Summer is here and now is the time for swimming, baseball, barbecues, and other fun outdoor activities. While we may remember the bug spray for the kids, we sometimes can forget about our pets. Fleas are a common pest that can not only endanger your pet but your family as well.
Fleas are tiny, wingless insects, usually between 1.5-3.3mm in length. And even though it cannot fly, a flea can jump up to 13 inches horizontally. That can be up to 2200 times its body length!
Fleas will leave their victims with extremely itchy red welts and can cause anemia, dermatitis, and tapeworms in our dogs and cats. When infested pets come indoors, fleas will leave their host and lay eggs in pet bedding, carpeting, furniture, and even the cracks in wood floors.
Here is some advice to keep your pets pest-free this summer:
- Check pets frequently for ticks and fleas. Watch out for heavy scratching and licking.
- Keep your pet away from tall grass and wooded areas.
- Bathe pets after walks and when they’ve been exposed to other animals.
- Keep pet bedding, collars, and toys clean and washed.
- Treat your pet for fleas as instructed by your veterinarian.
- Wash bed linens and vacuum floors and furniture frequently.
- Fleas can also travel on rodents and other warm-blooded mammals. If you don’t have pets but have discovered a flea infestation, a thorough inspection should be done to rule out the presence of other rodents inside your home.
If you suspect you may have a flea problem, contact us for a free inspection in Evansville, Washington, Jasper, Indianapolis, Terre Haute, IN, and surrounding areas and Henderson, Owensboro, Louisville, Lexington, and Bowling Green, KY.