Its looking like this year may be a good year for fleas, or a bad year for fleas if your a home owner with pets!
Already this year, calls requesting a home flea treatment have reached levels far above the last 5 or 6 years. There could be a number of reasons for this but in my opinion the main reasons are the weather, removal of various chemical treatments from general use and the fact that some pet flea treatments are becoming less effective. Producers of these flea treatments would refute this claim and I have no scientific evidence to back it up, but in dealing with dozens of flea infestations each year, I genuinely believe that to be the case.
Most people with either cats or dogs at home will come across fleas at one time or another but normally they are dealt with on the pet before it becomes to much of a problem. Sometimes though the flea population reaches a bit of a peak and the flea life cycle extends into the carpets and soft furnishings. Once this happens then a more in depth flea treatment is needed. As people who have followed my blog will know, the DIY pest control products, available over the counter are a bit of a pet hate of mine. Its not because it risks my job, I’m a pest controller after all, but its the fact it makes my job harder and wastes the money of my customers. Things like ‘flea bombs’ are a total waste of time. Once the fleas are breeding in the carpets then letting off a smoking ‘flea bomb’ wont help. The problem is the eggs, flea larvae and pupae in the carpet base that are the problem, these can only be overcome with residual insecticide, an understanding of flea life cycle and biology and a host of other tools such as insect growth regulators. If you could control fleas with a £10 ‘flea bomb’ would I have a need to stack up on a selection of insecticides that cost me 100’s of pounds a bottle?
So if you decide that the pet fleas in your home have reached a level beyond the control of over the counter control methods and you have requested help from a pest controller to complete a home flea treatment, what preparation should you complete before he arrives?
- VACUUM – The number 1 weapon against fleas in your home is the vacuum cleaner.If you have pets its a good idea to make sure you have one that is in good condition, with good suction and if possible a pet specific one. Vacuum as much as possible before a pest control technician arrives, make sure you cover every piece of the carpet, including under the bed and in dark covered areas as this is where flea larvae like to spend their time. Removing pet hair and dust also increases the effectiveness of the insecticide.
- CLEAR ALL FLOORS – Remove as much as possible from the floors. The pest control technician wants to spray 100% of the carpet and floor covering. If an area is missed then fleas will have a place to continue with their life cycle. So make sure everything is out from under your beds, lift things that are stacked in corners and pick up all items of clothing and household objects.
- REMOVE OR COVER ALL FISH TANKS AND AQUARIUM – Speak to your pest control technician for full details about your property and pets and where they will be kept during treatment.
- WASH OR DESTROY PET BEDDING – This is always a hotspot for flea activity and presence of flea eggs.
Feel free to phone for any more no obligation advice on home flea treatment.
