WHAT ARE FLEAS?

With over 2,000 different species, fleas are one of those insects that pet owners don’t want to ever have to deal with. Fleas are a part of the insect order Siphonaptera with “siphon” coming from the piercing-sucking mouths that they have to feed. Fleas are very durable and built to survive. They are parasites that survive by consuming the blood from their hosts which are most commonly cats, dogs, other pets, birds, and sometimes even humans. They are extremely small at a size of only 3mm and because of this, they are extremely hard to spot. Fleas can jump up to 200 times their own body length, which is about 13 inches, and are constantly moving from one host to another. Fleas reproduce so fast that even just one flea can cause an epidemic to begin in your home.Their larvae are very little worms that don’t take blood from hosts and instead will feed on a variety of organic matter such as dead skin, dead insects, and food particles found in your carpet as well as pet bedding. Since adult fleas live by preying on mammals and birds, it can be extremely miserable for pets and people when they are the home to these terrible little insects.

ARE FLEAS DANGEROUS?

Fleas are a parasite that are responsible for the spreading of different diseases and are sometimes even intermediate hosts for parasitic tapeworms. When a flea bites through its host’s skin, it stransfers the tapeworm it had into the host. These tapeworms can cause an itchy rear end as well as weight loss to your animal. Since fleas bite through the skin of their hosts to prey on their blood, they can cause a prolonged itching of the skin. As the host repeatedly itches, they can break open the skin and form scabs which can become infected. The most frequent area in pets that this happens is the back and the base of the tail. As well as these common areas, flea bites can be found to cover the entire body of animals as well as the legs and feet of people. If animals and pets are found to be allergic to flea saliva, they may develop a severe, itchy dermatitis. Your pet can also develop anemia if they have fleas for an extended amount of time due to the loss of blood. This can make your pets very ill.

WHY DO I HAVE A FLEA PROBLEM?

Pets are the number one reason why you would get a flea infestation. A lot of pet owners go through extensive treatments with their pets to ensure the pets protection. However, fleas can hitchhike on these pets and will often end up in your home.

HOW TO GET RID OF A FLEA PROBLEM?

Once an infestation of fleas takes place in your home can be extremely difficult to completely eliminate. One of the biggest reasons for this is the fact that adults and larvae can be easily managed, while eggs will oftentimes be overlooked. Our knowledgeable technicians will thoroughly inspect your home and property. In order to take control over the fleas, effort by the homeowner will be required and it will be completely dependent on persistence.