Flea Identification & Prevention

What You Need To Know About Fleas

Fleas are flat, brown bugs without wings that are usually less than 1/8 of an inch long. Fleas feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals. They usually gain entry to your home through your pets; however, even pet-free homes can experience flea problems carried in by humans. Fleas carry diseases like Lyme disease, typhoid fever, or tapeworms that can cause illness in humans and animals.

Call Quality Pest Control today to consult an Omaha pest management professional about a flea infestation!

How To Spot Fleas

For every flea on your pet, there may be as many as 30 more in the pet’s environment. If you see your pet scratching excessively, or notice black specks where your pet sleeps, you may be facing a flea problem. On humans, flea bites are common around the ankles and legs. Flea bites are small, red and very itchy, without the swelling associated with mosquito bites.

Where Fleas Hide

Fleas most commonly enter a household by hitching a ride with pets. Even if you don’t have pets however, it’s possible that fleas could have been carried on clothing or from prior residents. While adult fleas live on animals, their eggs often fall into the carpet and furniture homes where they hatch into larvae. Shoes, pant legs and blankets can also provide places for fleas to hide.

What To Do About Flea Control

While there are over-the-counter products for controlling fleas, these generally only kill off adult fleas, without affecting the thousands of eggs within any flea population. Because it is so hard to completely exterminate a problem, you should contact a residential pest control professional for a flea management programs. Typical steps may include:

• regularly washing and drying pet bedding
• purchasing flea control products for pet
• thorough vacuumin
• the application of flea control products