The Key To Keeping Your Spring Home Flea-Free!

There is always something that can ruin a good day. One thing that does this especially well is finding out that your home has a flea infestation. These tiny bugs are a menace when they invade homes. The good news for you is, we are in the business of informing members of our community about how to fight back against these menacing pests. Let our team at Modern Pest Control offer some information today as to why fleas invade homes, the problems these pests cause, and how to address an infestation inside your living areas. For direct help with these potentially dangerous insects, call our team. We offer many great options for pest control in Spring and would be more than happy to pay your home a visit. Keep reading to learn more about the fleas in our area and learn what methods work to get and keep these pests out of local homes.

Why Do I Have Fleas In My Home?

Fleas are not complicated creatures. They require blood to survive and actively seek ways to keep their bellies full. Often fleas do this by climbing into the fur of creatures. Fur provides them with stability and shelter. It also makes detection difficult. In the wild, these pests gravitate to any furry or feathered animal they can find. This includes deer, foxes, possums, raccoons, rats, mice, squirrels, pigeons, and sparrows. Some of these pests occasionally invade Spring homes. Rats and mice are two common invaders. If one of these rodents carries fleas indoors, you could have a serious problem on your hands. These tiny insects will hop off and find places to settle in and bite you, your family, and your pets. This is one of the most common ways fleas get into homes.

Before we talk about how fleas get into local homes, we think it is important that you understand how these pests breed. It all starts when adult female fleas find a host to feed on. The blood they receive from this host provides them with nutrients to lay eggs. A single female lays between four to eight eggs after a blood meal. These eggs are laid in the fur of a host and can be shaken or scratched off into the grass, shrubs, and other areas outdoors. If eggs, larvae, and adult fleas fall into a shaded and moist area, they will settle down and continue to develop while getting ready for a new host to come by. How long does it take a flea egg to hatch? In optimal conditions, this process takes a few days. Newly hatched larvae will start feeding within a few hours if possible. Now, larvae do not feed on blood. They feed on the dried fecal matter from adult fleas, which is called flea dirt. This fecal matter provides them with the nutrients to develop into pupae. When ready to develop to this stage, larvae will spin a cocoon. This cocoon provides protection until they are ready to emerge as an adult ready to feed on blood. If these pests set up residence inside your Spring home and are able to find a regular source of blood to feed on from you, your family, or your pets, they will continue this process and spread rapidly. If you are not careful, this could lead to some serious problems and could spell trouble for your family and friends. 

Another common way fleas invade local homes is by hitching rides on the backs of outdoor pets. If you have a cat or dog that you allow to roam freely in your yard, they might bring back these unwanted parasites. Your furry friends are more likely to pick up fleas if they travel through cool, moist areas like the area beneath shrubbery or the shade under trees. If your pets do pick up fleas while out and about, they will bring them into your Spring home. Once indoors they will scratch them off into carpets, beds, and rugs where these pests will settle in. Although fleas prefer to live on furry animals, they will settle for any fabric that closely resembles fur. We will talk more in a bit about how to identify these pests around your home.

One thing that will make your home more susceptible to flea invasion is available entrance points. Now, these pests rarely invade on their own. Because they often rely on wild animals to get indoors, your focus should be on gaps, cracks, and openings that are large enough to facilitate these furry pests. A house mouse, one of the most common rodent invaders in our area, only needs a hole the width of a dime to squeeze into your home. These holes can be found around your foundation, through damaged windows and doors, in or around vents, and under loose-fitting siding. Sometimes rodents will chew holes through walls to make the invasion easier. Keep this in mind when looking into control options to prevent these pests.

Sometimes it is not easy to identify fleas in your house. These pests are elusive. To spot an active problem, you must know some signs of fleas to identify these bugs. Here are some things to do to identify these pests.

• Keep an eye on your pet's grooming habits. If they are scratching more frequently and have bare spots in their fur, this could be a clear sign of fleas inside their fur.
• Thoroughly inspect your pet’s fur with a comb. Check for moving reddish-brown insects (fleas), specs of black dust (flea dirt), and flea larvae. There are many reference pictures online to help you identify these things on your pets.
• Check your whole body for flea bites. Bites typically appear as red welts on the skin. Common places to find flea bites include your legs, feet, calves, and ankles. These pests rarely bite higher than this as it is difficult for them to climb a human without being detected.
• Run your hands through your carpet and look for live fleas, flea dirt, and flea eggs. These pests commonly hide in areas that simulate fur.

To spot fleas without a rigorous self-inspection, bring in a professional. We offer pest identification at Modern Pest Control. Let us pay you a visit today to assess your risk. In order to guard your Spring home against fleas, you have to find methods that protect your pets, deter flea-carrying rodents and birds, and seal your home’s exterior. We will talk more about your options in just a bit.

The Diseases Fleas Are Known To Spread

Fleas have been a threat to humans and animals for as far back as history can tell. Between the 13th and 19th centuries, the bubonic plague, also known as the black death, killed millions of people. Although easier to treat today, this flea-spread disease is still a threat. This sickness is not, however, the most common flea-borne disease in America. More common ailments include murine typhus, tungiasis, tularemia, and bartonellosis tapeworm. Tapeworm is especially common in pets and wild animals. Most diseases spread by fleas are transmitted through bites or through fecal contamination. Fecal contamination occurs when flea feces are scratched into the open wound of an animal or human. Do your best to avoid scratching if your home has an active infestation and seek professional help to remove these pests quickly. If you start exhibiting odd symptoms such as loss of appetite, body aches, muscle pain, fever, chills, coughing, nausea, or a rash, talk to your doctor. They will help you identify if you have a flea-transmitted disease and get you the care you need to get back to health. 

Flea-spread diseases become more common in an area when there is an outbreak. Outbreaks can occur with humans or with animal hosts. The CDC works hard to monitor these outbreaks and to control the spread of harmful diseases. This is one of the many benefits living in the United States provides. In third-world countries, diseases are more likely to run rampant as there are fewer protections in place to protect civilians. Even with this, however, it is always best to avoid flea bites as much as possible. 

How Do I Get Rid Of The Fleas In My House For Good?

Trying to handle a flea infestation on your own can be a nightmare. These pests are relentless in their search for blood and are a serious threat to both humans and their pets. Our goal at Modern Pest Control is to provide top-tier services to help locals deter and eliminate a wide range of invasive creatures. This includes fleas. We are experts at wildlife, rodent, bird, and general pest control. All of this is required to effectively stop fleas from invading your home. It all starts with a thorough inspection. One of our team members will pay your Spring home and property a visit and check around for pests and the signs they leave behind. They will then inform you of what they have found and walk you through your treatment options. These options will be custom designed to meet your home and property’s individual needs. If all of this doesn’t convince you, consider this. We started this business in 1952. Sixty-five years later, we are still working hard to earn every five-star review. The only thing left for you to do is to let us know you need help.

Call our team today if you are ready to learn more about our flea control options and discover the best solution to any pest problem that is causing you trouble. We will answer any questions you have about fleas and other local pests and discuss what our pest control strategies might look like inside your home. If you prefer to read about our options, we have many service pages that detail our methods for dealing with different pest problems. We also publish regular articles like this to inform our community about a wide range of local pests and the methods you can use to identify, prevent, and eliminate infestations inside your home.

How Do I Stop Future Flea Infestations?

There are two options that homeowners use in our area to prevent fleas. The first option is DIY prevention tips. This method requires a lot of effort and is challenging to keep up with through every season. If you are the type of person who tackles problems, here are eight tips and tricks that can help you to keep fleas out of your home.

1. Bathe and groom your pets on a regular basis. Check them for fleas before and after doing this.
2. When walking your dog, keep them on a leash and try to avoid moist, shady, and cool places like leaf piles, shrubs, and trees.
3. Vacuum your floors every day and wash your bedding at least once a week.
4. Seal holes, gaps, and cracks in your home’s exterior to prevent flea-carrying pests like mice, rats, birds, and bats from getting in.
5. Make sure all of your windows and doors are in good working condition and are sealed properly.
6. Keep your grass trimmed and your landscaping well-maintained.
7. Install a fence around your yard and garden to keep away flea-carrying wildlife.
8. Talk to your veterinarian about flea control options for your pets. Flea/tick collars and flea medication are two popular options that many locals use.

Keeping up with DIY flea control is difficult. If you want an easier option to prevent these pests and the wild animals that carry them indoors, you need professional services courtesy of Modern Pest Control. Our team is dedicated to your protection and offers many great options for year-round pest protection. We design our plans to fit your Spring home’s needs and work hard to maintain active treatments. If you are looking for this level of protection and are curious about the cost, talk with our team.

Give our team at Modern Pest Control a call today to further discuss your options for flea and general pest control. One of our qualified and friendly service representatives will talk you through your options and help you find a treatment plan that best meets your pest control needs.