Flea Control Florida
There are almost 2,000 species of fleas thrive in warm and humid environments like Florida if you have pets flea control is vital.
There are several species of fleas that may be pests in Miami Florida. The most common is the cat flea and are known to attack a wide range of warm blooded animals including dogs, humans, squirrels, chickens, rats and mice, and rabbits.
The dog, The human, and The sticktight fleas are all found in Florida, multiple species of fleas can be found on a single animal. The most common flea found on Dogs is the cat flea.
Fleas are very nimble when searching for a blood meal they can jump 10,000 times in a row or to put it perspective or almost 1000 yard the length of three football fields.
Fleas are parasites blood-sucking insects. Their bodies are laterally flattened permitting easy movement through the hairs of the body. Their 6 legs are long and well suited for jumping. The mouthparts of an adult flea are designed for sucking blood from a animals and humans
Signs Your Dog has Fleas
- Excrement Droppings or flea dirt in a dog’s coat
- Flea eggs on dog or in dog’s environment
- Allergic responses or redness of the skin such as Allergic dermatitis a heightened sensitivity to the saliva of fleas
- Excessive scratching, licking or biting of the skin
- Hair loss in some areas
- Scabs, scratches, and hot spots
- Pale gums could be from anemia
- Tapeworms in stool
A female flea will lays her tiny white eggs loosely on the hairs of your pet. The eggs easily fall off the your pet onto the ground, floors, bedding, or furniture. Fleas can lay up to 500 eggs over a period of several months by laying them in batches of 3 to 18 eggs at a time.
The tiny flea eggs hatch in 1 to 12 days after being laid. The white wormlike larva will avoids light and feeds on dried adult feces, but may also feed on the dead animal parts or other organic matter.
The flea will complete the third larval stage in 7 to 14 days, unless food has been scarce. After which the larva will spin a tiny cocoon. In about a week the adult flea will emerge from the cocoon and start searching for a blood meal. In the absence of a host animal fleas are known to remain in the pupal stage from 5 days to 5 weeks.
Adults emerge from the pupal case when vibrations from pets or humans let them know a host is near. This is why people occupying or returning to an unoccupied home may be attacked suddenly by an army of fleas. If you are buying or renting a property find out if there were pets in the home before. If so perform a complete flea control service to the home, lawn and garden.
Adult fleas must feed on blood in order to reproduce. Adults can live for long periods of time without feeding. Fleas live and breed more heavily where pets tend to rest . People that come near these resting places of pets may be attacked. Once fleas have infested you home they will feed on you too. Fleas usually attack places like you ankles and the lower parts of your legs.
The entire life cycle of a flea can require two weeks to two years. Hot wet humid summer months are favorable to egg laying. Hot and dry periods produce maximum adult populations. The August to September are the greatest times for adult flea populations.
Flea Infestations Can Be Life Threatening
Fleas can consume 15 times their own body weight in blood. Heavily infested pests can have anemia or a significant amount of blood loss over exposed periods of time. This is can result in a serious health problem in puppies, where a low number of red blood cells can become life-threatening to some puppies. Some signs of anemia in pets can include pale gums, cold body temperature and listlessness.
Flea Prevention
- Comb your dog with a flea comb to inspect for fleas.
- Wash his bedding weekly.
- Don’t let you pet play in shady areas where fleas concentrate.
Flea control on your pet
An ounce of prevention is worth a gallon of pesticide.
Most over the counter colors, pills, shampoos and sprays do a relatively good job at flea control; however the most common mistake made by pet owners, is
believing a single product or spray will cure flea infestations.
Like any insect problem flea control requires an integrated approach, treating the pet and the property. You have to focus on the pet not the flea. The pest is the source of the flea problem.
If you transport the pet in your vehicle to the veterinarian, you need bring the pet back in another vehicle because the fleas will jump off and jump on. Now your car or van must be treated also or you will be in a viscous cycle.
Do not bring the pet back into the home until you have treated the home, lawn, garden and washed his bedding as this will be futile.
Here is some useful information form The American Veterinary Medical Association https://www.avma.org/public/PetCare/Pages/Safe-Use-of-Flea-and-Tick-Products-in-Pets.aspx
If you have tried to perform flea control yourself in Miami and have not been able to and would like to get a free no pressure no hype no sales pitch quote on our integrated flea control approach that is eco friendly.