Fleas Are a Common Problem
Fleas can be an issue in every home or office. Whether it is home to cats, birds, dogs, or people, fleas are not particular where they will get a blood feed from, and they can affect clean and well-maintained premises.
Wooden flooring can harbour fleas, larvae, and eggs, as will carpets and furniture, including lounge suites and mattresses.
Frequently Asked Questions
The life cycle
It is essential to understand their lifecycle to control fleas and be aware of the limitations some treatment methods will have.
The adult flea
The Flea Adult is the only Lifecycle stage that feeds on blood. When someone is experiencing flea bites in the home or workplace, it is obvious there are Adult Fleas present. Immediately after a flea has completed a blood feed from the host, it will utilise the nutrients and begin laying eggs. This will occur very quickly. And, the Flea will lay many eggs at one time. A couple of thousand Flea eggs may be laid by a single flea in the course of its life!
The flea egg
Flea Eggs are smooth and white. A flea can lay about 50 a day after a blood feed. Following gestation an egg will hatch into larvae in less than one week.
The Flea larvae
The Flea maggot is very small and difficult to see. Therefore, they will not be obvious, remaining out of sight, hidden in crevices, between floorboards, carpet edges, vinyl seams and edges, mattresses, and furniture folds. Larvae feed on flea faeces and other biological matter.
The final larvae stage of the flea is the Pupae. A highly protective cocoon in which the adult flea emerges when disturbed. Vibration or heat can signal the flea to emerge and jump onto its first host. This can occur any time after a week in the cocoon! However, if undisturbed, fleas can lay dormant in this pupae stage for up to a year. Such as in a vacant house or building.
Fun Facts
Many Flea control products on the market frequently used for flea control only kill adult fleas. This is why often there is a dead zone for a few weeks before activity can start again after the first treatment.
Because adult fleas only make up 5% of the total flea population, larvae, eggs & Pupae making up for the other 95%, insecticide sprays with knockdown alone kill not much more than 5% of the entire population, leaving the eggs, larvae and pupae to continue to morph eventually into adult fleas.
This is a common reason aerosol Flea control bombs are often ineffective or have limited results.
EcoSan Solutions use longer lasting residual control in all our Flea control products. This ensures Fleas hatching from Eggs and Pupae will be killed even weeks later.
Flea treatment methods
Knockdown with Residual spraying. This is the most common control method for fleas used by exterminators in Auckland. It is the most cost-effective, simple solution. Suitable for residential applications with early and more serious Flea infestations. This Knockdown method is usually quite fast-acting, often resulting in immediate success. Long lasting Residual ingredients in the product keep working to control Fleas hatching from Eggs and Pupae.
In cases where this method is employed, it is important to refrain from vacuuming or washing floors post treatment for up to a week. The more floor space and furniture that can be treated, the faster results will be achieved.
The steam extraction method. Cleaning the carpets and upholstery is an effective way to reduce the flea population. Not only does this method remove biological matter sustaining and feeding the larvae, but flea eggs are quite smooth and easily lifted from carpet fibres and fabrics. Flea larvae are sensitive to heat and are extracted and removed during steam cleaning, as are the pupae. Since 95% of the flea population is made up of larvae and eggs, the steam cleaning method can assist with reducing Flea infestations. This method may be suitable if carpets are due for a good clean. After a carpet steam clean, the carpets will be left clean and sanitary and a Flea treatment will be applied to mop up any residual fleas and their life cycle.
Low toxicity knock down and life cycle inhibitor. Low toxicity knockdown treatments and life cycle interrupters are gaining traction as a preferred flea control method among consumers and pest controllers. Utilising safer solutions for children, pets, and staff makes sense when health and safety takes precedence. And scientific innovations in pest control mean that these new low toxicity treatments can achieve excellent results. EcoSan utilises a combination of a low toxicity knockdown treatment, and a hormone interrupter that kills adult fleas and prevents larvae from morphing into blood-feeding adults in treated areas. This method is EcoSans preferred flea control solution where the use of insecticides are not an option.
Residual antibiotic. Residual antibiotic treatments commonly applied in other countries are underutilised in New Zealand. Their capacity to kill adult flea and flea larvae means treatment with these solutions can wipe out at least 50% of the flea population immediately. Eggs have several morphs before reaching the adult stage, so it is unlikely they will survive long enough to reach adulthood in a treatment zone. Active residual effects can last 6 months in good conditions, which is sufficient to control adult fleas hatching from pupae. This method uses no insecticide and is considered more user-friendly.
Call us now for a free quote and we will explain all the finer details of the service which we guarantee will give leave your site flea and pest free.
