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28 Sep 12

Fall Pests? Find out where… ...

by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

Don’t you love the cooler, crisp weather that is happening after a brutally hot summer? I know I do, and my dog Max has some serious hyper fall fever for a 11 year old pupper! One of the things that we think changes with the cooler weather is less fleas and ticks around, however that is not always the case. Many people resort to topical treatments to keep fleas and ticks away from their pets, in which I do not use any of those products on my dog, never have, never plan on it. I am however, proactive in always checking my dog for ticks, especially here on LI – they never really go away unless the temperature goes below freezing or their is snow on the ground. So my dog knows the routine after a nice long walk in the woods or even just down the street – he gets checked for ticks afterwards. To be fair, he has short hair and he his coat is mostly white – so it is a bit easier to look for ticks on him vs. say a long haired or double coated dog. It’s a choice I make to not use topical treatments and use holistic sprays to keep pests away, but dog owners have to decide what is best for them and their dog on an individual basis.

My dog has had ticks on him from walks or romping in a field which I remove with a ticked off spoon or device like that, but he has never a problem with fleas. But in order to know where fleas and ticks may be a problem in your neighborhood, PetCareRX.com came up with this ingenious local flea and tick tracker which is designed to help customers track the flea and tick threat level depending on location. The tracker is simple to use and extremely beneficial for pet owners and their animal friends. To try it, just click on the button on the top left hand side of the site ‘Find your local Flea & Tick Threat Level’ on PetCareRX.com.

Pet owners can explore the different charts and maps that are generated based on the zip code. The various charts help break down flea and tick patterns depending on the temperature, time of year and location. For instance, the 3-day flea forecast chart uses the average temperature and humidity forecast for the next three days to compute a flea threat level of low, medium, or high. There is also a chart based on 2012 parasite prevalence maps which show the risk of tick borne diseases in the requested area as well.

The Flea Activity chart is based on historical weather patterns by state which can help viewers see when the low, moderate and high flea threat levels might occur. This chart is great because it can help pet owners choose a flea and tick prevention course of action based on their region’s flea activity. For example, this year has been warmer than usual in many parts of the country. It is important to pay attention to our pet’s habits (indoor or outdoor, country or city, etc) in order to decide what the best course of action to protect our furry friends.

So whether you are using a topical treatment or a holistic approach – it is a great tool to find about the flea and tick patterns in your neighborhood so you can best prevent your pet from getting these pests.