Flea Lifecycle
Fleas in the home can be an irritating and annoying problem. The major pests are the Cat Flea and Dog Flea. The small, black flea, often called a ground flea or sand flea is in fact a newly emerged, unfed Cat or Dog Flea. Many people do not realise that most of the life cycle of the flea occurs off the pet. For every five fleas found on your dog, there may be ninety-five in the carpet! This sounds hard to believe, but note that for much of its life, the flea does not look like the small brown insect people recognize. The other stages in its life cycle are: a small (less than 0.5mm) white egg; a grey maggot (5mm long); a pupa in a camouflaged cocoon (about 4x2mm) or a dark, newly emerged adult.
The female flea is capable of laying up to five hundred eggs over a life time which spans weeks or even months. The eggs are usually laid in bedding of pets, dust or carpet. The larvae may hatch as soon as two days after eggs are laid if conditions are favourable or they can remain in the environment for some weeks prior to hatching. After growing for 9-15 days, the larvae spin silken cocoons and in these tiny envelopes they pupate for 7-14 days before emerging as adults. Fleas can lie dormant in their cocoons for several months waiting for vibrations to stir them into action. Adults emerging from the pupal cases are small and black until they feed. They can remain alive for three months without food.
The female flea is capable of laying up to five hundred eggs over a life time which spans weeks or even months. The eggs are usually laid in bedding of pets, dust or carpet. The larvae may hatch as soon as two days after eggs are laid if conditions are favourable or they can remain in the environment for some weeks prior to hatching. After growing for 9-15 days, the larvae spin silken cocoons and in these tiny envelopes they pupate for 7-14 days before emerging as adults. Fleas can lie dormant in their cocoons for several months waiting for vibrations to stir them into action. Adults emerging from the pupal cases are small and black until they feed. They can remain alive for three months without food.
Preparation before treatment
Once an infestation of fleas is discovered, it is important that certain measures be taken before chemical application is carried out.
A thorough cleaning of the house is an important preparatory measure and should not be taken lightly. Remove all pets bedding from inside the home and wash it or destroy it. Vacuum all carpets, especially where pets sleep or rest, under furniture, in built-in cupboards, cracks and crevices along walls and also under or between the cushions of lounge chairs.
After vacuuming, empty the contents into an air tight plastic bag and before sealing, destroy the adult fleas by misting into the bag with an aerosol (not surface spray) or by burning. All floors, including built-in cupboards, should be cleared of boxes and other items such as toys, shoes, etc. so that the serviceman will have ready access to the entire floor surface.
All affected pets, e.g. cats and dogs, should be treated by a vet or the owner. Servicemen must not treat the animals, but it is important that the owners realise that unless the animals are clear of fleas the problem will remain.
A thorough cleaning of the house is an important preparatory measure and should not be taken lightly. Remove all pets bedding from inside the home and wash it or destroy it. Vacuum all carpets, especially where pets sleep or rest, under furniture, in built-in cupboards, cracks and crevices along walls and also under or between the cushions of lounge chairs.
After vacuuming, empty the contents into an air tight plastic bag and before sealing, destroy the adult fleas by misting into the bag with an aerosol (not surface spray) or by burning. All floors, including built-in cupboards, should be cleared of boxes and other items such as toys, shoes, etc. so that the serviceman will have ready access to the entire floor surface.
All affected pets, e.g. cats and dogs, should be treated by a vet or the owner. Servicemen must not treat the animals, but it is important that the owners realise that unless the animals are clear of fleas the problem will remain.
During treatment
On arrival at the home the serviceman will check that the necessary preparations have been carried out, and advise the customer of any other assistance he may need. After closing all windows and doors, he will ensure that fish tanks are covered and bird cages removed. The treatment (inside) will be applied to all floor surfaces such as carpets, rugs, vinyl tiles, etc., and under cushions of lounge chairs where possible.
The insecticide used will be of low toxicity to humans and domestic animals and like insecticide, it requires people and domestic animals to be away from the area being treated until it has completely dried. The outside of the house will be treated depending on the severity of the infestation, some of the yard will also be treated. The serviceman will pay particular attention to areas where animals roam and rest, e.g. on lawns, along fence lines, under clothes line, under shrubs etc.
The insecticide used will be of low toxicity to humans and domestic animals and like insecticide, it requires people and domestic animals to be away from the area being treated until it has completely dried. The outside of the house will be treated depending on the severity of the infestation, some of the yard will also be treated. The serviceman will pay particular attention to areas where animals roam and rest, e.g. on lawns, along fence lines, under clothes line, under shrubs etc.
After treatment
After the treatment is completed the serviceman will check that the treatment inside the home is completely dried. The customer can then enter the premises and resume all normal activities. At this stage, all of the adult fleas will have died.
However, over the next fourteen days, the customer will see odd fleas, mainly during the early mornings as they hatch out of their cocoons. These fleas, as they move about, will come in contact with the insecticide and die within a couple of hours.
The insecticide used has low toxicity to humans and pets, as previously mentioned, and has a short residual life to enable it to control the emerging fleas. It is important that the carpets are not cleaned or vacuumed for approximately one week after treatment. Fleas may be found in the home during the warranty period if the pets are not regularly treated and are allowed to roam in the infested areas. This is the responsibility of the customer and they must ensure that their pets are free of fleas at all times.
However, over the next fourteen days, the customer will see odd fleas, mainly during the early mornings as they hatch out of their cocoons. These fleas, as they move about, will come in contact with the insecticide and die within a couple of hours.
The insecticide used has low toxicity to humans and pets, as previously mentioned, and has a short residual life to enable it to control the emerging fleas. It is important that the carpets are not cleaned or vacuumed for approximately one week after treatment. Fleas may be found in the home during the warranty period if the pets are not regularly treated and are allowed to roam in the infested areas. This is the responsibility of the customer and they must ensure that their pets are free of fleas at all times.