If your dog or cat seems a bit more listless than usual, there’s a good chance your pet has fleas. These tiny little pests almost literally suck the energy out of your pets. The problem can quickly get out of control. A female flea lays up to fifty eggs a day. So, where there are one or two of these ravenous feeders, there will probably soon be a lot more.
Fleas are so small, so agile, and so hearty that it’s impossible to get rid of them without professional help. That assistance means more than just spraying chemicals. It also means understanding where these fleas come from in the first place.
Pets Get Fleas from Other Pets
Flea infestations are a lot like infectious diseases among people. Most people get the flu and other illnesses because they come into contact with infected people. The same is true of your pets. Dogs are especially vulnerable, since they are extremely social animals.
Furthermore, fleas do not discriminate. Cat fleas will happily jump onto dogs, and vice versa. Additionally, wild animals, like rabbits and racoons, nearly always have fleas. Curious dogs love getting close to these unusual animals.
You cannot put your pet in a bubble, and you cannot control how other people handle pest infestations. But you can make your home environment toxic for fleas. If the area is treated properly, fleas may come home with your dog or cat, but they will not last long.
Heat and Humidity
Environmental conditions also affect flea infestations, and there’s nothing that any of us can do about the weather.
Normally, the aforementioned eggs take about nine weeks to hatch. But when the temperature rises past the high 80s, these eggs may hatch in only three weeks. Since many years the temperature in Missouri reaches the high 80s in February and March, there are usually a lot more fleas by the time the really hot and humid weather arrives.
Larvae and eggs survive better when it gets sticky outside. Eggs and larvae often dry out easily. Any extra moisture in the air could be the difference between maturing and not maturing.
Doggy Daycares
Most pet-sitting establishments only allow flea-less animals to use the facility, so many owners think their dogs can socialize safely in these places. But not so fast. Intermittent or spotty flea inspections means that many dogs carry these little pests. They quickly jump from host to host, laying eggs at every stop.
Sometimes, direct contact is not necessary. A shared toy, bedding, or frolicking area is enough to spread these pests.
If you are having issues, make sure you get your pet on something like frontline, than give All Solutions Pest Control a call to help get them out of your house!
