If the bumper wasp season hasn’t materialised then the flea infestations have certainly made up for it and it has, in fact taken us all by surprise. The combination of a mild winter and wet warm summer has provided the perfect storm as far as fleas are concerned. Mainly this has been with cat fleas but dog fleas have also been found in large numbers.
The purpose of this blog post is to explain what you can expect during and after a flea treatment and should you book your flea treatment with Ian Smith pest control what I expect and need you to do first, to enable me both to complete the treatment and to make sure it is effective as possible. I hope to only ever do one treatment to control an infestation, as this means less chemicals being used in your home and as I offer a certain amount of guarantee it reduces cost for me, so its a win win situation. Also most people who have a flea infestation want it dealt with asap and wouldn’t want to reduce the effectiveness of the treatment in any way. There is always a risk of a flea treatment failing due to a chemical failure, but in my experience this is very rare. Chemicals that have been mixed and then left in the tank, especially when using emulsion concentrates, can loose much of their effectiveness. Some companies, in an effort to cut costs will use up any extra chemicals that remain in their spraying tanks. I will always measure the area to be treated so I can mix the correct amount of spray that I will need, I only use the correct chemical for the job and after so many years of experience you can be sure that we are using the most effective measures.
The difficulty in treating fleas comes from the presence of eggs and flea larvae that get deep down into the carpet and even into wooden floor joints.These eggs are very resistant to chemical treatments so not only do we try to treat eggs and larvae but we need to leave a residual chemical insecticide so eggs hatching in the coming days and weeks pick up enough chemicals to kill them.The larvae will seek out dark areas, so under beds and furniture are always hot spots.
Before I arrive to complete your flea treatment I will give you the following check list-
- Remove a clutter from floor areas and under beds so I can access all floor coverings and carpets.
- Vacuum all floors and carpets, you can also mop all wooden floors, after treatment I will ask you not to vacuum or mop for 14 days as a minimum so before treatment is the perfect opportunity! Vacuuming the floors also removes dust that could soak up the chemical and reduce its effectiveness, it will also stop the chemical spray reaching deeper into the carpet or floor covering, so it really is especially important.
- Remove any fish tanks. We certainly don’t want chemical sprays settling on the water and harming other family pets. I will always question what other pets you have and advise accordingly.
- Make arrangements for your dogs and cats to be kept outside the house while it is treated and while the chemical dries.
- Treat your pets! This is the number one reason flea treatments fail. Treating your home will break the cycle of re infestation but unless you give some attention to your cats and dogs then it will be pointless. Are your cats entering another house and bringing back fleas? Are they piking up fleas from wildlife or other animals? I will always try to advise on this issue and we can discuss your particular situation. Speak to your vet about effective flea treatments for pets….don’t rely on cheap off the shelf sprays.
After I have treated your home you may continue to see fleas for up to 2 weeks as eggs hatch and they go through, what we hope, is the last stage of their life cycle. If I have do my job correctly these fleas will never then breed and further the problem. These fleas should die within 2 hours of moving on or through the treated carpet. I may also use an insect growth regulator which will, again, reduce development of the different life stages.
Read more about our Flea Control service
Ian Smith Pest Control 07821 318954
