One of the most common parasitic insects you’ll hear about, fleas have been well known to cause problems to our beloved family pets for centuries. Some species you may encounter are cat, dog and even human fleas.

Although they are only 2mm long, oval-shaped and red-brown in colour, fleas are very clever at finding hosts to survive by drawing blood and gaining essential nutrients.

Look out for them in warmer weather, as this is their preferred climate to reproduce and lay eggs.

Given that adult fleas, as well as their eggs and larvae, are very small in size, it can be hard to spot an infestation. However, there are still some telltale clues that you can look out for:

Check for fleas in your pets

If you’re noticing that your pet seems restless and is scratching themselves more often, check their fur for fleas. If left without treatment, this could result in a more permanent hair loss known as alopecia. Bites from some flea species are also more prone to causing alopecia as well.

Some pets may have a skin reaction to flea saliva which leads to flea bite dermatitis. This causes irritation, swelling and even welts on their skin. You’ll more commonly see this in groin and armpit areas.

Don’t forget to check hard to reach areas for fleas and bites, as well as dried blood from bite wounds.

In some pets, a long-term flea problem could lead to pale gums caused by anaemia. This is due to a heavy loss of blood and requires urgent treatment by your local vet.

You have skin irritation without any obvious cause

Whether it’s you or your family members experiencing a sudden unexplained itchy rash, skin swelling, or noticing bumps or bites that sting, fleas could be the culprit.

Pay attention to particular areas of your home where this happens, as it could be a site of a heavy infestation.

Flea eggs

Difficult to spot and usually well-hidden, flea eggs are oval shaped, white and around 0.5mm in length.

You may notice them tangled in pet fur, pet bedding, rugs and carpets, or tucked away in small cracks and crevices in walls, skirtings and floorboards.

Flea droppings

If you notice fine, ground black pepper granules in your pet’s fur, or even scattered around your home, this could be flea droppings.

Flea outbreaks are notoriously hard to treat once they have entered your home as they lay their eggs in hard-to-reach places. However, you’ll be able to get the issue resolved with the knowledge of our expert flea control technicians.

We’ll begin by inspecting all affected areas in your home or business and come up with a treatment plan.

For the best results, we prefer a targeted approach with a combination of treatments. We use:

• Flea control insecticide: sprayed around the perimeter of your home, and along joints, floors and skirting boards in affected rooms.
• Flea control dust: carefully applied to places which are difficult to penetrate with spraying, such as tiny cracks, crevices and wall voids.

At least one review is usually needed for further treatment as flea eggs can take a few weeks to hatch, triggering a new outbreak. So, it’s definitely handy to practice being patient when it comes to resolving flea problems.