Ticks There are two general types of ticks-those with soft bodies and those with hard bodies. Both varieties are usually small, but some can range up to ½ inch in size. Female ticks are capable of massive feeding, and can grow over ten times their normal size when gorging upon blood-up to the size of a grape. Ticks have no true head, but do have well-developed mouth parts. They can survive for quite some time, even years, without food. Ticks lie in wait upon the ends of plants, where they sense vibrations from the motion of passing mammals. They wave their legs in the air and hope to catch on to their next host. Read More... |
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Fleas These small, wingless, blood-sucking pests create a lot of anxiety for man. Most varieties are around 1/16th inch in size (the Cat Flea can be considerably larger), and are brownish or black in color. They will feed on any warm-blooded animal, including mankind. Fleas prefer to live in fur or feathers, and their body features are well adapted to do so. Tiny claws hold on to the host, and flattened spins on the body help them move through fur and make them harder for the pet to scratch off. The hind legs are powerful and enable them to hop great distances. The mouth has three piercing stylets that are efficient at sucking blood. Both male and female fleas will bite. Read More... |
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