If you’re having an issue with fleas or any other pests, it’s time to call in a Tulsa pest control company that you can trust. Fleas can be a problem that can attack your dogs or cats at any time of the year. While they predominantly are seen in the spring, summer and fall months, the winter is not immune to these parasites. Feeding on the blood of your beloved dog or cat, these insects can spread disease and just make for an all-around uncomfortable situation for your pets. In this article let’s take a good hard look at fleas, their lifecycle, and how you can work with your Tulsa pest control company in order to best eliminate these pests from your home.
BLOOD, FLEAS AND TULSA PEST CONTROL
Fleas are a parasitic insect that feed off the blood of mammals. In North America, we have the cat flea. While it’s name implies that it only feeds off of cats, this could not be further from the truth. Just like it’s cousin the dog flea, which is found in Europe, it will feed on cats, dogs, mice, rats, birds, rabbits, or any other mammal that I can get in touch with. Because of this, this insect is it a vector for a number of different diseases, both in humans and pets.
Fleas use a complete lifecycle in order to develop. This means that these insects start as an egg. The adult female will lay her eggs on the base of the fur of the host animal that she’s on. As the host animal moves and scratches, the fleas eggs will fall off onto the ground. This is usually somewhere near bedding, or in some other high traffic area. When the egg senses that a host animal is near, it will hatch. A larva will emerge, and will start to feed immediately. Flea larva feed on what’s known as flea dust. This dust is the droppings of the adult flea. It includes some undigested blood from the flea itself. This gives the larva the gut biome that it needs to break down host blood, plus the nourishment that it needs to develop further down the line. Call your Tulsa pest control company today.
FLEA COCOONS AND TULSA PEST CONTROL
At a certain point, the larva will start to pupate. This is much like a cocooned butterfly. The larva will begin to gather dirt, hair, or any other things, in its environment to create its cocoon. Now it will start to develop within that cocoon Into the adult flea. Once it fully develops inside the cocoon, it will wait until it feels the vibration and heat of a host animal. Once it does this, it will emerge from the cocoon as a full grown adult. Adult fleas have a unique ability to be able to jump very long distances. It will use this ability to jump on a passing host animal. Once it connects to that animal, it will feed off the animal and survive. Here the flea will mate and lay their eggs starting the process all over again.
JUMPING FLEAS AND TULSA PEST CONTROL
The fleas ability to jump is given from its unique anatomy. It has very long hind legs that are powered by a strong muscle, going right down the center of the body of the flea. This muscle, when the flea wants to jump, will tense up much like a spring under tension. It will hold a bunch of energy until the flea is ready to take flight. The legs of the flea are geared together in such a way that synchronize the jumping mechanism. When a flea jumps the distances that it does, it must perfectly synchronize the pressure exerted by each leg, in order to aim itself at its host. All at once the muscle down the center of the insect will explode and push the legs backwards, making it jump sometimes up to 50 times its own height. Contact your Tulsa pest control company for more details.
Fleas are a carrier of many diseases. One of the most well-known diseases that the flea took part in, was the bubonic plague. The plague terrorized Europe during the Middle Ages. We still have the plague in some parts of the southern United States. This disease is spread by fleas and rats and can be treated if diagnosed early enough. Anemia is also a disease that can affect flea bitten animals. Often smaller animals such as kittens or puppies can be susceptible to this. When an overpopulation of fleas feeds too much on a small animal, they can drain so much blood from the animal that it becomes anemic and possibly can die. It’s very important solve this issue if you’re having a problem with it.
FLEA TREATMENT AND TULSA PEST CONTROL
If you’re dealing with fleas or any other pests, it’s important to get in contact with your Tulsa pest control company. Fleas require a three part process in order to deal with them. First, you’ll need to contact your veterinarian and come up with a solution for the fleas that are actually on the animal. There are many kinds of collars, drops, dips, injections, and other forms of flea control that can be done on the animal.
The second line of defense that you need to create is in your home. You’ll need to contact your Tulsa pest control company in order to have your home treated for fleas. It’s important during the process, that you vacuum often. This mimics the heat and vibration of an adult host animal, and convinces the insect to come out of either its egg or pupa form. It will need to do this to get in contact with the pesticides. And lastly the exterior of your home and yard may need to be treated if you have extensive issues.
If you’re dealing with fleas, or any other pests, then it’s time to call a Tulsa pest control company that you can trust. Here at TermMax Pest Control, we are the best in the business when it comes to dealing with fleas, ticks or any other pests. We service a greater Tulsa area, including Broken Arrow, Sand, Springs, Bixby, Coweta, Claremore, Catoosa, Jenks, Prattville, Sapulpa, Owasso, and much more. Call today for a free estimate. We’re here to help!