What do you usually think about when you hear the words mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks? Like many others, you probably associate them with itchy and irritating bites, however, these common pests can also carry diseases that are transmittable to both animals and humans. Find out more about these diseases and what steps you can take to keep mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas away from your property.

Mosquitoes can carry the West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis, and more.

Mosquitoes may be tiny, but they can be sources of some serious diseases. In Indiana, there are about 12-15 species of mosquitoes that can affect public health. Most of them just cause itchy bites, however, some can cause other issues such as:

  • West Nile Virus - Individuals who are over 60 are more at risk of getting serious symptoms of this disease, including a headache, high fever, coma, and paralysis. It can take several weeks or even months to recover from the West Nile virus.
  • St. Louis Encephalitis - Most people bitten by a mosquito carrying this disease will not show any symptoms, which can manifest as fever, nausea, and weakness. Severe cases can include a stiff neck, unsteadiness, and a coma.
  • La Crosse Encephalitis - Symptoms of this disease include fever, nausea, headache, and fatigue.
  • Eastern Equine Encephalitis - While some infected individuals do not show symptoms, others might experience fever, drowsiness, seizures, and more. A percentage of people who recover from this are left with permanent neurological damage.

Ticks Can Transfer Lyme Disease to Humans & Animals

A tick crawling on a person's skin in Elkhart, IN.

Some of the most common ticks that can be found on your property include the American dog tick, brown dog tick, lone star tick, and deer tick. Ticks like to embed themselves in the skin of both humans and animals, and it is important to remove them as soon as you notice them, making sure that you remove its head.

The deer tick is the tiniest type of tick, yet it is the most dangerous because some of them are transmitters of Lyme disease. Lyme disease can cause rashes, flu-like symptoms, and lymphadenopathy (or enlargement of the nodes). Lyme should be treated as soon as possible.

Flea bites are itchy and can transfer diseases such as tularemia.

Flea season in Indiana starts from March and continues all the way to December. They can bring diseases like tularemia and typhus. Keep an eye on your pets, especially, because fleas can also carry tapeworm. If you notice your pets scratching all the time, it is possible that they have fleas because their bites are very itchy. Bring them to the veterinarian so that they can get checked out and receive the proper treatment.

Regularly trim your grass, remove any standing water from your property, and schedule professional pest control services to keep mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas at bay.

Keep your family and pets safe. Call today to sign up for our mosquito, flea, and tick treatments.

It's important that your property is free of these insects so that you, your family, your guests, and your pets can stay safe. At Grow Pros Lawn Care, LLC, we provide mosquito, flea, and tick control treatments to eradicate the problem and keep them off of your property.

Our program includes a treatment every 30 days in the spring, summer, and early fall. This keeps you protected throughout the months that mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks are the most active. If your home or business is located in the Elkhart, Indiana area, including Granger, South Bend, and Mishawaka, call today at (574) 326-3526 to schedule with us. You can rest assured that your property will be free of these dangerous insects so that you can fully enjoy your time outdoors.