Dealing with fleas

When your pet gets fleas, it can almost be as stressful as your children getting nits! Once you know your pet has fleas, chances are it’s already too late to stop them spreading into your house and onto any other pets.

Unfortunately, whether they’re dog fleas, cat fleas or fleas you’ve picked up yourself, they can all be equally difficult to deal with. But here are a few tips on how to limit the infestation of fleas.

Identify the fleas

The first sign of a flea infestation is being bitten on the lower leg. These bites will usually turn into a solid red lump. Children will often have bites all over their bodies as they will be playing on the floor often.

Another easy way of spotting them is seeing them on yourself or alternatively finding them on your own pet whilst grooming them. You may also see evidence of fleas if you or your pet is constantly scratching. The bites can be particularly uncomfortable for people, specifically those who are sensitive.

What do fleas look like?

Fleas are usually a red/brown colour and range from around 1mm to 2mm in length. The most common place to find fleas is on your pet, specifically on a dog’s hind back quarters as well as on cat’s heads and back.

Another great way is by checking your pet’s fur regularly, as well as their bedding, as this is most likely the best chance you will have to spot them.

Fleas droppings look like fine black pepper and will appear on carpets, rugs or even on bedding.

Dealing with Fleas -What can you do?

There are a few important steps to take into consideration when dealing with fleas. Without proper treatment, there is always a risk of not getting rid of them completely.

If you suspect you have caught the fleas in an early stage of spreading:

• Make sure you vacuum everywhere! Flea larvae feed on the adult’s faeces. If you can successfully remove all of the fleas’ faeces and the larvae will have no food and will die out.
• After vacuuming, make sure you empty the drum as far away from the property as you can get. This will stop the fleas from re-entering the building.
• Groom your pets regularly with a flea comb. Wash their bedding at 50^C or above to kill off any fleas.

What if the fleas return?

That’s where we can come in! As specialist flea removal experts, we will treat the entirety of your house that will eradicate fleas once and for all! Get in touch with us for a no-obligation quote and we’ll get back to you.