Pet owners know about the trouble that fleas cause. These tiny parasites feed on the blood of mammals, and while they prefer the thick fur of our dogs and cats, they also jump onto and bite humans when they can. They thrive in the summer months, but our mild climate allows them to remain active.

Fleas cannot fly, but adults have amazing, powerful hind legs and can leap great distances. They are strong enough to lift objects that weigh 150 times more than they do and can consume 15 times their body weight in blood daily. If a flea were the size of a human, it could leap over the Eiffel Tower! When searching for a host animal, they can jump 30,000 times in a row without stopping. 

Effective pest control must focus on the pupal stage of the flea’s life cycle. As pupae, they form tiny cocoons that can remain dormant for nine months. The cocoons cling to dense materials that provide shelter, and when the adult fleas emerge, they immediately begin searching for a host to feed upon. 

Adults rely on their hard, tough outer shell to defend against their host animal’s biting and scratching—the irritation of biting and scratching leads to painful allergic reactions and further skin damage. When fleas bite humans, they also cause a typical allergic reaction. They can also infect the bloodstream with the microorganisms that cause many diseases, including Typhus, Plague, and Cat Scratch Fever.

Over-the-counter and veterinary treatments can kill many adult fleas that live in our pets’ fur. However, effective control must involve more than just dealing with adults on our pets. As our pets pick up fleas, they carry their eggs inside our homes, the eggs fall, and the pupae eventually form their cocoons deep in carpeting, pet bedding, cushions, and upholstery. Adults emerge from these cocoons when a vulnerable host is nearby and new eggs are laid quickly. The cocoons stick tight to these surfaces, and regular vacuuming and cleaning cannot kill or remove all of them. Even pupae picked up by a vacuum cleaner can continue to live inside the cleaner’s bag or container and re-infest a house.

Our professional treatments eliminate the adults, eggs, and pupal cocoons inside your home. The experts at Pest Patrol can inspect your property and select the best environmentally responsible materials and methods to kill them on contact and prevent eggs from hatching using appropriate insect growth regulators (IGR) that stop the reproductive cycle.

Pest Patrol is the top professional flea and pest control company in the Springfield area. We rely on the effectiveness of our treatments and your satisfaction to keep our business thriving. Contact us today for an estimate for your pest control needs.