If you’re a blood-sucking tick, those abnormally warm wintertime temperatures might just make you feel lucky. While most folks welcome the sun's warmth during chilly winter days, pet owners view it as an opportunity for ticks to flourish. Ticks thrive in warmer conditions, and colder winters typically help curb their invasion of pet spaces. However, if temperatures don't drop as expected, you could be facing a bigger tick problem – with larger ticks to boot!
Experiencing milder winter conditions in your area? This could mean that many adult ticks didn't enter their usual deep winter hibernation and, consequently, didn't perish. The result? A larger, more aggressive tick population that's out for blood.
So why do you need to worry about ticks? Are they really that big of a deal?
Ticks are not just creepy crawlies; they are nothing to be messed with. They love to snack on you, your family, and your pets. Truly real-life vampires. And if that’s not scary enough, they’re terrorizing doesn’t end there. One adult female tick can lay up to 3,000 eggs in your carpets, sofa, pet's bed, and even your bed if you let your pet sleep with you. And diseases like Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme disease can be spread by ticks in as little as 48 hours.
And if you think your indoor pet is safe from outdoor tick threats, think again. They are not immune. In fact, your indoor pet can get a tick-transmitted to them from other household pets and even you! You don’t want to be your pet’s villain. Remain their hero and keep them safe with the preventive choices you make.
Preventative Pet Care. What can I do?
The secret? Be proactive.
Starting now, treat all your pets in your home with year-round preventive care. This can include an assortment of flea and tick topicals, collars, sprays, or powders, depending on your needs & preferences. Take caution in reading the label to check what pests your preferred treatment kills and how long the product lasts (30 days. 6-7 months, etc.). Be sure to read and understand the instructions before using any product in your home or on your pet.
Don't wait for ticks be a home intruder. Act fast and take preventive action now.