Pest control in New Braunfels is what we do best! While many aspects of life are care-free in this area, pests do occasionally take advantage of our climate and livability to make an attempt on our homes.
Much like us, pests and nuisance wildlife want shelter, food, and safety. For many animals, such as fleas, that unfortunately can mean right square in the middle of our homes!
Read on to arm yourself with the knowledge to protect yourself from infestations – we’ve put together a guide full of fast facts about fleas that will leave you well-prepared to deal with any infestation, large or small.
What Are Fleas?
Fleas are some of the most common household pests, yet some of the easiest to miss, too. Their small size makes them stealthy and difficult to detect. Can you see fleas? Are they impossible to detect?
They are visible to the naked eye, so they’re not quite invisible. But they are rather difficult to find, even compared to other hard-to-see pests like termites.
Due to their persistence, some people ask, “what is the lifespan of a flea?”, errantly assuming that fleas live for a very long time. Believe it or not, they live nowhere near as long as most other pests. Their reproductive nature is what allows infestations to persist.
Are Fleas Harmful To Humans?
While fleas in New Braunfels are very small and not particularly scary looking, their propensity to feed on both humans and our pets make them harmful. They also can carry disease, including the plague, which can then be transferred to humans easily. Here are some of the many diseases fleas may carry:
- The plague. The fabled plague is easily transmitted by fleas.
- Murine typhus.
- Cat scratch disease (CSD).
- Tapeworms. An infected flea can transmit these even between species.
So, while flea bites aren’t scary in and of themselves, the indirect consequences of being bit by fleas can be harmful.
Why Won’t These Fleas Go Away?
Once fleas are comfortable in their infestation, they’re unlikely to pack up shop and leave on their own. If they have reasonably consistent access to food, shelter, and safety, they’re comfortable. Just like humans, fleas tend to congregate where these resources are most readily available.
Fleas are also notoriously evasive. If you want to know how to kill fleas, swatting them is a non-starter! They can detect incoming threats (similar to flies) and jump out of harm’s way. Fleas are often too numerous, too. There’s simply no practical way to get rid of them.
Some people employ things like dish soap flea traps, which actually can trap fleas that land inside of them. That said, these are only good at removing a stray flea or two. A full infestation won’t be hampered by one of these whatsoever.
Flea larvae are even smaller than the insects themselves, too. So even if you end up trapping some live fleas, the offspring they’ve already produced are well and truly already on the way!
How Do I Get Rid Of Fleas In My House For Good?
The best flea killer on the market is, in a way, your phone. As soon as you spot fleas in your home, you should pick up the phone and call in the flea control pros at Pinnacle Pest Defense. We’re well-equipped, trained, and possess the know-how to remove infestations of any kind.
Fleas are incredibly durable insects once they’ve infested a home. Their small size, ability to evade incoming threats, and their ability to feed on us means that they’re particularly difficult to mitigate. Only a professional solution will do!
