Flea Removal

Flea Home and  House Treatment Removal Service

Fleas bought into your home are usually no more than a general nuisance, but once they have laid their eggs in areas of your home such as carpets they can be incredibly difficult to remove. They can bite causing a nasty rash for you and your pets. Fortunately, The Bristol Pest Controller has a bespoke flea removal service for your home, no matter the size of the infestation our expert team have the solution. Our professional flea control methods combine options such as dust formulations, residual surface sprays, fogging, sticky boards and monitoring traps.

Cat fleas are by far, the most common of the flea species which come into contact with humans in Bristol. Cat fleas, despite their name, are also commonly found on dogs. Dog fleas are the second most common species of fleas, followed by human fleas which, you will be pleased to know are extremely rare!

The adult cat flea spends much of its time off the host, most commonly residing in the pet’s sleeping and bedding areas. Due to the flea species originating from a complete metamorphize (insect life cycle), their larvae are quite familiar with feeding on dust, debris and flakes of human and animal skin which is found in and around pets bedding and general house and commercial floor spaces. This super survival technique means the fleas are very successful at reproducing at a rapid rate. Surprisingly, the female flea can live up to 2 years in age and will lay at least 1000 eggs in her lifetime.

What Do Fleas Eat?

Fleas are blood-sucking parasitic insects that predominately feed on the blood of humans and animals. They are mostly found in domesticated homes but can also be found in offices or businesses where pets are not present. Worryingly, the flea has the capacity to jump up to one hundred times its own height and is keen to hitch a ride on your clothing to spread reproduction widely, and of course the infestation of fleas.

Flea larvae

The larvae stages of the fleas’ cycle eat the blood-rich faeces of the adult fleas or simply scavenge for organic matter in your house or premise’s carpets and furnishings. Most people react to flea bites and usually tend to notice them during the day. This is because fleas are sensitive to vibration so they can sense an approaching ‘host’ whether human or a pet and prepare themselves for a satisfying meal of blood! Although most people are sensitive to flea bites which leave a red itchy bump on the skin, other people are much less susceptible, and bites will show no sign of irritation. Disturbingly this means that any flea infestation problems will go unnoticed until it becomes a substantial and dangerous flea invasion!

Flea Control: How Do I Know If I Have Fleas?

To assess if your pet has fleas it’s a good idea to monitor their behaviour. You can do this by checking to see if they are excessively scratching, showing signs of damaged skin, redness or soreness with any missing hair patches – particularly around the ears.  We would also suggest that you carefully groom your pet using a special fine-tooth flea comb. During this process, you should gently comb through the animal’s fur whilst searching for black specs to fall out on to a white surface. One method of identifying whether your pet has fleas is to add a small amount of water to the black specs. If fleas are present, the black specks will turn red in colour.

• 

• 

• 

In addition to assessing your pets, it is also very important to assess you and your family by checking for evidence of flea bites around the ankles and wrists. A typical flea bite usually would look like a small red spot about 5mm in diameter on the skin. During a heavy or an active flea infestation you will also be able to see fleas jumping around on the floor spaces or present within the upholstery and furniture.

How Can I Prevent Fleas?

Here at The Bristol Pest Controller, we have found that it can be difficult preventing cat fleas as cats are generally very social animals who tend to be around other cats a lot of the time. That said, there are a number of preventative methods you can use which can significantly help reduce the chances of having a flea infestation in your home. These include regularly applying a veterinary-approved product to your pet, washing all your pet’s bedding on a hot machine wash and vacuuming frequently around the area where the bedding goes. In addition to this, keeping your garden area neat and tidy by regularly mowing your lawn to reduce the length of the grass will limit the opportunities for fleas to jump onto your pet whilst they play outside.

How Do I Get Rid Of A Flea Infestation?

Here at The Bristol Pest Controller, our qualified technicians will treat the affected rooms with a residual insecticide surface spray. However, when treating a flea infestation it is about working together.  Before treatment can commence, you will need to carefully prepare the room prior to our scheduled visit to your property. The success of the treatment is vastly improved by preparing the site in the following ways:

Preparing Your Home For A Flea Treatment Service:

1. Thoroughly clean, vacuum or sweep your premises from top to bottom – empty the vacuum outside of the property and empty the contents into a bag and quickly seal.
2. Wash all clothing and bedsheets which might have come into contact with the floor on a 60°C wash or above. Do not put them back in the room until after treatment has taken place.
3. Consider throwing away any heavily infested clothing or upholstery/carpets.
4. Because we need to spray as much floor space as possible – please make sure the floor is accessible to us by removing all personal items (including electrical items) from the room.
5. Cover or store all exposed foodstuffs (if we are spraying the kitchen we would suggest removing all food to prevent contamination to you and your family).
6. If you have a pet ensure they are treated (with a treatment recommended by our Vet) before returning them to the property.
7. All pets (cats, dogs, birds, etc) must be removed during the treatment process. They are not allowed back in the room for at least 4 hours.
8. Remove fish tanks from the room. If this is not possible then they must be covered with a chemical resistant impermeable fabric (further advice can be offered by our qualified technicians if needed).