It is possible for fleas to cause issues in every season in Doylestown. These tiny, irritating pests are known for their bites, which can make people and pets itchy.
Fleas may make themselves at home in any man-made structure or the landscaping that surrounds them. Given their minuscule size, rapid reproduction and ability to resist DIY treatments, fleas have a reputation for being a persistent species that is difficult to control.
As external parasites, fleas consume blood from mammals. Regular feeding ensures swift and numerous reproductive behavior, leading to an unending cycle of adults, eggs and larvae. Some DIY treatments may be able to address individual adults, but many of them overlook the young. This means that property owners will see flea infestations repeatedly return in a frustrating cycle.
Cat fleas, dog fleas and human fleas may plague people and pets. It is wise to take action as soon as a flea infestation is suspected. This makes it possible to get a handle on the situation before it is too large. However, even well-established and stubborn flea infestations can be controlled by an exterminator.
These professionals are licensed and trained so that they can provide these services without posing a threat to people, pets or the environment. Using specialized products, pest control professionals can control populations of adult fleas as well as their eggs and larvae. By targeting fleas at every stage of development, it is possible to stop flea infestations for good.
WHAT DO FLEAS LOOK LIKE?
All flea species are tiny and well-adapted to live on a host. Hosts most frequently are mammals, like cats and dogs, that have thick fur. The combination of the flea's tiny size and the thick fur of the host makes these external parasites more difficult to detect and remove.
Like other insects, fleas have six legs that can move with surprising speed. This speed is essential to success as fleas do not have wings.
Cat fleas are the smallest such pests in the area with most adults being between one and three millimeters long. Strong hind legs equip this flea for jumping and running. The most common cat flea colors are black and reddish brown.
At lengths of between two and three millimeters, the dog flea prefers feeding on dogs, but will use many other animals or even people as its host. Members of this species may be identified by their bulging black eyes and their labial palps, which are divided into five segments.
Human fleas are among the largest that are found in this region. Measuring between three and four millimeters, the human flea has a tiny head that is dwarfed by an oversized thorax and abdomen. This pest likes to obtain meals from people, but it will use animals when no human is nearby.
WHERE DO FLEAS LIVE?
Fleas strive to live on a host for as long as possible. Accordingly, adult fleas will complete the majority of their life cycle on a dog, cat, person or other host.
In addition to feeding and mating, fleas also lay their eggs on the host. The eggs soon fall off or are brushed off when the host makes contact with furniture or a wall. This means that the minuscule eggs mature in places like carpets or the cracks in floors. Upholstered furniture, peoples' beds and pets beds are other likely places to find flea eggs.
Within a short time, the eggs hatch and become larvae. These young are vulnerable, so they need to ensure that they are in a dark, undisturbed place. Carpets, rugs and cracks in floors are likely hiding places, but larvae similarly are found in dark, dusty corners that have not been cleaned in a long time.
People and pets may introduce fleas into residential and commercial settings through time spent in flea-infested areas in the outdoors. Woodpiles, yard debris piles, grasslands and places with sandy soil are likely habitats for fleas. These pests require moisture and shade while they are awaiting a host. This means that venturing into dark, damp areas with plenty of foliage may bring people and fleas together.
DAMAGE CAUSED BY FLEAS
Structural damage is not a concern with flea infestations. This is good news, but both people and pets will discover that flea bites are annoying. The itching can become severe, and pets tend to suffer the most in places where fleas are present.
In fact, dogs and cats may develop flea bite dermatitis, an allergy caused by exposure to flea saliva. The itching from this condition can be so serious that pets scratch themselves until they are bloody. These sites can become infected, and permanent hair loss may be the result. The vet bills for treating this condition can be considerable.
Tapeworms are another threat that fleas pose to pets. Certain fleas may be infected with a tapeworm. These fleas are inadvertently ingested by a pet that is trying to relieve its itchiness. As the tapeworm grows in the pet's digestive system, symptoms such as extreme weight loss become impossible to ignore.
ARE FLEAS AGGRESSIVE?
When flea infestations in Doylestown get started, they can be difficult to control. Part of the reason behind this difficulty is the small size of adult fleas and their young. Even if DIY treatments are able to kill some of the adults, they ordinarily cannot affect the eggs and larvae. This means that property owners are plagued by an infestation that sometimes appears to be under control, only to resurface in a few days. When seen from this angle, fleas are an aggressive species.
WHAT DO FLEAS EAT?
Fleas are voracious in their search for blood meals. In fact, many adults routinely eat in one day an amount of blood that is 15 times the weight of their body. This blood is taken from preferred hosts such as people, cats and dogs. However, fleas are not out of luck when their favorite hosts are unavailable. Rats, mice, rabbits, opossums, raccoons and skunks commonly serve as hosts to fleas.
DO FLEAS CARRY DISEASE?
Plague may be the best-known illness that is transmitted by fleas, but it is rare to hear of cases of the plague in the United States.
A more common sickness is murine typhus. Fleas that are infected with a virus may share this with the people that they use as hosts. Chills, fever, muscle pain, vomiting, stomach pain and loss of appetite are the common signs of murine typhus.
Some people get tapeworms through exposure to fleas. Those most vulnerable to tapeworms are small children because they are so much closer to the surface of the floor. Unexplained weight loss and problems with appetite are the usual symptoms.
HOW TO DETECT FLEAS
Signs of a flea infestation include:
• Excessive itchiness in people or pets • Flea dirt on pets • Bite marks around the feet and ankles
HOW TO PREVENT FLEAS
To help protect against fleas the following steps should be taken:
• Bathing pets • Using vet-approved anti-flea treatments • Cleaning more frequently • Using a steam cleaner on carpets • Regularly washing all beds • Correcting standing water problems • Keeping lawns short
HOW TO TREAT FOR FLEAS
Moderate to severe flea infestations can prove difficult to eradicate. As such, having the home or business professionally treated may be the best way to remove fleas. Typically a pest control provider will apply both an interior and exterior treatment, utilizing products designed for immediate eradication as well as residual protection against reinfestation.
