Your pet is a member of your family, and you want him or her to be happy and healthy. That’s why it’s so distressing to see your cat or dog excessively scratching or biting him- or herself.
When you suspect that your cat or dog has a flea problem, it’s important to deal with it as soon as possible. Fleas carry diseases, and they can cause anemia in young pets. You want to ease your pet’s suffering, and you also want to make sure to prevent a serious infestation of your home!
Your pet can pick up fleas from another animal or from the environment. Once fleas have taken up residence on your pet, they can be hard to get rid of. Fleas are hardy creatures that aren’t particularly picky about their hosts: they feed on dogs, cats—and yes—humans. An adult female flea can live for several weeks on your pet, during which time she will feed on your pet several times and lay up to thirty eggs per day. Just think: a few fleas can become hundreds in the span of a few weeks!
Flea eggs fall off of your pet and land wherever your pet spends time—the yard, carpet, bedding, and flooring. These tiny eggs then develop where they landed (in carpet fibers, cracks in the flooring, etc.), first into a worm-like larvae, then into a cocoon. The cocoon is very resilient and can survive for long periods of time, waiting for the right environment and presence of hosts in order to hatch. After hatching, the adult flea can immediately jump to the nearby host—and can continue jumping to other hosts.
The life cycle of a flea can range from two weeks to 21 months, which is why a comprehensive approach to pest control is necessary. Simply placing a flea collar on your pet, sprinkling flea powder, or vacuuming and shampooing the carpet frequently won’t work to completely eliminate fleas. You should treat both your pet and your home; otherwise, you may find yourself battling fleas months down the road.
When treating your pet, it is often best to consult a veterinarian. Your vet can help you determine a treatment regimen that will be safe and effective for your pet. It’s also important to treat your pet on the same day that you begin cleaning your home. Adult fleas spend nearly their entire lives on an animal. If you allow the fleas on your pet to continue laying eggs, it will undo your efforts to rid your home of eggs.
When treating your home, consider how much time your pet spends indoors and outdoors. If your pet spends a lot of time outside, you may need to treat your yard as well as your home. Begin by vacuuming your entire house, concentrating on the areas where your pet spends the most time. Remember to vacuum the carpets and edges of rooms as well as beneath furniture and rugs. Discard the vacuum bag when finished. You will also need to wash pet bedding and other bedding and cushions (if your pet is allowed on the furniture).
Most importantly, when you suspect that you may be experiencing a flea issue, call a pest control professional like Scherzinger. The experts at Scherzinger holistically approach each pest problem with the best, most advanced program solutions in order to deliver fast and safe results.
At Scherzinger Termite and Pest Control, we’re here to help you protect the health of your pets and take back your home from this dangerous pest.
Call us today at 1-877-748-9888 or contact us via web inquiry, Facebook, or Twitter to learn what we can do to solve your flea problem. We’re a trusted pest control company with more than 80 years of experience serving Cincinnati, Dayton, and Columbus, Ohio, and Northern Kentucky.