Fleas in the House
Fleas in the house are not a sign of bad household hygiene it is the constant persistence of a parasite who doesn’t want to give up.
Prevention is far better than cure and to ensure you have and maintain a flea free house hold you will need to be diligent especially during the spring and summer months when they are most active. Although, saying that fleas love us and our homes all year round, given half the chance they would move in permanently. Fleas love our central heating and especially if we don’t vacuum often as it gives them time to multiple and re-infest the household with our pets supplying an excellent gourmet dinner.
Fleas on pets are almost expected to a certain degree when you keep a pet, it is when there are fleas in the house where the lines of combat are drawn. A single female has the ability to lay as many as 50 eggs a day, and you can be sure she will not be alone. The reason why you have to act immediately is the numbers game you can do the sums, the numbers are astronomical and increase daily.
Vacuuming is of high priority to prevent the fleas getting a real foothold in the household environment. Carpets, rugs and furniture should be vacuumed thoroughly and frequently every 2-3 days for up to four weeks. When vacuuming make sure you don’t forget the dark areas under sofas and the nooks and crannies, this is where your prey will lurk. If you have a bag system in your vacuum this will need to be emptied and disposed of after each time you vacuum to ensure the fleas don’t continue to breed in the dust bag with the potential of escaping back into your home.
Pets should be methodically groomed outside the house to reduce the opportunity of the fleas moving in. Be aware that, eggs and larvae are liberally spread around the family home whenever your dog or cat scratches. The flea eggs aren’t sticky so they will fall out of the coat/fur of your pet onto the floor or into fabric wherever your pet is allowed and that means on your bed if you allow them up there.
Chemicals used in the house to eradicate fleas need to comply with the Control of Pesticide Regulations 1986, and products used in the home to kill fleas in the house need to be approved. Some chemicals need to be administered by approved pest control companies who have the correct equipment and training to deal with large areas of flea infestation. If you do feel that the amount of fleas in the house is too large an area for you to deal with it is recommended that you employ the services of a council approved company. This action may incur a charge but you will have the comfort of knowing the job will be completed and it will be effective.
