alpharetta flea pest control services Flea pest control is one of the biggest expenses for American pet owners. We collectively spend about $9 billion a year on flea control products and services. Discovering fleas on a beloved cat or dog often sends people into a frenzy of flea dipping their pets and obsessively vacuuming the home. But knowing where in the home you are most likely to find fleas is an important piece of information in your war against fleas. Here is how to effectively enact flea pest control practices in your home.

Where In the House Do Fleas Like to Hide?

Fleas don’t only hang out on your cat or dog’s fur. They will most often be found on and around pet beds, and under furniture, cushions, chairs, beds, and along baseboards. If your vacuum uses bags, be sure to discard these bags every week. Fleas can lay eggs in vacuum bags, which will perpetuate the cycle of infestation.

How Long Can Fleas Live?

Right after eating blood from its host animal, a female flea begins laying eggs within two days. She can produce 27 eggs per day and consume 15 times her body weight in blood every single day. Flea larvae feed on adult flea excrement, along with other organic matter such as food particles, dead skin, or feathers. Larvae develop in five to 11 days.

The larva spins a cocoon and develops into a pupa. After about a week or two, the pupa becomes an adult flea. However, the adult flea can survive in the cocoon for up to five months if necessary. When it is stimulated by a passing animal, the adult flea can emerge from the cocoon within seconds and jump onto the animal. Thanks to these “hiding” fleas, vacant homes can suddenly become infested when new tenants move in.

How Can Fleas Affect My Family?

Flea bites result in itchy red bumps on humans and animals alike. Continually scratching these bites can cause skin infections on dogs and cats. Some types of fleas can also carry dangerous diseases, including the plague and murine typhus.

It’s important to follow a thorough flea pest control plan when these blood-sucking bugs are discovered in your home. A reliable pest control company can help you quickly and effectively reduce fleas in your home for your entire family’s safety, health, and comfort.