Fleas

Adult fleas are parasites living off warm-blooded animals with different species of flea living off different animals. Cat fleas are approximately 2-3 millimetres in size, brownish in colour and are responsible for the majority of flea infestations.

Their increase in numbers in recent years has been caused by an increase in the number of people keeping pets and by the tendency for pet owners to neglect cleaning their pet bedding regularly.

Central heating provides the necessary warmth needed for fleas to breed and fitted carpets provide relatively undisturbed environments for flea larvae to develop.

Flea bites appear as a tiny dark red spot surrounded by a reddened area which can be intensely irritating and usually persists for one or two days.

How do they live?

Flea eggs are about half a millimetre long, pearly-white in colour and are laid on the pet or in its bedding. Four to eight eggs are laid after each blood meal, a single female producing between 800-1000 eggs during her lifetime which may be as long as two years.

The eggs hatch in about one week into larvae which live in dark, humid places such as animal bedding and carpet fluff, feeding on debris and adult flea excrement. A cats’ bedding may support 8000 immature and 2000 adult fleas.

After 2-3 weeks, the larvae spin cocoons and pupate and may spend winter in this state only being awakened by movement and vibrations in their environment. Development from egg to adult is normally completed in 4 weeks but at low temperatures will take much longer.

Can I treat them?

Regular cleaning denies fleas breeding sites and contributes significantly to their control. You should remove accumulations of debris from cracks and crevices such as the cracks between skirting boards and floorboards, and the whole area should be thoroughly cleaned.

You can use over the counter insecticides to treat your home if it is infested. Before you start treatment you should thoroughly clean your home with a vacuum cleaner. Placing a small quantity of insecticidal dust onto a carpet and vacuuming it up will control fleas, which get sucked into the cleaners bag. After this treatment, avoid vacuuming for between seven and ten days.

Pets such as cats or dogs should be treated using veterinary products that have been specifically formulated and registered for use on pet animals. Pet bedding must also be thoroughly laundered.

Please read the label and follow the instructions on any insecticide you use and look specifically for any additional measures you may need to take in respect of children.

Can I get them treated?

Cheshire East Council provides a service for controlling fleas in domestic properties for a competitive charge. For details of this service and the costs involved please refer to our pest control home page.

Fully trained Pest Control Technicians will look at the infestation, and draw up a treatment programme  in the most appropriate locations. They will return to your home to make sure the treatment is successful. If you need our help, please use our contact details above to get in touch.

Insect Drawings © Bayer 1964