Keeping Fleas and Ticks Away from Your Home

Pets such as dogs and cats are the main source of flea and tick infestation. Flea and tick prevention on dogs and cats is something that the pet owners need to consider seriously. As for your home or business premises, here are some proactive tips to keep fleas and ticks away:

• Vacuum regularly.
• Wash pet bedding weekly, ideally at above 60°C.
• Other animals such as birds and rats also carry fleas, hence when your pets are outside they can easily pick up these fleas and bring them back, so check them regularly using flea combs.
• Larvae feed on organic matter in carpets, bedding & furnishings. You need to try and remove any potential food supply to prevent fleas.
• When moving into a new home, inspect carpets and flooring carefully for signs of eggs or ‘flea dirt’. If the previous owners had pets, the flea larvae might be waiting for you.

FACT: After feeding, a female cat flea can lay between 25 and 40 eggs a day, in the fur of the host or its bedding. A single female cat flea can produce up to 2,000 eggs in a life time.

The Trouble With Fleas Is…

• Flea cocoons can remain dormant for two years. They only hatch when conditions are right
• Flea eggs are tiny (approx. 0.5mm long), oval and white. They are almost impossible to see against rough surfaces like carpets, rugs and pet bedding
• A flea’s lifecycle can be anything from two weeks to about eight months
• Fleas can breed quickly. This makes it difficult to prevent fleas completely without professional help.

Do you need expert advice from Rentokil?

Contact our pest experts at 150808 to learn more about our effective flea control solutions.