Common Pest: Fleas

There are many types of fleas, however, the most common is the cat flea. The name is deceptive, though, as cat fleas can feed on many host organisms such as deer, rabbits, raccoons, squirrels, dogs and humans. Fleas can be transmitted from pet to pet, be dropped from a wild animal when crossing your yard, picked up in the environment when your pet is out for a walk or brought in by people who are unwitting carriers. A flea has three pairs of legs with the last pair being well-adapted for jumping. They are “hinged,” allowing them to be cocked like a spring and released thus, enabling a flea to jump up to 100 times the length of their body. Nature gives this insect the advantage in making a leap of faith, while trying to attach to a host. Once fleas are introduced into your home or yard they quickly begin to multiply. First the fleas lay eggs, which become reproductive adults in about 14 days. An adult female can lay up to 50 eggs per day, which then hatch and become reproductive in 14 more days. A flea population can begin to grow exponentially and rapidly.

Flea bites on your pet can cause tapeworms and skin irritations. When the fleas bite they secrete saliva, which prevents blood from clotting, making it much easier for them to extract a plasma meal and causing an allergic reaction on their skin. Your pet will scratch uncontrollably to sooth the irritation but will only worsen the problem and the suffering. If left unchecked, this skin condition and scratching can have long-lasting detrimental effects on your pet’s personality. Fleas are commonly found around your pets’ feeding and resting areas. They are easily transferred to various parts of the home by the pets and their owners, until the entire structure becomes infested.

It is theorized that when raccoons contract a case of fleas they find a stick to bite on and swim out into a pond or stream, submerging their entire body except for their nose so they can still breathe. This would cause the flea to seek higher ground by climbing up the animal and eventually onto the stick. The animal then releases the stick with the fleas on it and swims back to shore. You should immediately call professionals to eradicate your flea infestation before the rapid reproduction process causes them to take over. There is only one chemical, licensed only to commercial pest control applicators, that will break the adult-to-egg-to-adult lifecycle. If you have seen a flea or think you may be in the initial stages of a flea infestation, call the professional pest elimination team at Bugs By Brian. We offer a comprehensive treatment program to rid your home and yard of this parasitic pest. Spare yourself and your pets the agony of a flea infestation, and call Bugs By Brian pest control professionals to eradicate this pest from your home and yard as soon as possible.