Fleas

Fleas are small flightless insects that can live on pets – like cats and dogs. They are normally reddy to dark brown in colour and are approximately 2-4mm long, so are just visible to the naked eye. Their bodies are flattened from side to side with long legs enabling them to jump.

Even if you don’t see fleas, if you spot your pet scratching or biting at its fur, the problem may well be fleas. They cause a sharp pain when fleas bite and their salivary glands give off a substance that's irritating to many dogs and cats. Fleas often target the hind-quarters of your dog or the head and neck of your cat. Carefully check your pet’s skin for ‘flea dirt’ (it looks a little like fine black pepper). The specks are bits of dried adult flea faeces.

What are the likely causes a flea infestation? Fleas can jump onto your pet's fur from other pets, other wildlife (especially hairy animals) like rabbits, foxes, squirrels, rats, mice and livestock such as pigs or from vegetation outside.

Emerging adult fleas immediately seek a blood meal, as they must feed within weeks to prevent starvation. Combinations of stimuli help the accuracy of host detection for fleas. They are attracted to body heat, vibrations, carbon dioxide produced by warm-blooded mammals, movement in air currents and shadows cast by a potential hosts as they pass. Fleas will jump in the direction of the perceived shadow. Fleas also often stay on the underbelly of animals, so are easily transferred to your carpets, rugs or soft furnishings when your pet lies down.

Once fleas find a host, they stay there for the remainder of their life, only searching for another host if they are dislodged. The flea’s eggs will drop from the host animal onto surfaces when they rest (carpets, rugs, pet bedding, sofas) and the larvae develop into adults in cocoons, emerging to find a host to feed on and start the egg laying process all over again. A flea’s lifecycle can be anything from two weeks to about eight months. Once they’ve arrived fleas will not just disappear, you will need to treat your pets and your home to break the fleas lifecycle.

A targeted vacuuming regime will help remove flea larvae food sources (like organic matter in carpets, bedding & furnishings) as well as adults. Fleas go through several life cycle stages, so you'll need to vacuum clean your carpets, rugs, flooring and soft furnishings every day for at least 14 days. The damaging effects of the brushes, fans and powerful air currents in vacuum cleaners combine to help eliminate the fleas. Vacuuming can also help to remove the eggs and larvae. Use hoover attachments for skirting boards, vents, floor cracks, carpet edges and room corners. Pay particular attention to areas of carpet where your pets sleep or spend a lot of time. Remember to carefully remove the contents of your Hoover outside of your property and seal it before placing it securely in an outside bin for disposal.