Fleas are incredibly annoying and incredibly dangerous, so you don't want them in or near your Los Angeles home. Nevertheless, they're a common household pest. Learn more about why fleas are such an issue and how you can keep them away from your property.
What Are Fleas?
To put it simply, fleas are tiny insects. Even the adults are very difficult to see, despite their reddish-brown color. Fleas don't have wings but are impressive when moving around, thanks to their ability to jump as high as eight inches.
It's not the appearance or mobility of fleas that makes them so dangerous. As parasites, fleas need blood to survive. Female fleas eat about 15 times their body weight every day, so they feed on you and your pets more than you might think. Flea excrement feeds flea larvae and is one of the reasons fleas are prolific breeders.
It's not just the fact that fleas feed on blood that should disturb you. Perhaps more troubling is the reality that fleas are dangerous. They spread diseases and leave you and your family vulnerable to illness.
Where Do Fleas Come From?
Like all pests in Los Angeles, fleas have to come from somewhere. They don't magically appear inside your home and multiply, although they certainly do multiply. First, fleas need to come from somewhere. This could be from any of the following:
- Your Pets: If you have dogs or cats in your home, you may be able to blame them for your flea infestation. Fleas often live on dogs and cats and then enter your home. Then, the fleas breed and continue to feed on your pets as well as you.
- Wildlife Hosts: People sometimes mistakenly believe that fleas won't invade their homes because they have no pets. However, this is far from the truth. Fleas often live on rodents and other wildlife, which means wildlife pests could bring fleas to your yard or inside your home.
The Real Reason Fleas Are In Your Home
There's one reason fleas are inside your home- you have food for them. And while you can clean your home to make food less available to cockroaches and ants, you can't do much to make food less available to fleas. Apart from moving out of your home, there's no way to take away what fleas need.
Because of this, flea prevention is difficult. Your best chance at keeping fleas away from your Los Angeles home is to do the following:
- Treat Your Pets: If you have pets in your home, make sure they have a reliable flea preventative. You can use topicals, chewables, or flea collars. Whatever you use for flea prevention, make sure it's effective. Your veterinarian can suggest the best option for your pet.
- Keep Wildlife Pests Away: You can treat rodents and other wildlife with flea medication, so you need to be more proactive with them. Take measures to keep wildlife pests away, such as maintaining a clean yard. You can guarantee that wildlife hosts will bring fleas around if you have tall grass, thick shrubs, and debris piles. Keep your yard clean and free of garbage.
Work With An Expert
For the best results, you need guidance from a professional. Here at A Step Above Pest Control & Termite, we understand the challenges that come with flea infestations. We want to protect your home and your household from these dangerous pests. As a result, we work hard to use the most effective methods of flea control.
Whether you find evidence of fleas or you want protection from them, call us. We're ways ready to help Los Angeles residents.