National Dog Day is celebrated this Sunday. Because our four-legged companions are such important members of so many families, Clark, your friendly pest, mosquito, termite, and rodent control expert, is committed to protecting them – as well as your home and your human family – from unwanted, annoying, and sometimes harmful pests.
The heavy winter rains that the west coast experienced this past winter led to increased vegetation growth and damp soil. This created ideal breeding grounds for a variety of pests, including fleas.
As a result, fleas are public enemy number one for both dogs and cats across California and northwestern Nevada. These pesky, hard-to-spot insects prefer to live in areas frequented by your pets and other animals while they await their next meal.
Like most insects, fleas require moisture and prefer a humid climate. They can adapt to both indoor and outdoor settings. An adult cat flea (the species that also afflicts dogs and other mammals) survives on a liquid diet of blood from the unlucky animal to which it chooses to attach itself.
These tiny insects – cat fleas only measure 1/8 inch in length – are typically brownish black in color but red when engorged with blood after feeding. They are also quite mobile, possessing the ability to jump six inches straight up. This gives them the capacity to leap from the ground onto an animal or even the pant leg or shoe of an unsuspecting human.
Fleas also can become a problem for people even if they don’t own a pet, because animals such as feral cats, opossums, raccoons, or rodents are readily available flea transporters.
Flea prevention tips
What can you do to help prevent fleas from becoming an unwanted problem for your pets, home, and family? Here are some tips:
- Wash pet bedding: Regularly wash pet bedding and the throw rugs where pets sleep in warm water.
- Keep your home clean: Regularly clean areas that your pet frequents. Vacuum carpets (especially under furniture), upholstered furniture, and under cushions. Be sure to seal used vacuum bags in a plastic bag and discard them immediately after use.
- Clean up your yard: Mow your lawn and trim overgrown shrubbery regularly, as fleas and ticks like high grasses. Fleas prefer warm, moist, shady areas with organic debris. Raking leaves, brush, and clippings from your yard will give fleas fewer places to hide and breed.
- Groom your pet regularly: Grooming is a great way to spend quality time with your pet. It also helps you keep an eye out for any external parasites that may be hiding under your pet’s fur.
- Get regular checkups with your veterinarian. Take your pet for regular checkups and talk with your veterinarian for on-animal prevention and treatment options.
Got questions about fleas? Call Clark.
When you need flea control, call California’s trusted, friendly pest control expert. Our pest control professionals are here to provide you with the best flea treatment. Be sure to ask about Clark’s other home-enhancing services, too, like our Swat-Away mosquito control service. Call or text (800) WE-NEED-YOU (936-3339) or email us at clarkcares@clarkpest.com.
Until next time, the pest management professionals at Clark Pest Control thank you for helping to keep unwanted pests out of your home.