FLEAS

     Fleas, a common pest especially among those of us whom have pets. Not just a nuisance to your pets but, if left alone they become a nightmare for you. That’s when people usually call us. At Jelco Pest Solutions, we have done numerous flea jobs. Some big, some not so big.

Why are Fleas so Important

Fleas are tiny, fast-moving parasites that feed on blood. While they are most commonly brought into homes by dogs and cats, they can also enter on wildlife or even on clothing. Once inside, fleas reproduce rapidly. A single female flea can lay dozens of eggs per day, which fall into carpets, furniture, bedding, and cracks in flooring.

    Beyond itchy bites, fleas can:

    Cause allergic reactions in pets and people

     Lead to skin infections from excessive scratching

    Transmit parasites like tapeworms

    Create ongoing discomfort throughout your home

• If you’re noticing pets scratching more than usual or finding small bites around your ankles, you may already have an infestation.

The key is to break the flea life cycle, that is to say, get the fleas to stop reproducing. It’s not as easy as it sounds but, is a must to stop a flea infestation. First, thing you must do, treat the pets! Then call a professional, hopefully us, where a plan begins to take place.

You should know, it is inevitable for fleas not to get in, a few here and there from time to time. Either from a visiting pet, or and outside source. Stray cats, dog, or even squirrels and mice can bring or allow fleas to invade.

Cat fleas are the most common of species most of us experience. Though it’s possible for other types of fleas, this is the one we treat the most. A “Growth Regulator” (IGR) must be used to help sterilize the egg laying flea. We include these with every flea treatment we do.

Here is a brief biology lesson with the flea. The female flea bites your pet, or you, that “blood meal” allows that flea to create an egg and she leaves it on your pet. They scratch, shake, roll, whatever a pet does, the eggs drops off somewhere. Ground, floor, couch cushion, doesn’t matter. That flea then develops into a larval form, worm like, crawls around eating debris and growing along. When it’s ready to develop it spins a pupae, a cocoon, if you will. This is where the flea is most protected. The pupae is for the most part, waterproof. Inside as it forms into an adult flea waiting to emerge veracious. 

The soon to be flea waits to “pop out” but can stay “dormant” for some time before emerging. And then, the whole process starts all over.*