- What are
- Fleas
- ?
Fleas are wingless parasites that cause great distress to pets and home owners when there is an infestation on their pets and in their homes. They are tiny dark brown insects that infest the coats and skin of pets. They can jump up to 150 times their body length and can move quickly from the ground to a host. They need a blood meal to survive and move to the next stage of their life cycle.
Pets and humans are particularly vulnerable and their bites cause an itch that is very irritating. They are the number one cause of skin disease in pets and can cause weeping sores, scaly skin, and a strong smell. Some cats and dogs are allergic to them and one bit can set off a horrible reaction. Fleas also have the ability to transmit tapeworms in dogs and cats.
- About Our
- Fleas
- Treatment
Our Flea Treatment is a comprehensive spray treatment to all accessible internal flooring areas of the home and external ground areas of the property adjacent to the building. We also treat subfloor areas where possible, and garages if that is where affected animals sleep.
The products we use include a Residual Insect Growth Regulator to control any new fleas that hatch from any eggs laid in the home or outside. No product can penetrate the egg casing of the flea so the residual product will keep working after the initial treatment when any eggs laid in concealed areas hatch. This breaks the breeding cycle of the fleas but this can take a few weeks to have full effect.
Additional Information
A thorough flea treatment will take approximately 1-2 hours to complete depending on the flea infestation present. We will require access to all internal and external areas of the home including the subfloor and garage. Please pick up everything you can off the ground to allow for an effective treatment.
There are specific tasks we need you to complete before we attend to complete a flea treatment. This is really important if you want the treatment to be effective. Our office can provide an information sheet on flea treatment preparation before the service.
- Externally – Cut the grass around your home short just before our treatment to allow for better penetration of the pesticide to the soil areas where fleas and eggs will exist.
- Internally – Vacuum all carpets and rugs to remove as many live fleas and flea eggs as possible. Place the contents of the vacuum cleaner in a sealed plastic bag and place in your garbage bin.
- Have any rugs professionally steam cleaned beforehand – we can then treat these on the day also.
- Remove all items (within reason) from internal floors so we can apply a thorough treatment.
- Wash pet bedding in hot water
- Treat your pets with the appropriate Flea Treatment provided by your Vet.
- Arrange to have your pets away from the property whilst the treatment is in progress. It is safe for them to return once the pesticide has dried internally and externally.
- Post Treatment – Do not walk over treated areas until the pesticide has dried.
- Vacuum the floors every day for at least a week to remove any dead fleas and eggs after the treatment.
We will require access to all internal and external areas of the home including the subfloor and garage. Please pick up everything you can off the ground to allow for an effective treatment.
Light rain at the time of treatment does not affect the Flea Treatment. As water is a carrier for the products we use, a little extra water enables the pesticide to be carried deeper into the soil. If the weather is hot and dry at the time of the treatment, we usually soak the ground with water before commencing our treatment to ensure it is effective.
This treatment includes Fleas, All other pests are not included in this treatment.
Payment is required on the day of service – we accept cash, EFTPOS, Visa and MasterCard, and cheque.
Unfortunately, a warranty can not be offered for this treatment as it is impossible to assess how many flea eggs have been laid in concealed areas. The residual pesticide will continue to work however if there is a heavy infestation, a second treatment may be required within two weeks if a large number of fleas hatch from eggs and you can not wait for the residual treatment to kick in. This is at an additional cost.
What to expect after your service?
Once we have treated all the internal and external areas and the pesticide has dried, it is fine to walk over the treated areas and pets can return to the yard. Please only spot mop your floors over the next few weeks to ensure the residual pesticide can do its job. The treatment kills live fleas on the day and the residual keeps working on any fleas hatching from any eggs laid in concealed areas. Sometimes a Flea Treatment can take up to six weeks to be successful depending on the number of eggs laid. It is for this reason that we request that you vacuum your floors every few days for as long as you can to remove any dead fleas or loose eggs and their casings. The contents of the vacuum cleaner should be placed in a sealed bag and placed in the garbage bin, not put back in your cupboard.
Any remaining eggs will continue to hatch, move through the residual and die until they are all gone. If the infestation is quite severe, you may require an additional treatment or we may suggest you use a can of pesticide aerosol spray to kill them if you are finding it difficult to live through the hatching and elimination process. Please ensure any pets such as dogs and cats are treated with the approved medication regularly as directed by your Vet and their bedding is also washed weekly.
