/Other/Ticks.htm.

Fleas (Order: Ixodida):

Benett, Gary W., et.al.. Truman’s Scientific Guide to Pest Control Operations. Duluth: Advanstar Communications, 1988. Pp. 225-227.

“Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet (Entomology)- Fleas” (On-line). Ohio State University Entomology. Accessed Jan. 14, 2010 at http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2081.html.

Disclaimer:

The Focus Pest Control ‘Pest Library’ is an educational resource written largely to educate the general public about common pests in Ontario. The Focus ‘Pest Library’ does not include all species in Ontario, nor does it include the most recent scientific data about species we describe. Though we edit our accounts for accuracy, we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts. While Focus Pest Control staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable, we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control.

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