What Do Fleas Look like?

Image by Thomas Quine via flickr

According to the American Kennel Club, there are over 200 various flea species that affect your feline and canine friends. If you unsure of what do fleas look like, they have thin flat bodies and are covered in hair which allows them to stay rooted to their host. Even though they’re wingless they have extremely long legs which allow them to jump long distances. Not only can these little buggers transmit disease with ease, once they invade your home they more than likely hiding anywhere your pet has been.

Where Does Fleas Come From?

Fleas thrive in shaded, humid, moisture-rich area’s which is one of the reasons why they do a good job in infesting homes. Another reason why is because fleas have the ability to breed at an extremely rapid pace. In three months, for example, female fleas may lay up to 2,000 eggs, which is why eliminating them as soon as you spot them is essential.

How To Get Rid Of Fleas

The first thing you want to do is treat your pet. Flea tablets such as are fact-acting QuckTabs and Capstar. Clean all of your pet's bedding. Wash EVERYTHING, blankets, pillows wash toys, and any pet carrier you’ll want to use later in soapy hot water. Clean all of the bedding throughout the house while you're at it. Thoroughly wash your pet. We recommend our Natural Chemistry Natural Flea & Tick Shampoo flea shampoo that can eliminate eggs and adult fleas and non-resistant to parasites so the shampoo never loses its effectiveness. 

Next groom your pet with a flea comb, through the fur, backward to remove any eggs that are still remaining. But also dip the flea comb into a bowl of liquid dish soap and water to kill off any flea’s stuck in the teeth. In order to prevent fleas from laying any more eggs in your pets, fur treat them with flea ointment as well.

How To Get Rid Of Fleas In House

Invest in a water filtration vacuum cleaner and vacuum your entire house including carpets, floors, rugs, curtains and even furniture. This act helps to suck up the pesticide and Insect growth regulator- resistance pupae and encourages other fleas to hatch to be treated with more extreme methods. Make sure the bag is thrown after everytime you vacuum. The vibrations from your vacuum will cause the flea pupae to hatch inside the bag.

For extreme cases, use a flea fogger. Fogging is extremely effective but should only be used if absolutely needed because of their inconvenience in that you have to cover, food, dishes, kitchen utensils, shutting off alarms and electricity temporarily.

During the house fogging, spray down your yard, pet and pet carrier with Natural Chemistry Yard & Kennel Spray and feed it a flea tablet 30 minutes beforehand. Even with a fogger, it wouldn’t hurt to hire a professional exterminator to audit the flea infestation issue and provide suggested tactics to eliminate your fleas for good.

Home Remedies To Get Rid of Fleas

Afterward, you’ll want to sweep and vacuum throughout your home a second time and make sure to throw away the bag each time just to be safe. Also be sure to mop any hardwood and tile flooring. We recommend trying out the least harmful flea treatment methods before deploying a fogger though. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about eliminating fleas from your house.