FLEAS
Are you getting that biting feeling?
Fleas can be a right pain in the ankles for any home or business around Reading, Shinfield, Newbury and around Berkshire that has pets, especially dogs and cats. Owning a cat and a dog myself, I know the importance of staying on top of flea treatments to keep any chance of an infestation low, most of these treatments can be obtained from pets stores or your local vet; however, it is still possible for your pets to pick up fleas and they can easily spread throughout your home or business once inside.
How will fleas have entered my home?
Fleas can be picked up in a multitude of ways, from pet to pet contact or walking through long grass. Fleas are prolific jumpers (they can jump up to 150 times their own length) and can leap from one food source to another with ease, so they can quickly pass between dogs at popular dog walking sites.
At Abbey Pest Control we will visit your home or business and carry out a thorough flea treatment to tackle the issue. To ensure the treatment is effective, you will need to carry out a few pre-treatment essentials beforehand, these are as follows:
Before treatment
Remove any small items from the floor spaces
Vacuum all areas of the house or premises thoroughly, immediately emptying any bags or cleaning out vacuum cleaner as this can contain live fleas eggs and larvae.
We will then visit your home or business and spray all carpeted areas and around the edges of any non-carpeted rooms. While this treatment is being carried out neither you or your pet(s) should be in the property.
After treatment it is important you observe the following:
To remain out of the property for 4 hours after treatment
To not vacuum or mop a treated surface for 14 days
After the 14 day period, vacuum all areaa and empty the bag or clean the vacuum immediately after
Keep any pets up to date with flea treatments to prevent re-infestation.
Where are fleas likley to be within my property?
Once fleas have entered your home or business they will usually hide in cracks and crevasses near to their source of food (you and your pets), but they can also reside on soft furnishings like sofas and pet bedding.
How long does it take for a flea infestation to take hold in my property?
A female flea can lay up to 50 eggs per day, the eggs will drop off the host and hatch when the environmental conditions (heat and humidity) are most suitable,
the flea larvae will then develop over the course of several weeks before reaching the pupae stage, where it will build a cocoon around itself until it is ready to emerge as a flea. The cocoon can protect a flea larvae for months and the adult flea will only emerge once it can sense the presence of a suitable new host, through a rise in the level of CO2, body heat and vibrations.
Once fleas have entered your home they can be problematic to treat, often ‘recurring’ flea infestations are simply one infestation that hasn’t been successfully treated beforehand. We get several phone calls from homeowners moving into properties in Reading, Shinfield and Newbury that have previously had pets in them and have started to notice flea bites, as the new residents become the most suitable host for flea larvae that are now emerging as adults.
There are various ways of controlling fleas within your home or business, these are as follows,
• Keeping pet flea treatments up to date.
• Using flea sprays on soft furnishings and regular hoovering.
• Diatomaceous earth (food grade) can be used on pets (take care to avoid inhaling it).
• High temperature washes for pet bedding and some soft furnishings.
Unfortunately, there will be times when these alone will not clear a heavy infestation, so the use of professional insecticides may be the best course of action. We have access to chemicals that are not widely available as they are only permitted for use by trained professionals. These chemicals are usually residual treatments which means they will stay active for weeks after being sprayed; this helps to eradicate the fleas quickly as it tackles them at all stages of their lifespan. Due to the toxicity of the chemicals you will have to remove yourself and your pets from the property for a few hours while this treatment is being carried out; however it is a more effective way of ridding you of your blood thirsty guests and has a higher chance of success.
If you have a problem with fleas don’t hesitate to contact us here at Abbey Pest Control Reading.
Covering: Reading, Tilehurst, Purley on Thames, Caversham, Wokingham, Shinfield, Arborfield, Three Mile Cross, Woodley, Earley, Newbury, Chieveley, Thatcham, Basingstoke, Hook, Camberley and surrounding areas. Our price includes a full survey, written report, all labour and materials. All of our operatives are fully trained, experienced members of the NPTA and we have comprehensive public liability insurance.
Call now: 07525 850347
Email: abbeypestreading@gmail.com
Areas covered: Reading, Tilehurst, Purley on Thames, Caversham, Wokingham, Shinfield, Arborfield, Three Mile Cross, Woodley, Earley, Newbury, Chieveley, Thatcham, Basingstoke, Hook, Camberley and surrounding areas.