Cat & Dog Flea Control Bristol
Fleas are usually no more than a nuisance, although some people and animals have an allergy to them and a very heavy infestation of fleas can make a home unpleasant for residents and visitors. Any cat or dog can pick up fleas from other pets at any time, and once established in a home a flea population can be difficult to exterminate without professional pest control assistance.
Identifying fleas in Bristol
The Bristol Pest Controller is always happy to help identify any pest, and you are welcome to send a photo to 07970 749 482. All fleas are small, brown, flattened insects, a few millimetres in length. They have hairs that point backwards, to help keep them on the host animal. You may also notice a flea’s black eye, and of course fleas have a significant jumping range.
Flea bites are often seen in a row or a clump of bites near to each other. Bites can itch, and stay red, for up to several weeks and it isn't unusual to see some hair loss where an animal has scratched repeatedly. In very severe cases, fleas can cause anaemia. Often it will seem that one or two people in a home are being bitten, but in fact they are probably reacting most badly to the flea bites.
Cat and dog fleas (Cetnocephalides felis and Cetnocephalides canis) are about 2.5mm long and brownish (see picture on the left). Cat fleas are the most frequently seen and cat owners will often notice an increase in the number of fleas in their home if it has been left empty for a week or two.
Fleas also have a larval stage, which feeds in particles of dry blood and other material in cracks and crevices. A very heavy infestation can be signalled by a dusting of white eggs and larvae in the animals' sleeping area.
Treating fleas in Bristol
Some of the biggest infestations appear when a property is empty for a period of time, as fleas emerge from the larval stage and seek new animal hosts. Many hundreds of cat and dog fleas can appear simultaneously in this way, and it can look as if a carpet has been sprinkled with pepper. Fleas can jump – only in daylight or artificial light – large distances onto a moving animal nearby.
Dealing with such a flea infestation is difficult when using only retail products from shops in Bristol. Integrated, professional flea control methods are needed, which combine options such as dust formulations, residual surface sprays, fogging, fumigation, sticky boards and monitoring traps
Get an immediate quote for flea control in the Bristol area. Call Giles on 07970 749 482
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