Fleas are a nuisance pest, and their small size makes them incredibly difficult to get rid of, especially when you consider their prolific nature and fast reproduction times. To learn how to get rid of fleas, review the information in our article, and don’t hesitate to reach out to San Antonio pest control for more assistance.
How To Identify Different Types Of Fleas
A few different types of fleas live throughout the United States. The cat flea is the most prominent of these types of fleas and the one you are most likely to contact. Other common flea species include the dog flea and the human flea. It is important to note that it can be difficult to tell the difference between these species as they are so small. What you can do, however, is look out for the following characteristics that indicate the pest you are dealing with is fleas:
- Fleas are tiny and won’t grow more than an eighth of an inch long.
- Fleas will typically be reddish-brown in color.
- Fleas leave behind ‘dirt’ that appears like coffee grounds but will turn red when wet due to their diet of blood.
- Fleas will bite both humans and pets, live in your fabrics, and jump to impressive lengths to escape threats.
For the most part, you can identify other species of flea besides the cat flea by the areas they choose to live in; they will act in the same way as cat flea. If you need help with further flea identification, contact the flea control experts at EnviroGuard as soon as possible.
The Lifecycle Of The Common Flea
The common flea has four life stages – egg, larva, pupa, and adult. It takes approximately two to three weeks for fleas to proceed through this lifecycle, but it may take a few months, depending on the conditions of your home and any nearby flea food sources (such as you or your pet). It is essential that you remove every stage of flea if you want to defeat an infestation.
Three Reasons Fleas Are So Hard To Get Rid Of
Fleas can be difficult to get rid of for several reasons, which we discuss below:
- Fleas are a tiny pest. They can easily escape detection and can be hard to remove as they live on your pets and be hard to eradicate from the fabrics of your home.
- Fleas are prolific. They reproduce quickly, and just one or two fleas can create a significant infestation. You need to remove every life stage of the flea to stop a flea infestation from returning.
- Fleas are expert jumpers and have hard exoskeletons; this makes them hard to catch and hard to kill unless you are using targeted treatments.
If you need help defeating fleas, make sure to reach out to EnviroGuard at the first sign of infestation.
Control, Extermination, & Prevention Of Fleas
Flea populations in your home lead to flea bites and the transmission of dangerous flea diseases. To avoid these problems and safely remove infestations of this pest, you should reach out to our pest control professionals at EnviroGuard as soon as possible. With our knowledge and skills in finding and eliminating all life stages of fleas, you can reclaim your property from this pesky jumping pest in no time.