No Fleas Please

Fleas are a more difficult opponent to eradicate than most other household pests. But by using an integrated pest management approach that includes you, the homeowner, as part of the overall, long-term solution, fleas can be effectively controlled and customer relationships strengthened.

When facing flea infestations, the first and most-important challenge you will encounter is the insects' biology, which mandates that different control approaches be used at specific stages of fleas' four-stage lifecycles.

At their most-resilient, the pupal stage, these parasitic insects are protected by an impenetrable shell and can lay dormant for months. This stage allows them to survive most treatments and return to breed and re-populate.

To ensure effective, long-term solutions to flea infestations, it is often necessary to solicit your cooperation as part of the pest control strategy. Education is key as this will maximize the success of flea treatments, as well as ensuring that your home will remain flea-free once treatments have concluded.

Without customer cooperation and pre-treatment preparations, flea management will unfortunately prove to be mere temporary, half-measure fixes to out-of-control problems.

Pre-Treatment

• Clean House - homes must be thoroughly cleaned immediately prior to treatments. This includes washing any affected bedding and cleaning up all debris and clutter that could act as harborages to fleas. Treating unprepared homes ensures that unhatched eggs and pupae will remain to feed and repopulate in the future.
• Vacuum - this encourages fleas to develop out of their nearly invulnerable cocoon stage.
• Knowledge - a list of specific areas, both inside and out, the your pets and even nearby wildlife frequent should be composed.

Post-Treatment

• Pet Peeve - Treating pets regularly is essential for their own comfort and to kill any errant fleas entering homes.
• Cleaning and Cooperation - Regular and thorough vacuuming and cleaning of infested ares is needed every two to three days in the following month after treatment has taken place.

Article provided by Attack Pest Control