Fleas are small parasites, 1-8 mm in size, which carry many dangerous diseases (tularemia, typhus, plague, etc.). When they are detected, measures should be taken immediately to destroy the colony. You can understand that they have appeared in the house if there are traces of bites on the body (of a person or an animal). It is a common belief that fleas can appear only if there are pets in the apartment or if the owners do not carry out regular cleaning. However, in reality, no one is immune from parasites. It is quite difficult to get rid of them, since the size of the colony is constantly growing. For this reason, it is important to start treating the apartment for fleas as soon as even a single insect is noticed.
Insects can belong to one of many species, but the methods of combating them are the same. What types of fleas exist and where do they hide? There are several thousand species of fleas in nature, but only a few can get into the apartment:
- Humans are an extremely dangerous species that attacks mammals.
- Dogs, cats – animals are chosen as a source of food.
- Field – crawl on the fur of animals and thus get into the house.
- Rats, mice – migrate to the apartment from attics and basements, if they have rodents.
- Earthworms (basement) – breed in basements, and in the apartment they hide in places such as the floor, baseboards, carpets.
- Wooden – sneak into the house on the clothes and shoes of summer residents.
In pets, fleas are easy to detect visually, because they are larger and can constantly be on the animal’s body. Human parasites are smaller. After a bite, the affected area may itch and hurt. It will not hurt to periodically check the premises for the presence of fleas. The white sheet method is effective. It should be spread on the floor and watched for a while: if there are insects, they will jump onto the fabric. Even the smallest parasites will be visible as flickering black dots.
How dangerous are fleas?
It is important to understand that fleas in the apartment carry a serious danger: The bites cause itching and redness on the skin. It is possible that one of the inhabitants of the house will develop an allergy to bites, the temperature will rise and swelling will appear. The result can even be anaphylactic shock.
Insects are carriers of pseudotuberculosis, tularemia, hepatitis, typhus, and encephalitis. You can get worms from fleas. We must not forget about the psychological state of domestic animals and people. It is seriously worsened by pests that cause fear and painful sensations.
How to get rid of fleas?
Unfortunately, independent efforts to solve this problem are very often unsuccessful. And fleas cause a lot of discomfort. So we advise you to immediately contact a professional pest control company.
We offer the following methods of removing fleas:
Aerosol treatment of premises –
effective and safe procedure that does not smell. It is used when the degree of spread of pests is not excessive.
Cold fog treatment –
the most effective way, with a strong spread of insects. The “cold fog” destruction method got its name from the form that the active substance takes during the procedure. The dissolved insecticide inside the generator is broken into small particles. The resulting aerosol cloud at room temperature is sprayed over the entire area of the apartment. The appearance resembles a fog that hangs in the air, gradually settling. Particles of the substance are smaller than in fine-droplet spraying, but larger than hot fog. Due to the size of the particles, the insecticide penetrates into all hard-to-reach places. Both procedures must be performed by a professional trained in the use of specific chemicals to make the treatment safe and effective. Our specialists undergo annual certification from ORKIN, so we guarantee quality and safety when exterminating pests in your home.
Where do fleas come from in apartments, houses, in the country?
There are many places where parasites can enter a living space:
the living area of street dogs and cats, kennels where animals are kept, disregarding the rules of hygiene;
neighboring houses where there are domestic animals kept in unsanitary conditions;
accumulation of garbage, landfills nearby;
abandoned housing, destroyed buildings;
raw cellars, etc.
Where do parasites hide in the home?
In order to make the fight against insects as effective as possible and to eliminate the problem quickly, it is important to know which places need to be given more attention.
Fleas can move throughout the house, but they usually concentrate in places where they are most comfortable. It:
– upholstered furniture, mattresses;
– bed linen, towels;
– carpets (especially with natural pile),
– linoleum;
– fur clothing;
– stuffed animals;
– cracks in the floor,
– plinths;
– pet bedding;
– household waste;
– any other places that have not been cleaned for a long time.
Usually, insects live no higher than 1-1.5 meters above the floor level, so human bites are most often on the legs.