New Jersey's landscape ranges from big urban cities to waterfront views to lush green forests. No matter where New Jersians call home, people and pets go in and out of their dwellings multiple times a day. That's when local fleas make their move, and if homeowners aren't careful, they or their pets might give fleas a free ride into area homes. Once indoors, fleas can quickly make people and pets tremendously uncomfortable, necessitating a professional flea removal service.
The Flea Life Cycle: Understanding Their Stages
While fleas might be tiny, they can cause mighty big problems in homes. While fleas prefer pets, if they run out of a blood supply, they will turn their attention to humans, which makes understanding their life cycle stages important.
When adult fleas feast on a host and become full of blood, they will mate and start laying eggs in the host's fur or inside your home (such as on a carpet). Depending on temperatures and humidity, the eggs can hatch within one to ten days.
Once fleas hatch, they go into the larval stage. This stage focuses on eating and developing by feasting on blood and flea dirt (feces). By day 20, fleas will enter their pupal phase by spinning a cocoon, protecting them as they finish growing. Once fleas are sufficiently developed and sense (through body heat or movement) that an ample blood supply is available, they emerge from their cocoon. These newly formed adults begin feeding, and females start laying eggs again.
In order to eradicate fleas inside a home, it is crucial to treat all stages of flea development. Homeowners can ensure all fleas leave their premises with professional-grade flea treatment in New Jersey from Heritage Pest.
The Hidden Dangers Of Fleas: Understanding The Hazards
The hidden danger of fleas is their ability to transfer diseases to their hosts (whether pet or human). Fleas feed off various hosts; some of those hosts carry diseases. As fleas place their needlelike tube into a host's flesh or folks scratch their skin, bacteria can enter their bloodstream. Saliva can cause allergic reactions in both pets and people. Additionally, flea bites can lead to tapeworm, tularemia, tungiasis, bartonellosis, and murine typhus.
To eliminate fleas from homes, homeowners must eliminate adults and developing fleas. Partnering with a pest control company like Heritage Pest ensures flea problems are treated and resolved.
Effective Flea Prevention: Tips For A Flea-Free Home
Fleas are freeloaders that often get transported to the lawns of homes by various animals. Once on your property, they wait for unsuspecting victims (pets or people) to latch onto and quietly ride into the house. Homeowners do have some simple prevention tips they can use to limit flea visits.
Six tips that help keep fleas away from homes include the following:
- Keep pets clean and groomed, leashed outdoors, and protected with a veterinarian-approved flea treatment.
- Keep lawns well-groomed by cutting grass low and keeping tall grasses away from homes.
- Clean homes and regularly vacuum.
- Wash bed linens and pet beds regularly.
- Keep trees, shrubs, and bushes trimmed.
- Eliminate yard debris.
Using prevention measures to discourage wandering fleas is wise, but pests this tiny may still make their way into New Jersey homes. If fleas start troubling your household, call in the pest professionals at Heritage Pest.
Total Flea Elimination: Call The Pros Right Away!
Dealing with a flea infestation is never pleasant for pets or homeowners; you need help immediately. Since 1989, Heritage Pest has provided New Jersey residents with expert, minimally invasive treatments that can remove pests from homes. We use natural organic compounds and EPA-approved treatments to solve even the most challenging pest control issues. Call the experts at Heritage Pest to obtain flea removal services and restore your home to its scratch-free, peaceful state.