Flea infestations are a major inconvenience. Fleas can bite, carry diseases, and generally just cause chaos in your home. Your kids and pets will suffer as a result of any infestation. The best solution is to be on the offense with flea control and be flea-free.
Your yard and lawn create a comfy environment for fleas to feed, breed, and lay their eggs. It also gives them easy access to a nice warm home inside, either on you or your pets.
How do you know if you have fleas in your yard?
Fleas are tiny, wingless pests that live off of the blood of cats, dogs, and humans. They are about 3 millimeters long with flat bodies that are either brown or reddish-brown. While they are wingless, they have an incredible jumping ability due to their hind legs and can easily jump as high as 11 inches. Flea infestations can quickly get out of hand because one female flea can lay up to 2,000 eggs throughout her 100-day lifetime.
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If you notice your pets constantly scratching or if they are restless, you may have fleas in your yard.
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Sometimes you can see insects moving between your pet’s hairs – these might be fleas.
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Walk around your yard with a pair of white socks and you’ll easily spot fleas against the white socks.
Fleas are not just irritating, they’re also a source of diseases like murine typhus, the plague, and can spread tapeworms. Heavy infestations can lead to your pet constantly scratching, which leads to a roughened coat and, in some instances, nervous conditions.
Pest Proof Pest Management takes care of fleas
Pest Proof Pest Management technicians are trained to deal with flea infestations. They can identify the source of the infestation, get rid of the fleas, and advise you on how to avoid future infestations. Pest Proof Pest Management offers the use of Nature-Cide, a line of products that are safe for you and your pets.
How long can a flea infestation continue?
Getting rid of fleas is not a one-time project. It is a process that could take weeks or even months due to a flea’s life cycle. The life cycle of a flea begins when a female flea feeds for the first time on a host. Once this happens, she instinctively lays up to 20 eggs.
The eggs get into the fibers of your carpet or in the yard where your pets spend most of their time. The eggs hatch into legless embryos or larvae which live on pre-digested blood from the mother, meaning they do not need a host to survive. The larvae then develop into cocooned pupae, a stage that can last for weeks or even months because the flea does not emerge unless they sense a potential host through a change in thermal energy, vibrations, or a rise in carbon dioxide levels.
Because fleas don’t emerge fully grown until they have a host to feed on, flea infestations can last for several months while the fleas in your yard go through their life cycle. And because female fleas automatically lay eggs when they feed, it’s easy for the cycle to continuously repeat itself.
Pest Proof
Pest Proof Pest Management has professionally assisted many people in removing bed bugs and other pest infestations. Servicing the Manassas, VA and Alexandria, VA. Contact Pest Proof VA to have a professional assist you with removing pests from your home.
