Fleas And Your Marietta Home: Targeting Indoor And Outdoor Hotspots

In most cases, pest control does not begin inside your home. It is applied outdoors to prevent pests from getting in. Flea control is a bit unique in that we sometimes have to address an indoor problem before administering an outdoor solution for sustained control.

Today, we'll look at the entire process, from inspections to control methods. If you're finding fleas in your house and want to speak with a professional regarding your pest control issue, your ProCare Pest Services team is happy to help. We provide flea control in Marietta, and our highly-trained technicians have a lot of experience dealing with these elusive pests. We're available by email, phone, or text.

How To Identify A Flea Infestation

If you don't have a flea problem yet (or don't know that you do), the first step is to catch problems early on. To catch fleas early, you need to know a few quick tips. These tips will help you get in front of a flea problem and avoid the misery it can cause. Here's what to look for:

• Scratching: When your dog or cat picks a flea up, you'll likely see them scratching. Fleas are annoying insects that cause irritation. When you see your pet scratch, it is time to get out the flea comb.
• Flea Dirt: When checking your pet for fleas with a flea comb, you may quickly find a black, dirt-like material. That is the excrement of adult fleas. It is the most obvious warning sign that your dog or cat has fleas.
• Fleas: You may see live fleas when you check your pet for fleas. A flea is a tiny, dark-colored insect with a thin profile. It uses its comb-like appendages to move easily through hair. If you see one, it will likely disappear into the hair of your pet quickly.

If you don't get in front of a flea infestation, you'll know because these pests aren't sneaky and don't try to hide. But, if you've never had fleas before, you may not immediately realize fleas are to blame. What does a flea infestation look like? Here are a few facts.

• You'll have itchy insect wounds. You'll likely find these wounds on your feet, ankles, and lower legs.
• The insect wounds can appear on your back or other parts of your body if fleas are in your furniture or bed.
• Flea bites are often intensely itchy and inflamed.
• Some individuals can have a more severe reaction due to allergies, such as swelling, rash, or hives.
• Fleas can irritate dogs and cats and cause hair loss or wounds on the skin from biting at the fleas.

We hope you catch fleas early so that you can avoid the more obvious warning signs of an infestation. But, whether you catch them early or late, you need to know what to do about the fleas inside your home. Let's take a look.