Having fleas in your home can cause alot of stress…..and itching.
Unfortunately, when the warmer weather hits, these little critters can be hard to control, especially if you have pets that go outside.
Keeping up with regular vaccinations and flea treatments for your pets will help but if you do find fleas have gotten into your home then quick treatment is necessary, otherwise you could find the problem getting out of control.
CYCLE OF A FLEA
1. A female flea can lay upto approximately 600 eggs in her lifetime, usually around 50 at one
time. They are tiny, white and oval shaped. They lay them on a host, ie dog, cat etc, but
often they roll off, usually where the host sleeps so bedding should be washed regularly.
An egg takes anywhere from 2 days to 2 weeks to hatch.
2. Eggs will often make their way into the cracks and crevices of floorboards, skirting, rugs
and other furniture. They also thrive outdoors in sand or gravel, hence often being referred
to as “sand fleas”.
3. When eggs hatch, they look like small, worm-like, larva. They are covered in tiny bristles,
have no eyes and mouths that are made for chewing. They feed on organic matter like
dead skin, hair and faeces of mature fleas……ewwwww.
4. The flea will go through 3 stages of larvae development and then will encase itself in a silk
cocoon. This pupa will stay in the cocoon for around 1-2 weeks but can delay the process
for some months if they do not sense a food source close by.
5. Once the adult flea has hatched, it requires blood to survive. It can survive months
without eating in the cocoon however, a newly emerged adult flea will die within a week if it
does not obtain blood.
Did you know?
There are quite a few different species of flea. Some are animal specific, ie cat flea, dog flea etc, and some are not. There is also a so-called human flea (Pulex irritans).
WHAT TREATMENT DO ARK OFFER?
The treatment of fleas can be assisted with the help of you.
When you book a flea treatment, we will ask that, on the day of your treatment, you:
1. Vacuum all your floors, and even lounge….especially if pets lay on it, and then remove the bag, double bag it and throw it in the garbage.
If the bag is left in the vacuum, any living fleas will be able to crawl out again and re-infest your home.
2. Wash all your bedding and any pet bedding in HOT water (or as hot as care instructions on item recommend).
3. Give your pets a flea treatment
4. Mow grass as chemicals are added to some of these areas also.
When we treat fleas, as well as the more common pests, we add another component to our chemical mix. That component is a growth inhibitor. This growth inhibitor means that any eggs that may hatch after the treatment has been put down will not live to turn into adult fleas. As only adult fleas can lay eggs, this means that the cycle has been broken…
Warranty we offer
We offer a 3 month warranty on fleas so you can be confident that when you call us to treat your flea problem…..it WILL be treated.
Did you know?
Fleas can only jump around 150mm and once on you they cannot actually jump any higher. They have to continue their journey walking or jump back off again.