Indeed, fleas may continue to be an issue in homes within Collingwood during fall due to the presence of pets or other factors that permit their activity. It is not necessarily true that low outdoor temperatures will kill fleas inside a house. A Collingwood pest control expert can help determine whether ongoing activity is coming from fleas or another household pest.
Why Flea Problems Can Continue After Summer Ends
Most homeowners believe that flea activity will end when temperatures start to drop. Cold weather outdoors will affect flea activity, but indoors in a heated home, fleas will continue living and thriving throughout fall.
Homes provide fleas with the warmth and shelter they need. If there were fleas in the home in the summer months, they may continue growing in carpets, rugs, pet beds, and other areas where pets sleep.
Pets can also be a big problem when it comes to fleas. Dogs and cats may acquire fleas outdoors and bring them indoors before the cold weather sets in. Fleas will continue feeding on pets even if the weather outside is not favourable for them.
That is why fleas on pets cannot be considered a problem that occurs only in summer. Pets that keep scratching in the fall may still have fleas, especially if flea control has ended or become inconsistent.
Flea activity could also be observed when exposure to outdoor elements has been reduced. Fleas observed in the house even as late as October might simply indicate that fleas inside the house are emerging continuously without new flea entry from outside the house.
Collingwood houses tend to provide much warmer climate than is available outside in the fall period, thus allowing for continued presence of fleas inside the house during fall.
How to Check Your Home and Pets for Signs of Fleas
An initial indication that there is a problem with fleas is often seen in the way pets behave. Cats and dogs tend to scratch and lick themselves more often than usual.
Areas to check include the neck region, rear end, abdomen, and area under the tail. Adult fleas will move fast within an animal’s fur and might sometimes be hard to spot.
Another indication is the presence of flea dirt. The speckles that are actually flea feces are tiny and dark and might be found on a pet’s coat, bedding, or preferred locations of rest. Flea dirt tends to look like ground black pepper.
A third indicator is flea bites. They appear as small reddish, itchy spots and usually occur around the legs and ankles. However, bites alone will not confirm presence of fleas; they only become a strong sign if combined with the others.
Inspect the places where pets spend the most time. This may include:
- Pet beds and blankets
- Carpets and area rugs
- Upholstered furniture
- Areas beneath or beside furniture
- Favourite sleeping or resting spots
Just because you spot a single adult flea, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve spotted all there is to spot. Finding fleas can be very hard sometimes since fleas spend most of their time somewhere else other than on your pet.
Seeing fleas regularly, constant scratching, flea dirt, and continuous bites are some of the signs of an indoor flea infestation that should be investigated further. You can even keep a record of where and when things are happening.
Why Fleas Can Be Difficult to Get Rid Of
Fleas can be problematic since the adult fleas you see can just be a fraction of the issue. The eggs and larvae of fleas could already exist in areas where the pets sleep or stay.
The adults live on the animals and eat their blood. Their eggs can be shed on carpets, rugs, bedding, and upholstered furniture. The larvae will develop in secluded places and become adult fleas at last.
This is why eliminating or killing adult fleas may not prevent any further action at once.
Homeowners may clean or treat the pets properly but still find another flea after a few days. This is not always due to failure of the initial attempt. It can occur since immature fleas may already have developed in the house prior to that.
Flea pupae can be hard to control as they will stay protected up to the time when it becomes favourable for the adult flea to emerge. Movement, heat, and the existence of a host can facilitate this procedure.
It is for this reason that flea activity seems to be sporadic. An owner may find no fleas for several days and then all of a sudden spot another one.
The better question to ask is whether the activity is reducing. If the bites, scratching of the pets, or adult fleas persist without improvement, further action may be required.
What Collingwood Homeowners Should Do When Fleas Are Found
If fleas are detected, begin by concentrating efforts on areas that pets frequent the most. Cleaning will aid in reducing flea eggs, larvae, and other debris in these areas.
Vacuum carpets, rugs, upholstered furniture, and the surrounding edges of areas where pets rest. Dispose of the contents of the vacuum cleaner after cleaning.
Clean any washable pet bedding, blankets, and similar materials according to the manufacturer’s directions. It is better to repeat these actions than to clean once and think that the problem has been solved.
Treating the pets is necessary too. If a dog or a cat has fleas, the homeowner should consult with a vet regarding what kind of flea control product will be best to use. This action will help to solve one of the main feeding grounds of adult fleas.
It is important not to use any pest control products at home on the animal unless the product states that it can be used in such a way.
Then, homeowners should look for any signs of infestation. If there are still flea bites, adult fleas are visible or scratching occurs even after cleaning and proper treatment of pets, it might mean that the fleas have settled at the house.
In such cases, professional flea control may be the next step. Pest control specialists will evaluate the situation and decide whether it requires additional treatment at home.
The point is to eliminate the existing fleas rather than wait until the cold fall weather eliminates the fleas. Simcoe PestX can help homeowners dealing with continued flea activity.