As the name suggests, cat fleas may enjoy chomping down on your feline, but they’ll gladly bite other pets or even people if they have the chance. Here’s what you need to know about where fleas come from, how infestations start, how you can prevent them, and what to do if you’re already dealing with a flea infestation.
Where Do Fleas Come From And How Do Flea Infestations Start In Oklahoma City?
Outside, fleas spend their time hiding in shady, long grass and bushes and wait until the perfect host passes by – and their favorite kind of meal is often your dog or cat. They’ll jump onto your pet and latch onto a place where your animal can’t easily shake them off, like under limbs, the abdomen, or their back.
However, this doesn’t mean fleas won’t get into your home in other ways – even if you don’t own pets, other wildlife and rodents can serve as hosts. If you’ve got an existing rodent problem or you frequently deal with wildlife near your home, fleas may still find their way into your house without a pet to transport them.
Once they’re inside, fleas reproduce rapidly with female fleas laying up to sixty eggs per day. Fleas may lay some of these eggs on the host, but others will end up scattered in furniture or carpet. What started as just two or three fleas can quickly become a full-blown infestation.
How To Prevent Fleas In Oklahoma City
Regardless of how they got in, there’s more to flea prevention than just treating your pets for fleas. Here’s what you can do to prevent an infestation:
- Make sure you treat all of your pets, including indoor pets, with flea and tick treatments throughout the entire year (not just the summer).
- Try to consistently do a deep clean of your home and focus attention on flea “hot spots” like vacuuming the carpet, washing laundry and pet bedding, and getting rid of clutter.
- Don’t keep yard debris or other items too close to the home.
- Regularly mow your lawn and trim tree branches and bushes.
- Deter wildlife hosts by keeping trash cans sealed and eliminating access to potential food sources that may attract rodents.
Prevention steps can go a long way toward keeping your home free of fleas, but, if despite your efforts, fleas make their way inside - it is time to call the professionals.
How To Handle A Flea Infestation In Oklahoma City
While there are active steps you can take to prevent flea infestations, it’s not always enough – especially if a population of fleas has decided that your property makes a great hiding spot. In this case, it’s time to call in the professionals – like those of us at Guaranteed Pest Service of Oklahoma.
Not only can we help eliminate flea infestations that may be happening in your home, but we’ll also target why they’re on your property to begin with. If you’ve got a flea infestation or constantly seem to have problems with these critters, call us at Guaranteed Pest Service of Oklahoma to find out more about our flea control program.
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