What To Do About Fleas In Your Lexington Home

Kentucky is considered horse country, but not everyone owns horses around here. Some of us just own dogs, cats, or other animals, most of which are much lower maintenance than racehorses. However, some concerns come with owning pets that simply lay around the house rather than racing around the track. For instance, fleas are one of the potential risks of owning pets that people might write off pretty quickly. Fleas aren't a big deal, right? You might be surprised, and what you don't know about flea infestations in Lexington really might hurt you. 

How Do They Get In?

Most people think that fleas will cling to pets and enter the home, which is true, but there are many other ways for fleas to get into the house. If there are rodents like mice, rats, and raccoons around your property, they can easily bring fleas into the yard or even into the home. Now, if you think that all you have to do is keep rodents out of your house and check your pets for fleas, you've got the wrong idea. 
 
You see, as soon as fleas in Lexington get onto your pets or rodents, they lay eggs on their skin. So, even after they jump off, your dogs and cats might still be carrying these eggs. As they run through the house, your pet will be spreading flea eggs everywhere. Once they hatch, you've got a full-blown infestation, which is not a healthy situation to be in.

The Dangers Of Fleas

Fleas are dangerous due to their ability to transfer diseases to you, your pets, and your children. They'll spread bacteria everywhere throughout your home as they hop around from your curtains to your carpets and furniture. The longer these fleas hang around, the higher your risk for incurring a deadly disease. That's why spotting an infestation early on is essential to your health. 
 
So, how can you spot an infestation? Since fleas are so hard to see, this can be a difficult task. If you have fleas in your home, there should at least be a few that remain on your dog or cat, so you can watch them for signs of discomfort, itching, shaking, or scratching. You might also be able to look closely at the floor and see them hopping around. As they jump, they can make it into your kitchen and onto your food preparation surfaces, which is obviously a very dangerous situation for every occupant's health.

Prevention Tips

Once you incur a flea infestation, they're nearly impossible to get rid of yourself. You'll need to call a professional pest specialist as soon as possible in order to avoid a larger infestation. However, before fleas invade, there may be a few things you can do to prevent them from coming into your home.

• Vacuum and clean regularly to help eliminate any eggs that your pets spread around your house before they can hatch.
• Brush your pets outside so that the fleas and eggs you brush off land outside the house rather than inside.
• Ensure rodents remain outside by sealing cracks and entryways and changing up the lawn decorations and landscaping setup to discourage flea-carrying rodents from your property.
• Having your pets on a flea medication from your trusted veterinarian can greatly reduce your chances of an infestation.

All these practices can help, but do-it-yourself pest control always comes with the risk of inconsistent results. The best form of flea protection is with a collaborated effort between your vet and the home pest control professionals at Action Pest Control.