Fleas are wingless parasites that survive off of the blood of mammals. Their mouths are specially designed to penetrate skin and draw blood. Naturally, a flea infestation in a home is often an uncomfortable, aggravating hassle, as they can be especially hard to remove without the help of a pest control company.
There are over 2,000 species of fleas in existence worldwide – a majority of them tiny, nimble, and adept at jumping. Cat and dog fleas are capable of jumping up to 7 inches vertically, and around 13 inches horizontally – about 200 times their body length. Considering their body size, these feats make fleas one of the best jumpers in the animal kingdom.
Because fleas are lightweight, they can easily attach themselves to a host via hair or feathers. Despite their size, their bodies are extremely durable and resistant to pressure, making it virtually impossible to kill them by squishing or scratching them. Fleas’ eggs are white and oval-shaped, while the larva that emerge from the eggs are tiny and lightly colored. Fleas require blood to live and lay eggs; however, they can persist for up to one year without taking blood from a host.
After a family and their pets have returned from being away from their home for an extended period time, flea infestation is often a major concern. Fleas survive in a pupal cocoon if they’re unable to access an immediate food source. Also, in the right environment, fleas multiply at an astounding rate. 10 female fleas can grow to over a quarter million fleas in varying stages of life in a short period of just 30 days.
A flea infestation can present dangers to you and your family, as fleas carry a disease known as flea allergy dermatitis (FAD). FAD can lead to skin irritations, which are often red, itchy, and painful. In severe instances, FAD can also cause anemia, stomach flu, and tapeworms. Endemic typhus and bubonic plague can also be transmitted through contact with fleas. On a human host, fleas can attach themselves to hair within ten minutes, causing itchiness and soreness.
What to do about Flea Infestation?
The professionals at Patton Termite & Pest offer remediation services to residents of Wichita, Kansas and Derby, Kansas. Our team delivers Premium Residential Solutions to homeowners, many of which our competitors do not. We also like to follow-up on the work we do in our customers’ homes to guarantee insect or rodent infestation is resolved. We use only first-rate technology to eliminate infestations at interior and exterior levels. Along with providing first-rate commercial and residential services, Patton Termite & Pest also aims to educate customers on how to avoid infestation problems in the future.
We apply our 100 years’ worth of pest control experience to every instance of infestation, whether it involves fleas, termites, rodents, or other pests such as spiders. Residents of Wichita, Kansas and Derby, Kansas can feel confident in our ability to control pest threats thoroughly.
Are you suffering an infestation of fleas? Give Patton Termite and Pest a call at 316-773-3825 or use our web contact form.