Flea Extermination
When it comes to protecting your family, home, and pets from fleas, it's important to find a knowledgeable exterminator you can trust. Because female fleas lay approximately four to eight eggs after each meal, flea populations can quickly reproduce, leading to extreme discomfort for pets such as dogs and cats. If left unchecked, flea infestations can spread from pets to your home environment.
Once a flea infestation takes hold of a home environment, professional treatment may be required to completely eradicate the problem. Calling Bug-Off Exterminators can help you take control of your home's flea problem more quickly than attempting to get rid of fleas on your own. Professional flea control service can also help to prevent future infestations from occurring.
Flea Control Reviews
We have been with Bug Off for many years and they have always done a great job with keeping our home bug-free. Tim W. is very professional and courteous and diligently sprays throughout our home, garage, workshop and deck. If I have any questions or concerns with bugs between appointments, he is quick to respond without complaint. We highly recommend Bug Off to anyone needing pest control.
Questions About Flea Control
How much does it cost for a flea exterminator?
Flea extermination can range in price from $100 - $200 for new service. It can be set up as a one-time service or the initial treatment for recurring services. Current customers under our quarterly $85 plan will receive a discount and sometimes the next quarterly service can be substituted for a flea treatment.
Can an exterminator get rid of fleas?
Yes, we can exterminate fleas. We use multiple pesticides to target the different life stages of the flea. Using an adulticide we can eliminate the adult stage of the fleas which are causing most of the nuisance. An IGR (Insect Growth Regulator) is also used to exterminate the larvae by sterilizing them and preventing reproduction. The pupae stage can not be exterminated until it hatches out into the adult. By applying an insecticide with a residual will continue to kill fleas as they hatch out. Only vacuum before a treatment but not after because you will remove the residual.
How long after extermination do fleas die?
Adult fleas will interact with the pesticide and die within a few days depending on the size of the infestation. The pupae stage fleas may not hatch out right away and it can take a few weeks. Once they hatch out they will interact with the residual in the pesticide and die relatively quickly. Sometimes a follow-up is needed if there are many pupae stage fleas hatching out a few weeks later.
Does vacuuming kill fleas?
Vacuuming has the possibility to kill fleas from the force and suction of the vacuum smashing them against hard material inside the vacuum. This will not kill all the fleas so it is recommended to throw away any bags or empty the container once you’ve vacuumed fleas.
Do fleas come back every year?
Fleas can be active year round. Warmer temperatures and humid climates are better for fleas so the spring, summer, fall seasons are more likely when someone will find a flea infestation. Fleas can feel like they are coming back because they are hatching out of the pupa stage. Fleas usually stay in the pupa cocoon for 7 to 14 days but can remain preemerged for several months to a year.
Flea Treatment: Controlling the Life Cycle
You may have already attempted some flea extermination techniques on your own. These would include treating pets with topical or oral treatment recommended by your pet's veterinarian. Other treatments could include purchasing flea bombs, repeated vacuuming to get rid of eggs and larvae, washing pet bedding and linens in very hot water, and using insecticide sprays. Though all of these methods may find some measure of success, none is completely fool proof. If you have a moderate to severe flea infestation, calling Bug-Off Exterminators to jump start the elimination and future prevention process is a smart choice. Our team of licensed professionals can use a safe, effective spray with a residual that remains potent throughout the flea life cycle and does not cause harm to pets. We know precisely the right techniques and products to use to solve your flea infestation problem.
Indoor Flea Control and Treatment: Carpets, furniture, even high places like cabinets and bookshelves have the possibility to be flea breeding areas. The Bug-Off technician will target those locations and provide a solution to the flea problem. How did fleas get on top of my bookshelf? Fleas can appear randomly all over the house. How does this happen? When a pet has fleas on them, the flea eggs can fall off wherever the pet lays down to relax. A cat that makes its favorite high spot on a bookshelf or a dog that sleeps at the end of the bed can bring fleas to those locations. Getting the carpet cleaned to remove flea droppings, and vacuuming the carpet always helps but should be done before the service so the pesticide doesn't get removed.
Flea Droppings: Fleas consume more blood than is required for nutrition. Next they excrete reddish-black fecal pellets. The pellets dry and fall off the host onto the carpet or ground environment and serves as the food for the larvae.
Outdoor / Yard Flea Control and Treatment: Fleas can be found under porches or decks, crawl spaces, and the bushes and grass in the yard, if an animal lives in those places. The outdoor flea solution includes spraying any bedding areas where the animals live. Target the spots, under the porch or in the lawn, where a pet spends most of its time.
Identify a Flea Infestation
The first step to deciding whether or not your home requires professional flea extermination is to find out if you are experiencing a flea infestation. First, you'll need to identify the pests that are currently causing discomfort to your pets, and family. If you have pets, it is highly likely that any flea infestation originates with fleas that are inhabiting your pets as their hosts. Use a comb to search carefully through each pet's fur. If you can see flat insects without wings that are around 2.5 mm long moving between pet hairs, or if you see red and black droppings on your pet's skin, your pet likely has a flea infestation and should receive treatment. Though fleas cannot fly, they are able to jump. If left untreated, fleas on your pets can lay eggs throughout your home. They will hatch into larvae and then develop into pupae. Flea larvae are off-white and between 3 to 5.2 mm long.
The most common household infestations in North America are from cat fleas. These fleas can affect dogs, cats, humans, and other warm-blooded creatures. Their bites cause itching, irritation, red marks on the skin, and can lead to allergic reactions. If your property is currently infested with fleas, there's no reason to tackle this challenging problem on your own. To find peace of mind and get control of your flea problem, professional help is available. Call today to find out more information about our flea control services or to schedule an appointment.