Do you have a flea infestation problem?
The prevalent species of flea in the U.K is the cat and dog flea. however for all intents and
purposes, they are the same.
purposes, they are the same.
They
are happy living on their host species, each others species or other
animals, such as birds, rodents etc. They do feed on humans, however,
they cannot breed from a diet of human blood.
Effective
control normally consists of one or two applications a week or so
apart, using residual insecticides to carpets, rugs, hard floors, soft
furniture etc throughout the affected property.
Throws, blankets, cushion covers and the like should be hot-washed or specialist cleaned.
Pets
must be treated by suitable pet products (not insecticides) and animal
bedding must be boil washed, or if a heavy infestation, consider
throwing it away.
During
such treatments, the treated rooms need to be vacated during and for an
hour afterwards, ideally with windows open. Offices and other places of
work are, therefore, normally treated after hours.
Once
the insecticide is dry, normal life can continue, however, vacuum
cleaning carpets must be avoided for 2-3 days afterwards or you’ll suck
up the insecticidal residue.
HANDY TIP!
Fleas
have an anasthetic in their saliva which means we only feel the itch
from their bite after it wears off. This can sometimes mislead where the
infestation originally occured.
If
you’re not sure if the problem is at your home, office or wherever,
take a few sheets of A4 cardboard and lay Gaffer tape on them so the
sticky side is facing up. Place them on the ground overnight surrounding
a small lamp put on the floor.
With
main lights switched off, fleas will be attracted to the only source of
light in the room and get stuck on the boards. You then know for sure
you have fleas and can arrange treatment accordingly.
Flea Biology & Habits
Fleas
are parasites, feeding directly on humans or other warm blooded
animals. Usually you or your pet serve as these hosts. A flea can jump
up to 20cm vertically and 40cm horizontally.
A
skin reaction to a flea bite appears as a slightly raised and red itchy
spot. This itch is often delayed until an anasthetic in the insects
saliva wears off.
Fleas
go through a complete metamorphosis of which there are four distinct
stages: eggs, larvae, pupae, and adult. Flea eggs are laid on the host
or are deposited on the floor or ground, in undisturbed areas.They also
are often found in upholstery or pet’s bedding. A female flea will
continue to lay 4-8 eggs every day until she has yielded up 400 eggs.
These eggs will develop into flea larvae within 2 days to several weeks,
depending on the temperature and humidity.
Flea
larvae are active and look like maggots. The larvae will feed on
organic debris, but particularly like to feed on faeces of the adult
fleas as this "flea diet" contains undigested blood. The flea larvae are
hard to spot and are found deep in the carpets or the cracks and
crevices of floors and upholstery. They are very difficult to vacuum,
because they get entwined in the carpet fibres.
The
next stage, called the pupae looks like a cocoon, also hard to spot.
Under warm conditions many adult fleas will emerge from their protective
cocoon within 7 to 14 days, although they can remain dormant for
several months until disturbed by vibrations caused by human or animal
movement nearby that signifies a food source.
Whenever
you see adult fleas crawling on your pet, it is only a symptom of a
much larger problem. Current studies indicate that adult fleas account
for only 5% of the total flea population in any given situation. Eggs
account for 50%, larvae account for about 35%, and the remaining 10% are
the pupa cocoons. That means that for every single adult flea living on
your dog or cat, there are 10 eggs, 7 larvae, and 2 cocoons.
Cat
and dog fleas are the common pests in the U.K. Feral birds and their
nests are also sources of flea infestation, (and other insects pests
such as mites and lice) which can migrate indoors in search of food
