We love our pets and they’re part of our family. We don’t necessarily love it when stray dogs, cats, raccoons or even squirrels, run across our property. Unfortunately, friendly and not-so-friendly creatures can bring problems into your home. That problem is fleas and if you see your dog or cat constantly scratching itself, you should look for other telltale signs of fleas. Check for evidence of a substance that resembles black pepper showing up on your floors or your socks. You might notice what looks to be tiny insects, leaping around on your floor or your pet’s fur.
If that’s happening, then you need to do two things. Bring your pets to the veterinarian and contact the professionals at Arrow Exterminating, because you likely have a flea problem.
Arrow Exterminating Can Fight Your Fleas
Arrow Exterminating fights off all types of pests for all types of customers, both business and residential. We have 70 years of experience and we serve both Nassau and Suffolk County on Long Island as well as the five boroughs of New York City. Many of those homeowners have pets, so we’ve seen more than our share of fleas and our pest control technicians know how to take care of them. We’ve developed an effective protocol to treat all four stages of fleas. Within 3-4 weeks of treatment and constant vacuuming the home will be flea free once more.
Learning to Identify Fleas
The first step in the process is recognizing when you have fleas. According to the New York City Department of Health, an adult flea is a tiny wingless, reddish-brown insect. They are about 1/8 of an inch long and they’re tough to spot. They’re also tough to catch up to, because fleas have well developed hind legs and are able to jump from host to host. Their life cycle can be about 21 days depending on the climate of your home, but they can spread disease during that time.
Fleas are even more difficult to spot when they are in the younger stages of their lives, the larvae and pupae stages. Look for eggs and larvae in hidden areas of your home. Look behind your couch and other furniture. Check pet beds, and examine floor cracks and cracks within walls, carpets, and any other areas of your home. As we mentioned, you should look for a substance that resembles black pepper. This is called flea dirt. One way to check for flea dirt is to put a white sheet under your pet and wait to see if any of it falls off the animal’s skin.
Arrow Exterminating Can Keep Your Family and Pets Safe
If you think your pet may have fleas, you should know that remedies you buy at the store don’t necessarily work very well. Call Arrow Exterminating and we can diagnose a flea infestation and help you protect your family against these disease-carrying insects. We will provide you with a checklist to follow before we get there, a treatment plan and follow up instructions to keep our treatment working. The vet will take care of your pets and Arrow Exterminating will effectively take care of you and your home. Contact us today.