Flea Control
Dead spiders and cockroaches are often seen after a pest control treatment. But dead fleas are too small to see. Worse they are often seen biting a customers leg a fortnight or so after treatment, yet the treatment may have been a success. How can you tell?
The flea life cycle consists of egg then larva to pupa then adult. Fleas will continue to hatch after a flea treatment because insecticides cannot penetrate the fleas pupal case. Small black (unfed) fleas hatch from the pupae and aggressively seek a blood meal - some people mistakenly call these 'ground fleas'. Dog and Cat fleas are larger and lighter in colour, they are the same fleas but have had a blood meal.
Flea pupae can remain dormant for up to 18 months. Hatching of the flea from the pupae is triggered by movement especially during warm moist conditions, so removing the pooch from the flea infested area is the worst thing you can do. For best results, leave the pet in the area but treat it with an appropriate product so that any fleas on it will die. Removing the pet from the area will prolong the problem.
Start your flea control program when you first see the fleas - 10 fleas can potentaiily reproduce up to 250,000 in only 30 days! That is why more fleas are often seen after a treatment. You won't know how many you really have until they hatch - for every flea on your pet there may be hundreds in the environment waiting to hatch.
Have patience after a treatment. Most activity is seen when an area is newly disturbed - such as, the first person up of a morning will get a few fleas on them. Newly hatched fleas will die within a couple of hours of contacting treated surfaces.
We hope that this information will assist you in the management and subsequent treatment of fleas. If you require any further information on the treatment of fleas, we will be more than happy to offer you our assistance.