When fleas get into your home, you might not realize it right away. Once you do though, you’ll suddenly become extremely aware of their presence all over your house. From jumping out of your living room carpet to trying to hide away when you pull back the covers on your bed, fleas find plenty of spaces in your house to make themselves at home.
Knowing a few things about fleas, such as how to identify them, why they’re dangerous, and what to do to get rid of and prevent them, are all important parts of pest control in Bradenton. Read on to find out the information you need to know about fleas.
Understanding Fleas: Identifying The Enemy
Can you see fleas? That’s a common question from people who haven’t had to deal with a flea problem before. If you suspect that fleas are in your house, but you haven’t seen any, you might wonder if they’re simply too small to see. The good news is that, although fleas are small, they can be seen with the naked eye. Because of their size, it’s difficult to make out the distinguishing features of fleas without a magnifying glass, but that doesn’t mean you can’t confidently identify the pest you’ve found. You just need to know what to look for and where to look.
Fleas are dark or reddish brown. They have flat bodies and large back legs that they use for jumping. These back legs have bristles that stick out along the backs of them. While you may not be able to identify these small features, if you find a tiny bug that you think is a flea and it tries to hop away when you get near it, there’s a high likelihood that you’re correct in your identification. Fleas are often found in beds, in carpeted areas, on pet bedding, and on your pets themselves.
The Hidden Dangers Of Fleas: Understanding The Hazards
Another way to determine if fleas in Bradenton are in your house is if you’ve been on the receiving end of bug bites without a known source. Although several bugs, including bed bugs, bite people without being noticed while they’re doing it, flea bites on humans often happen at night, usually occur in groups of three or four bites, and are frequently found around the ankles. Flea bites can sometimes be distinguished from other bug bites by their small size and “halo” around the center of the bite.
Flea bites can be miserable to deal with because of how itchy they are, but that’s not the only issue you need to be concerned about when it comes to fleas. These bites are more than just an annoyance. Unfortunately, fleas can spread diseases through their bites. They have been known to spread tularemia, bartonellosis, murine typhus, and tungiasis.
Your pets are put at further risk from a flea infestation, as they are usually the preferred host for fleas. In addition to the spread of diseases, fleas can give your pets tapeworms and, in extreme cases, can cause your pets to become anemic due to blood loss.
Effective Flea Prevention: Tips For A Flea-Free Home
For most people, flea prevention is far preferred to flea control since it means you avoid an issue with fleas entirely. It does take some work though. If you want to be proactive, try the following tips to prevent fleas from getting onto your property and into your house.
If you have pets, regularly bathe and groom them.
Wash pet bedding frequently.
Keep your pets up-to-date on their flea treatments.
Vacuum your home regularly.
Wash your own bedding frequently.
Maintain your lawn by mowing the grass and removing debris.
Remove food and water sources around the exterior of your house to dissuade wildlife from visiting.
Address any rodent or wildlife control issues in or around your house, as these animals are usually responsible for bringing fleas onto your property.
By taking action both inside and outside your Bradenton home, you can make it far less likely that fleas will show up in your house.
Total Flea Elimination: Call The Pros Right Away!
If fleas do find their way onto your property or into your home, flea control for your yard and home is available from Westfall’s Lawn and Pest. We offer the services you need to get rid of your flea problem so that you don’t have to be irritated by fleas and worried about the health effects they can have on your family and pets.
Unlike DIY flea control, our flea removal service is fully effective at eliminating fleas in all stages of development. You won’t end up dealing with a recurrence a few weeks down the road when we treat your home for fleas. Reach out today to get started and to learn more about our pest control services in Bradenton.
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