Flea Pest Control & Treatment Preparation

facts on fleas and pest control

Facts About Fleas

Fleas are a very small (1/16” – 1/8” long) flightless pest that live by consuming blood from their host. While they lack wings, they have strong claws and hind legs that allow them to leap. They can leap a distance up to 50 times their body length.

Females lay eggs 24-36 hours after a blood meal and can lay up to 50 eggs a day. They lay up to their own body weight in eggs per day, which is possible because they eat up to 15 times their weight in blood daily! A female flea can lay more than 5000 eggs in their life span – which allows for a rapid growth in multiplying their species.

Depending on the environment and conditions, flea larvae emerge from eggs within 1-10 days – and the larval stage lasts 5-11 days. However, without the proper environment or conditions, the larvae stage can last up to one year! Larvae spin cocoons and then develop into pupae – and pupae emerge as adult fleas.

Keep in mind, when you remove adult fleas from your pet and home, you will need to also control the larvae, pupae and re-infestation of your pet and home!

FLEA TREATMENT PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS

WARNING  if the preparation is not complete, treatment will not have a warranty, there can be no exceptions to this. In addition, pets must be on a treatment plan during the warranty period for the warranty to be valid.

  1. Strip all beds of their linen. Do this first so that you can put items from closets and under beds on the mattress. Wash the linens in Hot Water and Dry on high heat.
  2. PICK UP all loose items from room and closet floors, and from under couches, couch cushions, and from under beds. (pick up toys, tapes, CD’s, pillows, etc.)  Do not place items on furniture (couches chairs etc, but it is ok to place them on table tops, and mattress once bedding is removed)
  3. VACUUM all floors using a rug “beater bar”! Vacuum all upholstered furniture.  This must be done within 8 Hrs prior to Treatment!  (Be certain to vacuum under beds and in closets.)  Discard vacuum bag (or empty its canister) in outside trash when done!
  4. Birds or Fish? Birds: Remove or confine birds during Treatment (if birds cannot be removed from the house, they must be closed in a separate room this separate room will not be able to be warrantied). Vacuum any spilt bird seed from floor.  Aquariums: Cover aquarium & turn off air pump. (when you return you will be able to turn on the air pump).
  5. Dispose of old, non-washable pet bedding. (if it is washable, use Hot water and High heat to dry)
  6. Clean and vacuum dog house or covered kennel or porches where pets reside
  7. If carpet is to be shampooed, it must be done prior to flea Treatment (Shampooing, steam cleaning, or any other method of carpet cleaning (other than vacuuming, during the warranty period voids the warranty.
  8. Vacate home for 4 HOURS. When the Cascade Technician arrives, he or she will ask about your pet’s habits, review treatment, and cover paperwork and payment. Once complete with this it will be time to vacate so we can begin work.
  9. What if there are no pets present? Then as it pertains to the prep before treatment, and the after treatment you would not need to address those items. It is important to note however, without a host animal the fleas will appear to be worse.  Since the pets are gone it only leaves people as potential food source.  Keeping the heat up, and following step number 3 are critical.  Still we need to be patient and allow treatment to work.

After Treatment:

  1. UPON RETURNING, open windows to aerate the house (even though there may not be an odor associated with treatment.) Uncover aquarium and turn on aerator.  Return Bird to its normal area.
  2. TREAT ALL DOGS AND CATS with an IGR (Insect Growth Regulator) product. This is a good step to plan while you are vacated. Perhaps your vet can assist with starting the on-pet treatment. Most of the quality on pet or orally administered treatments are good for thirty days. This must be maintained during the warranty period for the warranty to be valid.  Thereafter periodically re-treat pets according to veterinarian recommendations.
  3. KEEP HOME HEATED at 65, or more, for a min. of 2 weeks after Treatment.
  4. VACUUM AGAIN WITHIN 24 HRS AFTER TREATMENT! And continue to vacuum at least every 3 days for 14 days.
  5. Between this treatment and our subsequent treatment in about 30 days, you will see a resurgence of fleas (especially when host animals are not present). This is normal as the heat and vacuuming are to encourage more pupa cases to emerge and those adults exposed to treatment.  Once the treatment is dry it does not kill the adults as quickly.  This is normal.

Questions? Call 888-989-8979 for immediate service!

© 2020 Cascade Pest Control.

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