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JULY 15 2021 /
Fleas, along with ticks and mosquitos are a pest that while small, can cause a lot of damage. If you have a pet in your house, you probably are already doing flea and tick treatments to keep your pets and in turn your family protected. Not sure what to do when you find that a treatment has not been effective and now have a flea infestation? Read on for some information and tips on keeping your home flea free!
What Do Fleas Look Like and How Do I Know I Have Them?
Fleas can vary in size between 1/12” or 1/6” in length and tend to be dark red or brown. They are typically flatter in shape and possess 6 legs and 2 antennae. While fleas do not have wings, their legs are strong giving them the ability to jump long distances. Fleas can typically be seen by the naked eye.
Just like ticks, fleas love to hitch rides on pets to make it inside your home. Once inside they quickly detach and begin multiplying, which can very quickly turn into a full-on infestation. Fleas can live for up to a year and produce millions of eggs in that time.
Luckily for us as humans, we aren’t the prime target of fleas, while we can get some bites that can trigger allergies, our pets are the real target. Fleas love how easy it is to hide in the thicker fur of dogs and cats. If you notice your pet scratching more than usual it may be time to break out a flea comb (or any fine-tooth comb), to brush them and look for tiny white flea eggs.
How to Prevent and Treat for Fleas:
With pets being the target of these pests one of the best things that you can do is to make sure your pet is on a flea and tick preventative. Prevention is always better than intervention once you have an issue. Preventatives aren’t always failproof though, so other things you can do to prevent fleas from latching on is keeping your pets well groomed and away from flea harboring areas.
These areas consist of overgrow grass or brush areas if your yard extends out to woody areas around your home. Regularly clearing away fallen leaves, excess grass clippings, and other yard debris like fallen tree branches will give fleas less areas to harbor.
If you find fleas on your pet the best thing to do is to thoroughly groom them with bowl of hot water wish dish soap nearby to dip the comb in. Depositing the fleas and their eggs in this mixture will cause them to drown. Bathing your pet in a flea treatment after grooming them will help to get things back under control and make your pet no longer a viable host.
Prevent fleas from taking a stronghold on your home by cleaning and vacuuming frequently to remove any flea populations and disrupt the breeding cycle, preventing the laying of eggs. Also be sure to regularly wash bed linens in hot water to kill any fleas and eggs.
If you think you flea problem has progressed to a full-blown infestation, it is time to get the professionals involved. Full home treatments, done by the professionals is the best way to eradicate and prevent future flea infestations!