Fleas are tiny, hard-to-control pests that no one wants to see in their home. And while they are more likely to invade through a pet, no home is completely safe from them, as they can use other means to get indoors, such as old clothing and furniture or even nearby wildlife. If you have been invaded by fleas, it is crucial that you learn to identify the different types of fleas as well as their life cycle to better understand the proper steps needed to control, exterminate, and prevent them. If you suffer from a flea infestation, Pest Friends provides quality Tucson pest control you can rely on to eliminate fleas safely and effectively.

How To Identify Different Types Of Fleas

There are several different types of fleas including dog fleas, cat fleas, Oriental rat fleas, and human fleas. Fleas do not fly, but they can jump surprisingly long distances considering how small they are. Dog and cat fleas tend to be dark brown in color, becoming very dark red if they have consumed blood. On the other hand, human and Oriental rat fleas tend to be more of a reddish-brown color. All fleas require a host from which they can draw blood, which means that while some of them prefer warm-blooded family pets to live on, they can adapt to feeding on humans as well. All fleas have six legs and antennae, and can easily be seen on a host provided that you know to look for them. If your pets have been itching more than usual and you see tiny little black specks on their fur, you might have a flea problem.

The Lifecycle Of The Common Flea

Like many insects, fleas go through four stages, from egg to white larva to pupa and finally adult. Some conditions are better than others for fleas, and they will adapt to them by delaying the life cycle progression which can take a mere couple of weeks up to several months. Once they reach the adult stage and find a suitable warm-blooded host, they can live for up to a year, although the average flea life cycle tends to be around 100 days. 

Three Reasons Fleas Are So Hard To Get Rid Of

Fleas are very hard to get rid of for many reasons, although the following three are the most common:

1. Fleas are sturdy pests with a strong exoskeleton. Unlike many other insects, they are very hard to crush, if you can even catch them in the first place.
2. Fleas reproduce quickly, meaning that even if you kill all the visible fleas, they might have laid eggs that are going to hatch, unleashing a new flea infestation in your home.
3. Good habits alone are not enough to keep fleas at bay. It would require near-constant vacuuming and mopping to keep up with them, which is not always possible.

Fleas are resilient pests that can escape most homemade treatments. Unfortunately, once fleas have settled inside your home, it will take more than regular cleaning sessions to get rid of them.

Control, Extermination & Prevention Of Fleas

In order to control, exterminate, and prevent fleas, it is important to ensure your home is no longer a good environment for them to breed and multiply. The following tips can help you regain control of your house once more:

• Bathe all pets with soap, and strive to remove every flea on their fur using a flea comb. Consult with a pest control company for the best flea-killing products and speak to your veterinarian about year-round flea control.
• Vacuum all floors and mattresses, steam clean all rugs and carpets, and machine wash all bedding (including pet bedding) with detergent on a hot cycle.
• The best way to get rid of fleas is dependent on your own specific situation. A professional company can best advise you how to get rid of fleas for good.

Fleas are notoriously hard to get rid of. If these tips don’t prove successful very quickly, your flea problem will multiply, potentially harming you and your pets.

If you can’t get rid of fleas, you are not alone. These tiny jumping pests can be hard to see and identify, and once you realize your home has been invaded, it might be very difficult to get rid of them considering their short reproduction cycle and potentially long life expectancy. If your Tucson home has been invaded by fleas, Pest Friends provides expert pest control you can rely on to exterminate and prevent them for good.