Some things never go completely out of season. In Florida, that includes fleas, which are often a year-round problem.
Fleas are wingless insects designed to jump huge distances (up to 200 times their body length) and to suck blood from their hosts. The blood meal is a necessary part of a flea’s reproductive process.
Reproduction and life cycle
With bodies flattened laterally, the insects have an easy time moving through the hairs on hosts’ bodies. Some fleas lay as many as 500 eggs over several months. These eggs fall off the hosts and the areas they frequent (bedding, furniture), enabling the population to spread.
The lifecycle of a flea involves an egg-larva-cocoon metamorphosis. Adults can emerge from their cocoons when vibrations alert them to the approach of a possible host. People who return to a home after being away for an extended period can discover this the hard way, as multitudes of fleas can suddenly hatch and attack.
An ongoing health risk
In addition to causing great discomfort in pets, fleas pose several potential health problems to humans. Their bites can cause itching, sometimes leading to an infection. But the most serious health risks of fleas come from the diseases they can spread, which include typhus and plague.
Control
One of the most common methods of dealing with fleas is on-animal control. External treatments applied to pets are designed to kill the fleas on contact. Veterinarians also prescribe oral medication, which gets rid of them when they suck blood from the host animal.
It’s also important to implement control measures in the house. Vacuum and steam clean any carpeting and furniture where flea eggs and larvae may have dropped. Be sure to dispose of the dirt you vacuum up to ensure the fleas don’t re-enter the house.
Because of the flea’s life cycle, it’s important to follow up with this process with multiple treatments during the first five to 10 days after the initial cleanup.
A flea infestation is an aggravating state of affairs, but with some sustained effort, these pests are controllable. A little work and you can once again enjoy a little more peace of mind.
If you have questions, feel free to call Slug-A-Bug at (321) 259-7844. We’re always available to help.