The Facts About Fleas
Summertime in North Texas means a lot of great things – no school, family vacations, splashing around in the pool. Unfortunately, it also means some not-so-great things – bugs, bugs, and more bugs. Insects and spiders love summertime as much as we do and one of the most annoying types of bugs that loves to come out and play when the weather warms up is fleas. When you think of professional pest control in Frisco TX, you may not think about getting help for fleas; but the truth is that fleas can be just as dangerous as some other louder, scarier pests. Here’s what you should know about fleas:
➛ Fleas transmit diseases. In general, your biggest worry is going to be an allergic reaction to flea bites. If you, your family or your pets are allergic to fleas, their reactions can be much worse than the small, itchy bumps most people get from fleas. Your next worry should be all the diseases that fleas can transmit to humans, like tularemia, murine typhus, and the plague (yes, that plague). When fleas bite rodents infected with these diseases, they can pass those diseases to the humans they bite. In addition, fleas can carry tapeworm eggs and if they are ingested by pets or children, the tapeworm eggs will be ingested, too.
➛ Fleas are hard to see. You know something is biting your ankles and making your dog scratch himself endlessly, but you can’t see what’s doing it. That’s because fleas are tiny – about an eighth of an inch long. Because they’re hard to spot, they’re hard to kill. The best way to find out if your home and your pet are infested is by parting your pet’s hair to look for flea droppings, which look like tiny specks of dirt.
➛ Fleas are crazy good at breeding. Like most insects, fleas are very efficient breeders. Each female flea will lay about 40 eggs per day with a lifetime production of about 5,000 eggs. And each of these eggs will produce more breeding fleas.
➛ Flea infestations are hard to self-treat. You may not want to pick up the phone to call for pest control in Frisco TX for a flea infestation; but because fleas live in your lawn, on your carpeting and furniture and on your pets, you’ll need professional help for a 3-pronged attack. You or your vet must treat your pets for fleas. The products available can prevent flea eggs from hatching on your pets for several months. Next, your professional pest control company can treat your home and your yard with products that are powerful but safe for your family and that will eliminate your flea problem. Products available at your local hardware store for DIY pest control aren’t as effective as the products available to professionals.
Think you have a flea problem? Give us a call at Bug Commander Pest Control in Frisco TX at (214) 307-1933.