Tampa Homeowners' Guide To Total Flea Control

How To Identify A Flea Infestation In Your Home

Before we dig into how you can detect a flea problem in your home, it is important to point out that we'll be focusing on homes that have pets. While it is possible to have a flea infestation without having pets, it is far from common. But, if you're a non-pet owner, you should still find some very helpful information here.

• The first sign of a flea infestation is often scratching. Sure, your pet can scratch for many reasons, but fleas are high on the list.
• If you see your pet scratching, or you want to be proactive about catching fleas early, examining your pet with a flea comb is the best way to find fleas. Use the flea comb to move the hair or fur and look for dark, black specks. This material is called flea dirt. It is the feces of adult fleas. You may also see an adult flea disappearing into the hair or fur.
• If you don't catch fleas on your pet, you're likely to see them springing through the air. A flea can get several inches off the ground. You may see them by the floor, on pet bedding, on living room furniture, and in many other places in your home.

The Health Risks Fleas Are Known To Cause For People & Pets

When fleas get into your home, the greatest issue you'll have is that you'll get flea bites. These bites are usually just itchy and irritating, but it is important to be aware that fleas can carry diseases. What disease do fleas carry? Here are a few you should know about.

• Murine typhus
• Bartonellosis
• Tapeworms
• Plague
• Flea allergy dermatitis
• Anemia
• Plague  

These diseases can impact dog, cat, and human health. The good news is that they're all fairly rare. You're most likely to just get annoying, itchy flea bites.

Four Eco-Friendly Prevention Tips To Keep Fleas Out Of Your Home

If you do not currently have fleas in your home and you're not yet dealing with flea control in your house, there are some ways you can prevent a flea infestation in your Tampa home. All of these tips are 100 percent eco-friendly, pet-friendly, and people-friendly.

1. Prevent animals from bedding down on your property. When an animal lays down, it can create the conditions for a flea infestation. Seal voids underneath structures by applying fencing material. It also helps to remove attractants in your yard that lure animals onto your property, such as keeping garbage in sealed containers, removing bird feeders, moving scrap wood away from your exterior, and keeping on top of yard work.
2. Remove unnecessary vegetation from your landscaping and trim your landscape plants. Mice and rats hide in vegetation. When they stop to hide, they can leave flea eggs and flea dirt, which are the catalyst for infestation.
3. Clean out any clogs in your gutters and make repairs to damaged areas in your gutter system. This will reduce perimeter moisture. Fleas need moisture to survive. When you make your perimeter dry, it makes it much more difficult for fleas to develop into adults and lie in wait for your pet to pass by.
4. If you have a dog, but don't have a fenced-in play area, consider constructing one. This keeps your pet from exploring landscaping, structural voids, and other places where fleas may be picked up. It also reduces wildlife traffic in this key zone.