Jacksonville, Florida, is where people take full advantage of the lovely weather. In this kind of environment, many people and their pets prefer to spend as much time outdoors as possible. With so many opportunities to visit, play, and relax, it is no surprise that an unwanted, irritating pest in the area gets into your home, making pest control in Jacksonville a full-time job. Does everyone in your home seem to be scratching? If so, you may have tiny fleas irritating your family members.
How To Identify A Flea Infestation In Your Jacksonville Home
While a flea might be tiny, the problems it causes within your home can make you feel like you are losing your mind! Luckily for homeowners, some signs can pop up to help you identify whether you have a flea infestation affecting your household.
Four indications that you have a flea infestation include:
- Excessive scratching (especially with your pet)
- Hair loss
- Red bumps (especially around feet, ankles, and lower legs)
- Tiny black “specs” (flea poop) in rugs, carpets, and pet beds
The Health Risks Fleas Can Create In Jacksonville Homes
When fleas feed on hosts or their flea poop gets into an open wound, diseases spread. Fleas are carriers of “pathogens.” Pathogens are things like viruses, bacteria, and microorganisms that cause disease.
Six diseases that fleas are known to transmit are as follows:
- Bubonic plague
- Murine typhus
- Tungiasis
- Tularemia
- Bartonellosis
- Tapeworm
Many people think that only pets can have flea problems, but the reality is that fleas bite people when they share the same space as people. Flea bites can cause painful and itchy red bumps in groups of three or four (or sometimes in a straight line) that have a “halo” around the inner portion of the center. The saliva from a flea bite can cause severe allergy dermatitis and even anemia in pets; it can also cause allergic reactions in people that can become quite severe.
All The Ways Flea Infestations Start In Jacksonville Homes
Fleas are known as “freeloaders” because they will latch onto anything to move to new environments that satisfy their needs. There are multiple ways these “freeloaders” can enter your home to make a nuisance of themselves.
Three avenues that fleas use to infest homes include:
- They will latch onto your beloved pets.
- They will latch onto pests that often invade homes, such as rodents.
- They will latch onto everyday items such as pant legs, blankets, and shoes.
Some “not-so-beloved” pests like rodents that enter homes can also transport these freeloaders inside your home. Once these “freeloaders” get inside your home, it is open season. They are masters at hiding and will often set up home base in areas where pets or people sleep (beds, carpeting, furniture, and even cracks in the floor).
How To Get Rid Of Fleas In Your Jacksonville Home For Good
Getting rid of fleas is not for the faint of heart. Because of their lifecycle, it sometimes takes weeks to several months to end flea infestations. At the first sign of flea infestations, homeowners should treat any pets that have become a host with a vet-approved flea treatment.
Because fleas can spread quickly throughout your house, it is best to contact the pest professionals at Trad’s Pest Control. Our family-owned company will provide effective treatments (inside or outside) necessary to get rid of fleas. When added to our pest control or lawn control packages, it is the most comprehensive service for addressing your pest needs. Contact Trad’s Pest Control today to get your free estimate.