Are you finding small, mosquitoes-like bites arranged in groups on your legs, knees, and ankles? Are your pets more irritable than usual and starting to chew on their feet and tail? There is a good chance you're dealing with a flea infestation. Fleas are small, widespread insects that feed on the blood of mammals, including dogs, cats, and humans. There are a number of flea types that make a home in the United States, with cat fleas being the most common.
They are 1/16 to 1/8 inches long, with flat brown or reddish brown bodies covered in backward-pointing bristles that help fleas move along the skin of animals covered in fur. Fleas can't fly but can propel themselves over 150 times the length of their bodies with their powerful rear feet.
Most people assume that the fault for bringing fleas onto the property rests with dogs and cats, but in reality, these parasites hitchhike on a number of wild animals, the most common being mice and rats.
Let's take a look at the hazards that come with being exposed to fleas in your home, how fleas make it into your house, what you can do to prevent an infestation, and what Houston pest control pros advise to be used as an effective flea treatment.
Fleas In The Home Are A Health Hazard
Like all other parasites that feed on blood, a flea in Houston will transfer whatever disease its previous victim has been infected with. Being a victim of a flea bite exposes you to these diseases:
- Murine typhus
- Tungiasis
- Bordetellosis
- Tapeworm
Flea bites itch and can get infected, triggering an allergic reaction in people predisposed to flea bite allergies.
There Are Many Ways Fleas Can Infest Your Home
Fleas spend their life on the skin of their host, often wild animals like deer, rats, raccoons, or mice. They lay their eggs without attaching them to the skin or fur. As the animal moves around, flea eggs drop, rapidly spreading the infestation over a vast area and increasing the chance of you or your pet being exposed to a newly born flea looking for a snack.
Five Ways To Keep The Fleas Away
Keeping fleas away from you and your property involves ensuring that an infested animal does not make it onto your property or your home. If they do, be sure the environment and food sources are not there to allow fleas to survive. Practice these five preventative methods:
- Keep dogs on the leash as they go outside.
- Bath and groom your pest regularly, especially if they spend part of the day outside.
- Vacuum your home regularly to stop the infestation before it starts.
- Keep the grass in your yard cut short of removing places fleas can hide.
- Wash your bedding and your pet's regularly, and dry on a high heat setting.
Since fleas are likely to hitchhike onto your property on a back of a rodent, eliminating a possible rat or mice infestation is easily the most beneficial step you can take to prevent fleas from making it into your home.
Tips To Prevent Fleas From Coming Back
Keeping fleas from coming back after an infestation is not easy - a single flea or an egg can start a whole new infestation. At All-Safe Pest & Termite, we've been helping Houston residents with professional home pest control their homes for over 35 years using non-toxic treatments that will solve the problem without endangering your or your family's health.
If your Houston home is infested with these disgusting little parasites, we'll be happy to not only clean fleas out of your home but also help you with a strategy to avoid another infestation.