GOT FLEAS? Tips for Preparing Your Home for a Flea Treatment
Get Rid of Fleas Today by Properly Preparing Your Home for a Flea Treatment
Let’s face it; it is gross to think you have fleas crawling around your home. Then to think they are biting your pet all over and may start in on you? Well, that is too much. So, if you have called out an exterminator to get rid of fleas in your home, you are on the right path. But did you know there is a great deal you need to do to begin preparing your home for flea treatment for the process to work?
Let Proactive Pest Control give you a few tips on what to do before your treatment, so the fleas go away and don’t come back.
Flea Facts
Most people don’t know there are an estimated 2,000 species of flea worldwide, and over 300 in the U.S. We most often think of fleas on animals. Still, there are four types of fleas that affect the U.S. the most. They are the Cat Flea, the Dog Flea, the Human (or household) Flea, and the Oriental Rat Flea.
Fleas feed on blood, and they are not real picky about which animals from which they drink. The flea is tiny and flat shaped. It is reddish-brown and has six legs with no wings. And instead of flying, they jump, and boy can they!
With no treatment options for humans, when a flea makes its way into your hair or in your clothes and bedding, you will need to be treated for fleas just like you would treat your pet. Furthermore, you will need to wash your hair with mild flea shampoo and wash all your clothing and bedding. It is not a pleasant experience.
That is why we suggest you have a treatment plan with your local exterminator. Proactive Pest Control is here for all types of insect control in Gwinnett County and the surrounding area.
The Danger in Fleas
Fleas are more than a nuisance. They are blood-sucking insects that feed on humans and pets, causing extreme itching and annoying pain. Even worse, according to the CDC, fleas can transmit several diseases to humans, including typhus, plague, and “cat scratch disease.” They are a host for tapeworms and other parasites. And, if those aren’t enough, flea bites can cause bacterial infections when bite areas are not kept clean, and scratching is not deterred.
How to Protect your Pets and Family
Do you have a Proactive plan in place to keep fleas off you, your family, and your pets? Scheduling a service plan for monthly flea and tick spraying in your home and yard will help control fleas and ticks brought in by pets. Additionally, you can help your family reduce the risk of exposure to fleas and their itchy, bothersome bites with the following precautions.
At home, you can:
- Always wash your hands after contact with an animal.
- Have your pets regularly tested for parasites at your veterinarian checkups.
- Give your pets their monthly flea treatment prescribed by the vet.
- Vacuum the carpets and other soft surfaces, like the sofa, well and often.
- Have the home professionally treated for fleas, ticks, and other insects, as well as the critters that can occasionally make their way into your home.
Outside you can:
- Remove waste from the yard.
- Keep dirt and sand out of little ones’ mouths.
- Keep a tight lid on the backyard sandbox.
- Plant foliage that fleas do not like, such as citronella. That will help with other insects like mosquitos as well.
- Don’t overwater your lawn. Standing water attracts all sorts of insects.
- Keep your yard mowed weekly to stir things up and remove the hiding spots for these pests.
- Tuck your pants into your shoes and wear long sleeves in dense vegetation and brush when traversing your property or heading into the woods.
- Use an EPA approved flea and tick repellent on all exposed skin.
- After hiking through the woods or walking through dense vegetation, do a check of your clothes and pets for fleas.
Flea Infestations
Fleas are incredibly adaptable parasites that can exist inside of homes for extended periods. Female fleas will lay up to six eggs after each meal and lay several hundred eggs during their lifetime. The eggs, which hatch within a day or two, are usually found in bedding, carpets, and sofas.
Keeping those areas cleaned and treated is imperative to keeping an infestation away. Regular treatment by your local pest control company will reduce the fleas. Still, if the room is not cleaned and picked up, the flea eggs will hatch, and the problem will begin again.
Preparing Your Home for a Flea Treatment
Experienced technicians can help you get rid of fleas by treating your home. The technician will treat pet-resting sites and outdoor areas with a residual insecticide and an insect growth regulator. In addition to the actual treatment, there are some essential things that you, yourself, should do to prepare for a successful flea treatment. Some of these things are to be done before the treatment, and some are done afterward.
- Clear clutter from all carpeting and closets. Floors should be completely clear, all but furniture legs.
- Make sure your floor, furnishings, and trim can be easily reached and treated.
- Sweep and mop wood, tile, and vinyl floors. If possible, clean before and after the treatment. Vacuum carpeting, flooring, upholstered furniture, cushions, mattresses, floor cracks and crevices, drapes, closet floors, and pet resting areas.
- Use a clean vacuum cleaner bag or canister to get the best suction. Empty the vacuum cleaner’s contents into a trash bag, seal it, and immediately dispose of it outside. If your vacuum has a bag, do not keep the bag in there for future use. Use it once and get rid of it! If your vacuum does not have a bag, be sure to wash the inside of the vacuum canister thoroughly. Try to do this outside if possible.
- Wash all sheets, blankets, and other bedding. Make sure you use detergent and hot water.
- Wash any clothing, small rugs, and other fabrics that are on or close to your floor. A flea can leap 800 times farther than its body length. It can jump 130 times its own height. With these types of capabilities, fleas could potentially reach clothes that you have hanging up in your closet.
- Thoroughly wash all pet bedding. If you decide to throw it away, be sure to seal it in a plastic bag and immediately dispose of it outside.
- Before your treatment, make sure you store or cover all food, and cover fishbowls, fish tanks, and reptile aquariums. In fact, it is best to remove any small animal from home, to keep them from inhaling the pesticide.
- Take your pet to get a flea treatment by a vet or a professional groomer during the treatment.
- Cut your grass, rake your leaves, and remove any toys and debris from your yard.
- Keep your family and pets out of the home during the treatment. After the treatment, don’t return until the insecticide is dry. Drying usually takes 3 or 4 hours.
Commitment to the above measures will provide for a flea-free home for years to come. Meanwhile, be sure to give your local pest control company a call to assess your flea situation and schedule a treatment plan.
Proactive Pest Control Helps You Prepare Your Home for a Flea Treatment
Simply reading this article helps you get prepared for a home flea treatment. You are one step ahead of most in gaining control of the pests in your home. Proactive serves Gwinnett County and the surrounding areas with superior quality pest control.
Please contact us to schedule a free consultation. Visit our Pest I.D. pages to learn more about fleas. We look forward to providing you with excellent service and consistently exceeding your expectations.