Pest Guide for Fleas
Generally, the smaller the pest, the more difficult it is to detect and eliminate, and fleas are the epitome of this idea. Fleas measure just 1.5mm – 3mm long, making them smaller than the size of a pencil tip. This alone can make them incredibly difficult to find, but to make things worse, fleas can jump. In fact, they can jump as high as 7 inches and as long as 13 inches, giving them the ability to spread out quickly.
Fleas often target animals like dogs, cats, horses, and other household pets, but they can also target reptiles, birds, and humans. Once a flea finds a host, it will latch on and begin feeding. Once it’s done, you’ll find a small red spot or blotch where the flea ate and the area will likely be itchy.
Infestations
Fleas are often picked up outdoors and brought into a home or office. Most times, they’ll hitch a ride on a household pet, but they can also jump on to humans. Once they’re inside, they can lay eggs and spread their infestation. They usually lay eggs on their host, but these eggs can easily fall off and if the host is moving when this happens, the eggs will be spread throughout the home or office. These eggs don’t take long to hatch (usually between 2 days and 2 weeks), which means an infestation can occur quickly.
Besides the fact that fleas can reproduce quickly, what makes them difficult to eradicate is the fact that they can live up to 100 days without a meal. This means you can easily have lots of unknown fleas in your home that aren’t going to die off anytime soon.
Signs to Look For
Because they’re so small and difficult to see, you likely won’t find a flea infestation just from finding the fleas themselves. One of the easiest ways to detect fleas is flea bites. If you find your cat or dog scratching themselves more than usual or if you’ve developed small, itchy red patches on your body, you’re likely dealing with a flea infestation. Once this occurs, you can inspect your dog or cat and look for the tiny moving insects.
Another sign of fleas is “flea dirt,” or flea feces. This “dirt” comes in the form of black or reddish-brown specks that can be found around your home. Also, look for hair loss on your pet, which could be due to a reaction to the fleas or simply because of constant licking or scratching.
If you believe fleas are present in your home or office, call us as soon as possible. We’ll send a pest control specialist out to check out the area and if we find an infestation, we’ll take the right measures to eliminate it quickly.