Despite their small size, fleas are a big concern for homeowners and pet parents in Sacramento and Roseville.
While they are less than 1/8 of an inch long, fleas can carry diseases and make life unpleasant for you and your pets. Anyone who’s been bitten by fleas knows how irritating and itchy their bites can be. The bites are also irritating to cats and dogs, who can scratch so hard they lose patches of fur.
But fleas can also cause more serious problems, including spreading tapeworm to your pets or possibly to your children. Recent studies show that humans can develop a disease called cat flea rickettsiosis, which causes headaches, fever, and vomiting.
Because of our pleasant California weather, fleas are a year-round problem in Roseville and Sacramento. But you may notice more fleas in the summer. According to the University of California, flea larvae develop faster when the temperature is above 70 degrees F, so they are more active in the summer. Since fully formed fleas can remain in their cocoon for up to a year before hatching, they are able to wait for the right temperature and then hatch.
Female fleas can live for more than a month. laying up to 50 eggs each day. And the eggs can hatch in just a few days. So once fleas take up residence in your home, the infestation will get worse, quickly!
Fleas can enter a home in a variety of ways. Because they need warm-blooded hosts, they often enter on cats or dogs, but they could also be carried in by humans, or by unwelcome visitors such as rodents.
Homeowners can take steps to keep fleas out.
- Contact your veterinarian for advice about the best flea-control products for your pets.
- Seal gaps and cracks in the foundation of your home where rodents and other flea-carrying animals could enter.
- Move woodpiles away from your foundation and clean up other clutter in your yard that could serve as hiding places for wildlife and insects.
- Frequently vacuum areas where your pets sleep and regularly wash pet bedding in hot water.
- Inspect items purchased at yard sales or second-hand stores to make sure fleas haven’t infested them. If you have any concerns, hose off the item, vacuum it or run it through the washing machine immediately.
While there are a variety of DIY treatments for fleas at home stores and other retailers, these products often aren’t completely effective. It’s easy to miss an area while treating your home, and that leaves the fleas in the overlooked area alive and breeding quickly. Using DIY treatments can turn into a never-ending battle against re-infestation.
That’s why Sacramento residents turn to Pro Active Pest Control. Our trained service technicians understand what products to use on a flea infestation and how to apply them safely and effectively. We can help you eliminate an existing infestation and help to prevent any more from occurring. Call us today to learn more about our resident pest control solutions.