Fleas

One thing for sure, if you have fleas you know it! You walk through your home and your legs get bites up and down, you relax on your couch and wonder if it would be better to go outside and let me mosquitoes attack you.

Fleas enter a property on a host. Usually this is a dog or cat, but can be transported by rodents or other mammals. It doesn’t take but two fleas to cause an infestation!

Usually, by the time you notice that you have fleas in your home, the infestation is worse than you think. Most of the time, the fleas will stay on the host or find another host. It is important that you treat your pets with a flea treatment as well as calling us!

This year we have had a bad flea problem in the Azle and Springtown area so no need feeling alone! We can take care of getting rid of the fleas for you!

What are fleas?

They are small, wingless insects. They are parasites that consume the blood of the host animal by biting and sucking blood. For example, cat fleas will bite and feed dogs, cats, humans, and outdoor animals such as rodents, foxes, and opossums. Most feeding on a pet takes place when it is sleeping or at rest. And a parasite is an organism usually on a host (another species) and gets its nutrients, thus harming the host.

How high can they jump?

They are able to jump up to 100 times their height. They can jump as high as 13 inches. If a human would be able to do that, they could leap over a 480 feet tall building.

Their lifecycle

They have four stages in its life cycle; egg, flea larvae, pupa, and adult. A flea goes through four life cycle stages the adult female deposits up to 50 eggs on the host and its surroundings. Eggs drop off the host and hatch in about two weeks into flea larvae which consume organic debris such as adult flea dirt, dried blood, and other animal detritus found in carpeting or bedding. Then, in 5 to 20 days, they spin a cocoon and pupate. Finally, the adult flea is fully developed in about a few weeks to several months, depending on food supply and temperature, and flea dirt is also known as feces.

Difference between human fleas and cat fleas

The human fleas are dark brown in color, and the size is a little larger than cat and dog fleas. This is because their mouthparts are helpful in suck blood from humans—human flea measures between 1.5 and 4 millimeters in length. Adults have rounded heads.

Bubonic plague

The fleas spread diseases such as Bubonic plague, also known as the Black Death, or Yersinia pestis (named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin), which infects rodents, then spreads by fleas to humans. It was one of the world’s worst pandemics in history. It is estimated that somewhere between 75 and 200 million people died from it over about 400 years, from 1346 to 1353. Yersinia pestis is a disease of rodents that spreads to humans via fleas. The bacteria Yersinia pestis lives in the gut of fleas and is passed from one rodent to another by flea feces. In humans, the disease causes painful swollen lymph nodes, fever, chills, cough, vomiting of blood, and death, usually within 24 hours.

– Even bats can carry the plague and pass it on to humans, although this is less common since fleas do not live in nests with people.

– The first sign of infection is usually a raised and tender area where the bite occurred. After that, it will look like a regular bug bite and will be red and swollen, which later becomes necrotic, full of pus.

– People need to be careful when they are in contact with animals that can have the plague. They have to avoid touching any wild animal and take proper precautions when hunting or skinning them.

The plague is easily transmitted from one person to another using respiratory droplets and cow

– The first symptoms may resemble those of the flu, with a headache and fever. However, within a few days, the inflamed lymph nodes enlarge and turn to open sores filled with pus.

– can treat the plague if diagnosed on time through PCR tests or blood culture tests. In addition, antibiotics such as streptomycin, gentamicin, and co-trimoxazole can be used to treat the infection. Although if left untreated, the patient may develop septicemia and gangrene, which will lead to death.

Can prevent the disease by taking proper precautions such as:

– Avoiding contact with wild animals and always wear gloves when hunting for food

– Not touching dead animals or their fleas without wearing gloves first

– Physical contact with the dead carcass of an animal infected by plague could lead to transmission of the disease.

– If you are in an area where plague is present, wear long pants tucked into your socks and shirt, gloves, hat, and a dust mask or self-contained breathing apparatus if available.

– Do not sleep on the ground, but rather in tents with floors.

– Do not camp next to rodent burrows

The bubonic plague is a disease spread throughout the world in the 1300s by fleas that carried the plague bacteria, Yersinia pestis. This bacteria lives in an infected animal or person and, when passed on, can cause swollen lymph nodes called buboes.

The following article is about its transmission:

“In humans, the bubonic plague is generally spread by biting an infected flea or rodent such as a rat. However, it can also be passed along when people touch

the bubonic plague, a bacterial disease transmitted by the bite.

They can be controlled with sprays, powders, dust bags (usually poisonous chemicals), and collars. Some home remedies are borax or diatomaceous earth (e.g., Perma-Guard). Although, many of these products can be dangerous to both humans and pets if not used properly.

You can also use flea traps.

Flea traps consist of light and some sticky stuff. You put these near your pet’s sleeping area because that is where the fleas are lurking. The fleas will jump to the light and get stuck on the sticky stuff (usually tape).

Also, You can use the vacuum to suck up any adult or baby fleas you see. You do this right before you start cleaning your house because vacuuming them will also suck up any eggs they’ve laid, so if you leave the room without emptying your vacuum cleaner, those flea eggs will hatch and make your life harder.

Their Eggs

Also, they lay eggs on your pet. Most of these get off your pet and lay their eggs in parts of your house. To get rid of the eggs, you should vacuum every day for a week while making sure to empty the canister or bag so more can’t hatch and survive. You should keep cleaning every day for a few weeks after that if more eggs are missed.

For your pet’s sake, you should wash them daily with a flea-killing shampoo and comb them regularly with a special comb to remove any adult fleas on their fur. You can also give your pet an insecticide medicine or cream to kill any fleas that are already on their body.

Can my pet go outside?

And If you may have a cat or dog, be sure to keep them from going outside. They can bring in more of them, and their fur will bring the eggs inside your home. It is a great idea to take time every day to search for them on your pet so you know if they need medication. The best way is to use a special flea comb on your pet after getting out of the tub. It can get rid of most of their adult fleas before they bite again.

Keep all pets away from carpets, furniture, and bedding until they are treated for fleas. This will prevent new eggs from being brought in and dying adults that can fall off the pets and start new infestations.

Medications

A few of the most common medications are Frontline, Advantage, BioSpot, Advantix, Pelican, Activyl. Always read instructions to make sure you are using it properly before putting it on your pet. If you don’t give it at the right time of the month, you will not get rid of them.

It would be best to treat all indoor pets with these medications because they can still bring in adult fleas from outside. Also, make sure to wash all bedding and use a flea spray on carpets, furniture, and other areas that might have eggs or larvae.

When and where will they bite

People get the most bites near their ankles and lower legs because that is where fleas like to live. They run quickly but rarely jump higher than about 24 inches off the floor, so they are doubtful to hop onto you from any taller plants or shrubs.

Adult fleas can survive for only a few weeks without a meal in the wild. That’s why you stop getting so many bites when it starts to get colder, and they start dying off – cold weather is one of the biggest causes of flea-deaths!

Tips to keep them away

Flea problems can be a pain because rodents and their fleas can be carriers of the illness for a long time without exhibiting any symptoms. Since rodents and other animals carry the plague, humans can contract it from many sources such as:

– Flea bites, accidental ingestion of an infected animal during hunting or skinning

– Inhaling droplets from an infected animal coughing or sneezing

– Creating direct contact with a contaminated object such as clothing, blankets, etc.

Rodents carry the infection, but it is also important to note that humans can contract the plague from other animals by coming into direct contact with them without wearing gloves and taking proper precautions.

You can use a few drops of dish soap in water and put them into a spray container. And then shake it up and spray it on the plants – it will kill off any adult fleas.

If you don’t want them to return, try to keep the environment less inviting for them when your pets aren’t around!

-Don’t forget Frontline, Advantage, BioSpot, Advantix, Pelican, Activyl!

-Don’t forget all indoor pets!

-Vacuum all carpets and couches regularly (at least three times a week!)

-Wash all bedding in water 60 degrees Celsius or hotter.

-Make sure to keep your pets off of your bed and furniture since their fur can bring them in

-Take out the trash daily, so it doesn’t become a breeding ground for larvae

-Seal any cracks or holes where they can enter your house!

so do these things if you don’t want to get a flea infestation

It can also be essential to treat all pets in your home, even if they don’t get fleas, since this will kill any fleas that might have made their way into your home. If you don’t, then an infestation can become worse and last a lot longer.

All pet owners should treat their pets for fleas. They are more likely to kill fleas on them while they are still around. If you don’t, then an infestation can become worse and last a lot longer.

What colors are fleas attracted to

Fleas prefer the colors red, blue, and black. Yellow and white targets attract the fewest fleas. This is because the cat flea prefers sources of light as well as heat. Fleas can see color, but it isn’t the critical sense. So when you’re trying to get rid of them from your home or pet, try using yellow and white targets as an advantage to have a less likely chance that they’ll be affected by the insecticide.

how to know if you have bites

1. Red spots with a halo.
2. Itching.
3. Hives.
4. Rash (characterized by small clusters of bumps)
5. Swelling around the bites.

sometimes it will be worse, like if you have flea allergy dermatitis

How do I check my dog for fleas?

The red color happened when blood injected into flea dung is passed through the waste. If your dog might have fleas, they may be black as dust on paper. It seems that the dirt can be found normal-sized and red. Red specks may turn red if they do not look red if they are “normal” dirt. Check the flea’s waste – actual fleas – in the animal’s hair coat to prevent any disease/infection. Check a dog’s hair coat regularly and remove all flea bites with a wet towel.

How do they affect dogs?

You will most likely start to feel the effect of fleas when your dog is repeatedly scratching and chewing. Your dog may be having excessive bruising as it is regularly scratching. Fleas may cause allergies to animals or transmit another parasite, such as tapeworms, to your dog or cat. You can see small brown mice in the hair.

Flea

Siphonaptera covers about 2,500 species of small flightless insects that survive as external parasites of mammals and birds. Fleas eat the blood that comes from their mouths and digest it as a hematophagous. Fleas grow up to 2 meters (1 inch). Many species may be brown and their bodies “flattened” sideways or narrowed, enabling them to move across the air. They lack wings but have solid claws to prevent them from dislodged and have adapted teeth for piercing skin and sucking the blood. As a result, they can leap a distance of fifty times their body length, a feat second only to the jumps of one group of insects.

Humans

Some people don’t react as strongly as flea bites or even feel it. Other people can suffer from flea bite allergic skin dermatitis resulting from intense itching, hair loss, and reddening of the skin. One of the best ways to confirm fleas is to find them on pets or in the house. No case of plague and murine typhus have been found in Minnesota. However, tapeworms have since been known to be transmitted to both dogs and cats in the state. Scratching the surrounding tissues can cause secondary infections, including fleas. It is challenging to diagnose fleas only from desolate spots that cause similar signs in other conditions.

Flea Infestation Signs

Symptoms often include scratching, hair loss, and red bumps. You could also spot minor black marks or spots on pets, and those are some signs you have flea infestation carpets and surfaces, which are usually flea feces. If you see these signs and need to contact an allergist, a flea control kit is advisable. Flea larvas are generally more hidden in places like behind furniture or inside cracks in the wood. These eggs are deposited atop your pet’s head by the female adult flea allowing their movement to occur. It is dispersed across most of the habitats of flea infestations.

Facts

Fleas are voracious blood-feeders taking in as much as 25-fold their bodyweight each day. Adults can quickly hook up to any moving dog or cat or the legs or boots of a human. Pets catch fleas if taken from kennels – groomers and from feral animals who roam in the yard. Contrary to popular belief, fleas rarely leap directly from one pet to another. They rarely jump vertical or over 6 inches. Instead, adults can easily ride on a passing dog or a dog’s leg. Flea is a common external parasite for both dogs and cats.

Does salt kill them?

A lot of people think it can kill adult fleas. Some blogs suggest sprinkling water or baking soda over carpets to kill fleas. Unfortunately, baking soda doesn’t produce any benefits, and so can salt and be toxic to your pet. It’s best to stick with vacuuming and flea spotting sprays for carpets. Carpets should be vacuumed.

What do they look like?

The length of fleas is around 102 mm, and it is categorized as dark red or brown. Adult fleas have bristles that point backward that allow them to move quickly through fur, hair, and feathers. The species lack wings, but its strong legs enable them to move over long distances. Fleas are relatively flat in shape and have antennae and six legs. Fleas are commonly seen with the naked eye using eye.

How can I be able to get rid of them in my house?

They present in your family can account for 5% of your infestations. Eggs, larvae, and baby bugs hid within you and in your house constitute the remaining 95%. Please try to make an excellent attempt to eliminate them from everywhere in the household, including carpets and furnishings. Would you mind removing them from pet furniture, rugs, carpeting furniture, and the other areas of your home to remove them from your infestation?

What do the eggs look like?

What Do Larvae Look Like? Flea larvae that hatch from flea eggs are off-white and look like tiny worms that range from 2-5 millimeters in length. However, you may not see them because they quickly burrow deep into carpets, cracks, and grass.

How are they harmful?

They usually pose a concern for wildlife as dogs and cats are the primary hosts in homes. They bite pets readily and usually provide meals from blood.