Flea Control

Cat & Dog Flea Facts

Approximately one eighth of an inch long, fleas are wingless and laterally flattened. They’re well known for possessing piercing and sucking mouthparts. Fleas jump an impressive 6 inches in height thanks to their well developed legs. They are typically black to reddish-brown in colour. Remove these unwanted irritants for good with effective flea control.

Order/Family

Siphonaptera/Pulicidae

Scientific Name

Ctenocephalides felis / Ctenocephalides canis

Biology

Females lay four to eight eggs at a time after each and every blood meal. This equates to approximately 400 to 800 in total on the host animal and/or in its bedding. Eggs hatch in about 10 days and developing larvae feed on adult flea feces which contain bits of dried blood.

Behaviour

Adult fleas feed on blood through their piercing and sucking mouthparts. Moreover, they typically seek a blood meal within two days of becoming an adult. Meanwhile, cat and dog fleas prefer these two animals but readily feed on others such as raccoons, rats and humans too.

Flea Control

Customer cooperation is key for effective flea control. This includes recalling important flea facts plus three major steps. These are sanitation, insecticide application and on-animal control.

Thoroughly vacuuming houses removes larvae, pupae and food materials. Vacuum cleaner bags should be sealed and discarded immediately after vacuuming. Additionally, pet bedding should be discarded or washed in hot, soapy water. After that, pets should be treated on the same day that residual insecticide treatments are completed at the home. The best way to remove fleas is to contact a professional pest control company.