Have you ever heard the little tune, "My dog has fleas!"? Do you think this is a happy song? We sure don't. Why? Because fleas are generally not content to stay put on Fido--or Kitty for that matter--they typically will jump off into pet bedding, carpets, furniture, and pretty much anywhere else they can hide. And these tiny insects multiply quickly. A few fleas brought in on a pet can quickly turn into an infestation nightmare. And, are you aware that you don't even have to have a Fido or a Kitty to get fleas? If your home is not secured against rodents and wildlife, you could end up with a flea infestation from one of these furry creatures.
Fleas are around 2.5 mm long and can be yellow, red, or dark brown, depending on when they last fed.
- A flea's body is flat and thin. This allows it to move easily through an animal's fur.
- Fleas have something called Resilin above their hind legs which is the most elastic substance known to man. This is what makes fleas such good jumpers. In fact, fleas can jump one hundred times their height. This would be the equivalent of a human being jumping over the Eiffel Tower! Because of this amazing ability, fleas are able to get into all areas of a home.
- When a flea jumps, it actually accelerates 50 times faster than a space shuttle! That means they can get where they're going quickly.
- A female flea can lay eggs every 12 days and can produce up to 600 baby fleas in just one month. Those fleas can mature in as little as 12 days, or as long as 174 days so, under ideal conditions, one little flea could turn into thousands in a very short period of time.
- Lapdogs were actually bred to protect their owners from fleas. In the past, people kept lapdogs so that fleas would bite the dog instead of them! It didn't quite work as expected.
- Fleas can be extremely hard to get rid of with do-it-yourself methods. Many folks with a flea infestation find themselves going round and round and spending more and more money on sprays and other flea treatments only to discover again and again that the fleas are still there.
- Fleas can be taken care of effectively with help from a professional pest control company.
Here are a few interesting facts about fleas:
If you find fleas in your home, give the pest specialists here at Parkway Pest Services a shout. Not only can we eradicate those fleas, but we can also protect your home from rodents and other animals that can bring fleas in.
Life is just better without fleas. Give it try, today.