They feed on your blood. They can live for up to a year and jump more than a foot in the air. After their first meal, they can start laying eggs immediately – meaning it doesn’t take long to wind up with thousands of them. Even if you don’t have a pet, you can wind up with the nightmare of having fleas in your house.
It doesn’t take much to wind up with fleas in your house, but it can take a lot to get rid of them. In fact, these tiny critters are so strong that they can stay behind long after your home’s previous owners move out – leaving you with an itchy mess on your hands.
Fleas are tiny brown bugs that look like a very thin grain of rice. Fleas - no wings, yet highly notorious. However, they are so tiny that you may not see one walking around unless you really look.
If you think you might have fleas in your house, doing these 5 things will let you know for sure:
1. Keep an eye on your pets
Your fuzzy and fluffy friends can tell you a lot about pests in your home – even if you don’t take the time to carefully inspect them. Instead, a quick glance may be all you need.
If Fido or Fluffy seem to be scratching all the time; chances are you have fleas in your house. You may also see some other big signs – like patches of dog or cat fur that seem to be falling out, or lips and gums that have suddenly gotten pale.
If you notice any of these things, you’ll need to take a closer look at your beloved friend. Start by checking out your pet’s lower abdomen and upper hind quarters. Those are two areas that fleas like the most.
2. Look at your pets’ bedding
Fleas love two things – fabric and animals – so your pet’s bed, mat, or sleeping area will be chock full of flea evidence.
Look closely, and you may see stuff that looks like salt and pepper. Unfortunately, it’s really white flea eggs and black flea feces.
3. Take a close look at yourself
Fleas don’t just get their energy from your pets’ blood; they also like human blood. If you do have fleas in your house, you may very well fin bites on yourself when you wake up in the morning. Remember, fleas love a warm, cozy bed and blood – so your bed is a perfect place to camp out. If you suddenly see tiny, red, itchy welts, you’ll know that you’ve come under attack by fleas.
And if you’re getting bit, your pets are, too. The only trouble is Fido or Fluffy’s fur will cover up the welts, so you’ll have to look for other flea bite symptoms – like tiny little scabs on your pet’s skin.
4. Do the white cloth test
It sounds like something your mother would have done to make sure that your room had been cleaned properly, but the white cloth test is actually an easy and effective way to see if you have fleas in your house.
Simply take a white cloth, wet it a little bit, and rub it along your carpet. If your white cloth is suddenly covered with small red streaks, you’ll know you’ve got flea feces – which means the fleas that left it behind are lurking somewhere in your home.
5. Head to the dark side
Fleas don’t typically like to hang out in the open. Instead, they like dark, tight spaces – like under your bed or tucked behind your furniture. If you think you might have fleas in your house, a close inspection of these spots may shock you!
For More info call a Professional Pest Control Lyndhurst Company.
