Living On Pets To Feed, Fleas Often Make Their Way Into Our Homes
Flea infestations typically originate outdoors in shady, protected areas of grass and leaves during their egg and larvae stages. As the adult Fleas mature and emerge from their cocoons, they quickly jump onto wildlife, or in most cases, our pets in search of a blood-host to feed on.
Known scientifically as permanent ectoparasites fleas remain with the same blood-host once they’ve attached themselves, rarely leaving by choice. Able to feed, mate, and lay eggs all while staying attached to the host, fleas will continue to live on pets and other wildlife until they fall off or die, which usually happens when the host grooms itself, shaking the flea off its body.
Where Fleas Live on Cats & Dogs
Our beloved pets often pick up fleas while roaming the outdoors. Some common areas where fleas prefer to to live and hide once attached to pets include the lower back, neck, and belly areas. These are areas that are tough for our pets to groom themselves, making them attractive feeding spots for the fleas.
If you suspect your pet has become infested with fleas, or simply want to make sure they are flea-free, regularly grooming your pet is your best bet for flea prevention. Since the fleas live on areas where our pets cannot groom themselves, it is important to thoroughly and regularly check your pets fur.
Where Fleas Live In The Home
Our pets are main transporters of fleas, and there's a good chance that if your pet becomes infested, they’ll likely be bringing the infestation into your home as well. This becomes a nightmare for homeowners, as fleas are able to hide and live in a several common areas within our homes.
One of the fleas favorite hiding spots in our homes are carpets and rugs. Flea eggs are commonly dropped onto our carpets by pets. Providing a perfect environment for the eggs and larva to feed on the debris within our carpet, the fleas are quickly able to grow into adults. Once an adult, the fleas are then able to jump onto our pets once again, restarting the infestation cycle.
Beds are another common living spot for fleas in the home. With humans providing a meal every night, fleas are often drawn to bedding once inside a home. If you discover that your pet has become infested with fleas, it’s important to check not just your pets bedding, but your own as well. Able to hide in the smallest of crevices, it is extremely difficult to manage a flea infestation once it has spread throughout the home.
Flea Treatment & Control
If you suspect that your pet has become infested with fleas, or has already brought the infestation into your home, it’s crucial to catch it as early as possible. Bringing your pet to the veterinarian for flea medication is a good start, but if the fleas are already living in your home, a trip to the vet is simply not enough. Our Flea Control program identifies the flea hot spots and stops the reproductive cycle of the fleas by using an insect growth regulator. Attacking the flea infestation from both the beginning and end of the flea’s life cycle, we effectively and permanently stop the infestation.
If you’re suffering from a flea infestation, contact us today to learn more about our Flea Control program, or to set up a free inspection of your home.
