The Best Pest Control Company For Fleas (Charlotte Exterminators)

Fleas can cause our pets to suffer, so as pet lovers, we have to know how fleas behave to ensure safety for our pets and ourselves. Fleas may be a pet lover’s worst nightmare. They are the most common pests related to dogs and cats. While we all try our utmost best to prevent fleas from entering our homes, it is our pets themselves who “invite” them in. Obviously, it is not their fault since they are just acting like all pets do. So despite the absence of fleas today, tomorrow might be another day. Due to this, we ask ourselves what we can do now when there are fleas in our household?

Go-Forth Pest Control, the leading pest control company based in Charlotte, is here to provide you a couple of tips on the best way to get rid of fleas.

So let us dive in.

Overview

There are around 2,500 known types of fleas worldwide, save for Antarctica where they would not survive anyway.

Fleas are tiny insects that are reddish-brown in color and the size of a pinhead. They are parasites, feeding on the blood of warm-blooded mammals, including people. This is called hematophagy. Their bodies are flattened sideways, with long claws on their six legs. Fleas have simple eyespots and some don't have eyes at all.

They have strong legs that are used for jumping. They can easily hop from one host to another, with the capacity to hop 6 inches vertically, so attaching itself on to a host who happens to pass them by is so easy.

Fleas can consume blood that is as much as multiple times their own body weight. They have mouthparts that are intended for sucking blood. They do not fly; however, they have strong legs that make them phenomenal jumpers. They prefer hairy hosts, wherein their body structure is ideal for moving around hairy bodies.

Lifecycle

Fleas can reproduce rapidly; they can lay as many as 2,000 eggs in the course of their life. Fleas experience 4 phases and complete transformation. They start as eggs, at that point to larvae, to pupae, and lastly the adult stage.

When an adult flea lays an egg, it would then take 2 days before it hatches. After hatching, they would transform into larvae and would look like small worms. They will stay in this form for 5 days, after which they will get inside cocoons. They will stay there until they sense a blood feast and will emerge as adults.

Fleas Can Transmit Diseases

Fleas attack warm-blooded creatures such as dogs, cats, and even their owners. People are not excluded; fleas will attack if confronted with no other choice. They have mouthparts that bite, and their bites are itchy, which can lead to infection. 

You are fortunate if irritation is all you get. Fleas are likewise known to spread illnesses that can be deadly. Some ailments that fleas are known to transmit, however, are not restricted to, Rickettsial ailments, bartonellosis, the bubonic plague, murine typhus, tularemia, and tungiasis.

Fleas prefer blood from dogs and cats, however in the event that none of them are around, they can attack people. They have high body temperature, meaning they cannot survive long and breed on people; which is the reason they don't like humans. In addition, fleas cannot lay eggs on humans.

Flea Hiding Places

One approach to confront fleas is to locate where to find them because they could hide around our homes. Normally, these are places where your pets love to unwind or play. Do check on these places if you believe that you have fleas at home. 

1. Carpets are the best spots to look into. Since it is composed of hairy pieces of cloth, it is but natural that fleas would love to stay here. When fleas lay eggs on your pets, these eggs usually fall off after attaching on to your pets. Since fleas are jumpers, they just simply wait for a host to pass by and then jump on them. 

2. They can be hiding in messy garments that remained untouched for quite a while. 

3. Indoor plants are good hiding places for fleas as well.

Signs That You Have Fleas

Do continuously observe your dog and check for signs for fleas regularly. Persistent scratching may be a sure sign that they might have fleas because their presence is very itchy. Reach out for a flashlight and check for fleas on the hairy portions. Fleas mostly hide on the armpits, tail, ears, internal thighs, and tummy. 

You may likewise check your dogs for the presence of flea feces. Their feces are predominantly blood and look like little specks of dirt. You can check if these are flea feces and not just dirt by simply using a paper towel to remove them. Check whether they spread out like stains, and if they do, then these are flea feces. 

The following signs will be useful to you in getting rid of fleas.

The Most Common Types of Fleas

Here is a list of the common types of fleas.

1. Cat fleas - This one is the most well-known type of fleas. They can also feed on dogs, humans, and other animals’ blood. Cat fleas typically hide on carpets, indoor plants, and messy garments. They lay their eggs on pets, however, these eggs can drop off and can spread everywhere throughout the house. 

2. Human flea – They feed on human blood and hide in the hairy parts of the human body, particularly on individuals who don't practice good cleanliness. 

3. Sticktight fleas - Dogs, cats, birds, and even people are the usual casualties. These fleas bury their heads into the skin of their hosts, making them hard to be removed from the skin. 

4. Springtail fleas – These are excellent jumpers because of their strong legs. They can bounce up to four feet. What is different about them is that they do not cling themselves to pets except if they recognize a skin disease. Skin diseases make the skin damp and in this manner appealing to them. This is because they flourish in damp areas. 

5. Rat fleas – These are the most widely spread among all of its variety. There are kinds: the Oriental and the Northern rat fleas. Oriental rat fleas were initially found in Egypt, while the Northern rat fleas are from Europe. The length of Oriental rat fleas can develop to about 2.5 mm long and have solid legs. In addition, their body shape is ideal for hopping. These fleas caused the bubonic plague that swept Europe during the Middle Ages, killing millions. On the other hand, a Northern rat flea is around 3 to 4 mm. It has eyes on their heads. 

Management

We would not want fleas to attack our pets. Here are a few hints on how to get rid of fleas. 

1. Vacuum clean territories where your pets mostly stay, maybe on the sofa, on the carpet, or their own bed. This would then suck out both the adult fleas and their eggs. After vacuuming, seal the vacuum cleaner's bag and discard it appropriately. 

2. Use diatomaceous earth in order to kill the fleas. This will inflict small cuts in their bodies and eventually cause their death. Diatomaceous earth is made of fossilized remains of diatoms, and they look like small shards of broken glass. You can buy these from a grocery store. 

3. Table salt is another choice. When fleas get in contact with table salt, they get dehydrated and eventually die. 

4. Protect pets by showering a blend of equal parts of water and apple cider vinegar. Place it in a sprayer and spray it on your pet's coat. 

5. Sprinkle some boric acid on areas where your pet stays. It dehydrates the fleas and kills them. Utilize a shaker to make it simpler for you.

Pest Control Company for Fleas

When in doubt, do not worry. All you have to do is to call the best pest control company in Charlotte NC, Go-Forth Pest Control. We will assist you in getting rid of fleas once and for all. Our experts will make sure of that.

We have a team of excellent, well-trained, and highly skilled technicians. We have the latest and most advanced equipment in the business.

You may check our Facebook page or check us in Google to see what our customers have to say about us. For more information, or to request a free quote, call us now! Our friendly operators are waiting.