Fleas are small, blood-feeding insects with exceptional leaping abilities. Their powerful hind legs make it all too easy for them to hop onto their hosts - which may include your cat or dog. Once fleas enter your Mooresville home, these little pests will make all your family members - canine, feline, and human - extremely uncomfortable.
If you have a flea infestation in your home, you probably have a few questions about why this happened, what the risks are, and most importantly, how to make it go away. Read on to learn everything you should know about fleas in Mooresville.
What Is Attracting Fleas To My House?
Fleas may be attracted to your home for a number of reasons. Fleas feed on warm-blooded animals, so you are more likely to have fleas in your house if you are a pet owner. Stray dogs, cats, and wild animals such as rodents and opossums may also bring fleas onto your property.
If you have fleas in your home, it may be that your yard is providing an attractive habitat for them. Fleas prefer shaded areas, as they cannot tolerate the sun for long. Yards with lots of trees and vegetation that provide shade can be more inviting to these pests. An overgrown lawn is similarly enticing for fleas, as tall grass protects them from the sun. Fleas generally prefer humid conditions, so over-watering your grass can create an ideal environment for fleas.
To avoid attracting fleas to your house and yard, try these simple tips:
- Vacuum/sweep your house frequently and thoroughly, and be sure to empty the vacuum bag or container outside your home.
- Wash bedding (including pet beds) regularly.
- Keep pets on flea control products year-round.
- Mow your lawn frequently.
- Avoid watering your lawn too often, as dry yards are less hospitable to fleas.
- Keep rodents and wildlife away from your property by removing yard debris, sealing entry points into your home, and securing garbage.
Preventing fleas on your property can save you the hassle of dealing with fleas in your home. If an infestation does occur, contact a Mooresville pest control professional for effective flea control services.
Can Fleas Live On Humans?
Fleas live and breed on their animal hosts, including your beloved dog or cat. After jumping onto their chosen host, fleas will stick around until groomed from the animal or dislodged. While living on your pet, fleas feed on their blood and lay eggs in their fur.
Thankfully, fleas do not live on humans. Our bodies don’t provide an adequate habitat for them, as our lack of fur or feathers prevents fleas from being able to stay on us for any length of time. Fleas on people can become a problem if not taken care of properly. People need to brush or wash them off when on their bodies. While fleas don’t live on humans, they can still affect us. In the next section, we’ll explore how.
Can Fleas Bite People?
Although fleas don’t reside for long on humans, that doesn’t mean they won’t bite us. Fleas prefer to feed on animals but won’t hesitate to bite you if given a chance, and this can happen when fleas infest your home. Fleas may leap up from carpets or furniture for a quick blood meal, courtesy of you. You can also acquire bites if you handle or come in close contact with a flea-infested animal.
Fleas often bite humans on the feet, ankles, and lower legs. Flea bites on human skin appear as small, red bumps, often arranged in a line or cluster. The bites can be very itchy, but the irritation usually doesn’t last long. However, fleas can pose more serious medical concerns. Fleas can potentially spread dangerous diseases to humans, including plague and murine typhus. If an animal or human accidentally swallows a flea, this may expose them to parasites such as tapeworms. Due to the health risks, it is vital to protect your household from fleas.
How Can I Eliminate All Of The Fleas From My Home?
If you notice signs of fleas in your home, take action as soon as possible. A flea infestation is not only an unpleasant situation; it is a potentially dangerous one. The most effective way to eliminate fleas from your home is to work with a Mooresville pest control company.
Lake Norman Pest Control is your source for flea elimination in Mooresville. We have provided exceptional pest control solutions to our community since 1959. We use state-of-the-art equipment and modern pest control methods to safely and effectively eradicate fleas in your home and yard.
Lake Norman Pest Control will thoroughly treat your property for fleas so that you can enjoy a flea-free home once again. Reach out today for your free flea control quote.
