Fleas
What is the first thing that comes into your mind every time your body starts itching without reason? Fleas. Fleas are a dangerous pest, and if you fear you have them it is very important to get them taken care of.
If you let fleas live in your house, they pose a variety of risks to your health. It is possible to have an allergic reaction to flea bites, leaving small rashes called papules that will be anywhere from red to purple. If you accidentally consume an infected flea (if it manages to get into your food or drink) it could transfer tapeworms to you. Not to mention, flea bites can transfer typhus, a group of diseases that generally result in high fever, delirium, rashes and headache.
The most common species of fleas in Australia are the dog flea, the cat flea, and the human flea, and all of them can pose a significant risk if left unattended in your house. Fortunately, there are some quick and easy ways to take care of these pests and make sure that your home is safe.
Flea Removal FAQ
Can flea bites harm me or my pets?
Yes, they absolutely can. As mentioned above, you can have allergic reactions to flea bites, or the bites could transfer malicious diseases to you.
What is the lifespan of a flea?
Fleas tend to live anywhere from 2 to 3 months, however without a host on which to feed their life may be far shorter, even as short as just a few days.
How big are fleas?
Fleas vary in size but generally measure in between 2 and 8 millimeters in length.
Will treating my pet get rid of a flea infestation?
No. Fleas can live in the environment around your pet as well. That is where they hide their eggs. You need to make sure to treat your carpet, your floorboards, your bed and anywhere that your pet regularly visits. You should make sure to vacuum the floor and wash all of your linens and clothing in hot water to try and kill off as many of the eggs as you can. If none of the above gets rid of the infestation, you may have to hire a flea pest control expert.
Why is it so hard to get rid of fleas?
While most flea medication you can find will kill fleas, it won’t get rid of the eggs that they have already laid. Even if you get rid of all of the adult fleas, their young may still hatch and infest your house once again.
Diseases Carried By Fleas
Typhus comes in multiple forms from fleas; Flea typhus and murine typhus. Flea typhus is generally only spread by the cat flea, while murine typhus is not as much of a worry in Australia as it is most commonly spread by rodent fleas. However, murine typhus still has a small chance of being transmitted from fleas found on your pet.
Most people think that bubonic plague is no longer something that you have to worry about, but that is actually incorrect. Fleas can carry the plague, and if they find their way onto your pet, they can easily make that jump over to you. Symptoms of bubonic plague are fever and chills, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, death of tissue, extreme weakness, and bleeding from your nose or mouth.
Cat-scratch disease can also be spread by fleas and is a bacterial infection that is transmitted between cats by fleas that live on them. If the disease is contracted by one cat, other cats that come in contact with it are likely to contract it as well. People with weak immune systems (children, pregnant women, or those suffering from HIV) are also capable of suffering complications due to this disease.
Signs of a Flea Infestation
- If you find black, brown, or white mounds of unfamiliar make in your pet’s or your bedding, or around some areas of the carpet, then it’s likely that you have fleas. These powdery white deposits are flea eggs, and the brown and black piles are the fleas’ faeces.
- If your pet is losing hair in strange places, it’s likely that this is the result of fleas. Pets will try their best to scratch and itch the fleas living on them, often to the point of agitating the skin and causing the hair to fall out.
- Scratching is a staple sign that you may have fleas. If you or your pets have been scratching themselves more than usual recently, it’s very possible this is due to a flea problem.
Preventing Flea Infestations
Getting rid of fleas is a good step to take if you have them, but it’s far better to never have them at all. Here are some steps you can take to keep fleas out of your home.
- Use a flea comb on your pet often. After walks or after your pet roams around in the yard for a while, try running a flea comb through their hair. If nothing comes up, you’re crystal clear, but it’s always good to be cautious.
- Make sure to vacuum your floors often to pick up any eggs that may have been laid there.
- Keep your yard in tip-top shape. Long, overgrown grass and weeds are perfect places for fleas to hide, and from there they have easy access to you or your pet.
- If you notice fleas in your house, take action immediately. It’s not going to get better by itself, in fact, it is only going to get worse. Vacuum, clean up, and maybe consult a flea removal expert to see what you should do to avoid a full-on infestation.
Controlling Fleas in Businesses
Not many businesses have overgrown yards or pets, so why should they bother with flea control?
It’s simple. A flea infestation would destroy the productivity of any business. If these little pests manage to get into your carpet and onto your staff, you could have employees leave due to the unhygienic conditions or they could scare away customers. Always be on the lookout for fleas in your business, and get professional help immediately if you find any.
Flea Removal
There are a variety of flea medications on the market that you can give to your pet to kill off the fleas on them, but you still need to treat the area as well. First thing’s first, keep your pet away from the area you are cleaning while you’re cleaning it. You don’t want fleas escaping onto them.
Next, vacuum your carpets, spray down your house with flea control spray, clean your linens and clothing, sweep your hard floors, and wash your pets’ bedding as well. Any place that your pet commonly goes is a possible den of fleas, so washing and spraying these places should do a great deal of good.
Flea Exterminator
Sometimes you have to face the facts. There might be too many fleas for you to handle on your own. That’s fine. It’s best to just accept it and call in the cavalry. Even if you can’t do it by yourself, flea pest control teams will have no problem getting rid of every single flea on your property. Or at least, some will.
Pest Control South Side is an Australia based pest control company that you can trust. If you’re in the Brisbane area, they should be your first choice for getting rid of any pest, and fleas are no exception. Their employees are fully capable of disposing of your flea problem, and they’ll do it for a reasonable price too. Call us now on 1300 442 978!
Contact Pest Control Southside here and you won’t have to tolerate these fleas for another minute.
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