Spotlight on the Flea

We get many calls to service customers with flea infestations around Jacksonville, Florida. Sometimes, we find the customer does not have a flea infestation but rather they may have problems with dust mites, spiders, or other small biting insects which they assumed to be fleas.

Fleas are small, dark, reddish-brown, wingless, blood-sucking insects. Their legs are long and well-adapted for jumping. Florida is home to multiple species of fleas including the cat, dog, sand, human, and sticktight flea.

Common Types

The most common flea we find around Jacksonville is the cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis). Cat fleas feed on warm-blooded animals including dogs, humans, chickens, rabbits, squirrels, rats, and mice. The female lays up to 500 eggs over several months in groups of 3-18 eggs per batch. Eggs hatch in 1-12 days and the larvae morph into adults in about 3-5 weeks.

The peak time for adult populations is August – September but they are a year-round pest here. We start to see activity generally in spring once soil temperatures are consistently above 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Flea Control

Controlling fleas can be difficult and requires treatment of the pet and the premises. Insecticidal treatments at 2–4-week intervals may be required to eliminate fleas. Stand-alone or one-time insecticidal treatments are rarely sufficient to fully exterminate fleas. Pets should be examined by a veterinarian to determine the best treatment plan.

The best defense against fleas is prevention. Once your yard/home is infested, eradicating them can be more problematic and more costly. If you have pets in Florida, chances are you will have to deal with fleas periodically. It’s not a matter of if, but when.

Insecticidal treatments inside your home should be limited to the areas of known infestation such as pet bedding areas, affected furniture, or rooms. Treatment should include insect growth regulators to prevent flea larvae from morphing into adults.

Owners should clean and sanitize bedding, linens, carpets, rugs, and any material possible. Labeled insecticides should never be broadcast sprayed onto bedding, carpets, or furniture where people may contact the chemical. Most labeled insecticides have warnings against exposure to skin and eyes.

Find The Source

Owners should do their best to determine the source of the fleas and to avoid these areas. Dog parks and roadside rest stops are often infested with fleas. Avoid them if possible. When out-of-town family or friends visit with their pets, carefully check their pets before bringing them inside and bathe them if possible.

Your Flea Control Experts

As Ben Franklin once said, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. Protect your property and pets from fleas by hiring 360PestControl for flea protection. While we can’t guarantee you will never have a flea problem, we can guarantee rapid eradication at no additional expense to you. We also offer other pest control services for ants, bed bugs, mosquitos, and more. Contact us today at (904) 637-1109 or request service online and see how we can help you. No job is too big or too small for us.