Fleas

Live Flea-Free with Pointe!

Pointe Pest Control is committed to keeping your home pest-free in every season. Our team of experienced and state-certified technicians are dedicated to providing safe and effective pest control services for the Western Illinois and Eastern Missouri areas. If a pest problem is not completely resolved after a visit, our technicians will return until it is eliminated.

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A Bloodthirsty Pest

Fleas are often associated with just being a problem for dogs and cats, but the frustrations of fleas are more than just leaving itchy bites. If they get inside, fleas can lay their eggs in carpeting and other soft areas that will keep them hidden. Since fleas do not have wings, the easiest way they can get inside a house is if they are already on a host. Fleas can detect carbon dioxide and are attracted to body heat, so they can find a host relatively easy in the warmer months.

Fleas need blood to survive, and they can get it from humans and furry animals. Fleas are tiny, often about 2.5 millimeters long, so they are only detectable by the bites they leave behind. The intensity of the bites can range from mildly itchy to swollen and irritated, depending on the person or pet. If fleas consume infected blood, they can transmit diseases to any future hosts as well. If your furry friends are already treated for fleas and you still notice an army of fleas in your home, Pointe Pest Control has the EPA-approved treatments to fit your needs.

Frequent Hiders

The primary reason why fleas are such a frustrating pest, besides their bloodthirsty diet, is because they are expert hiders. They can hide within the tall foliage outdoors, and often choose to hide in bedding, thick carpeting, and upholstered furniture. Fleas are constantly active and do not need rest, so they can feed any time of the day. But they do prefer darkness, so they often do most of their feeding at night. Although fleas can bite humans, they do not prefer to stay on people after they finish feeding. Fleas prefer to stay on their hosts for as long as possible, and hiding is only possible when they are on a furry animal.

If a family of fleas get the opportunity to live on a furry animal, they can stay hidden and reproduce for even longer. They get on a host by jumping up to two feet high, and can hop from different surfaces to animals. They may stand out far more on creatures with light fur, but fleas can be nearly invisible on dark fur. And since female fleas can lay eggs constantly with the energy of her blood meals, a flea infestation can get out of hand sooner than other pests. The best way to prevent fleas is to have your furry friends treated regularly for fleas, but only as directed by your veterinarian. Fleas commonly stay around the necks of animals because that is the spot with the most protection. If you notice your pet scratching more than usual, check the fur around their folds for any reddish-brown fleas and their white eggs. Once they have been treated for fleas, call Pointe Pest Control for the most caring and attentive pest control in the greater St. Louis and Swansea areas.

The Feast of Fleas

It is no secret that fleas love the warm blood of mammals. They are parasites that consume the blood of the mammal they are currently on, which is usually a furry animal due to the level of protection for the tiny fleas. Once female fleas lay their eggs, up to forty at a time, the young can take anywhere from two to fourteen days to hatch. The larvae are white and lack legs, so they can only feed on the object they were hatched upon while they build up the energy to spin a cocoon about five to twenty days later. Before the cocoon phase, larvae will eat blood, other insects, and flea droppings, also known as flea dirt. Once the flea pupae is inside the cocoon, it will not leave until the outside conditions are favorable. After surviving their most impenetrable stage, fleas can begin feasting a few hours later. And once they begin feeding, fleas can start reproducing, beginning the cycle of frustrating bites all over again.

Fleas often live for just over 3 months, and they constantly feed on a host during that time. They can jump from host to host, or simply hide in foliage or a hidden spot around the house before their next feeding. These pests are most difficult to control as pupae, thanks to the protection of the cocoon, so flea control is best performed in different treatments. At Pointe Pest Control, we use a combination of interior spray products that will target fleas in different locations. Certain sprays are meant for baseboards as a barrier treatment, and others are used on large upholstered objects, like carpeting. As an additional perk, our outdoor summer mosquito treatments also stop bloodthirsty fleas and ticks. With these treatments applied in addition to the protective treatments your pet receives, you can be sure that Pointe Pest Control will keep your home free of fleas!

Get Rid of Your Fleas Today!

Initial Service

We use EPA-approved products that target multiple pests without the use of dangerous chemicals.

Follow-up Treatment

Our team will complete a scheduled return visit about 10-14 days later to treat once again.

Flea-Free Guarantee

We value the safety of your family and pets, so we guarantee our effective results.

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Fleas in Missouri

Flea species may seem identical on the surface, but knowing their slight variations could help you know how to best address the specific flea problem in your home or business.

Cat Flea – Ctenocephalides felis

Despite their straightforward name, cat fleas also like to feed on dogs and other furry pets. Cat fleas can lay up to 4,000 eggs in their lifetimes if they continuously feed, but they can survive without blood for months if necessary. These fleas are about 1/4 of an inch long and almost black in color. They eat flea dirt and blood, but interestingly consume more human blood than other fleas. The most common flea species in the U.S., cat fleas reproduce outdoors in warm weather and indoors in every season. They only live for 1 to 2 1/2 months, but considering how much they reproduce, it is worth it to utilize flea control as soon as possible.

Dog Flea – Ctenocephalides canis

The dog flea is similar to the cat flea in that neither of them strictly feed from their nominal animal. Dog fleas feed upon furry animals and humans, and will only leave a host if they are directly removed. They are even known to return to their original host if the flea is in the same relative area. The one exception to their search for blood is cats, as dog fleas cannot survive on them. Although dog fleas act and look similar to cat fleas, there are a couple of key differences. Dog fleas are slightly larger and rounder than cat fleas, and humans who are bitten by dog fleas will experience a bumpy rash in the affected area.

Oriental Rat Flea – Xenopsylla cheopis

Rat fleas actually do feed upon rodents, but their presence does not solely affect the furry pests. These brown fleas do not commonly invade homes on cats and dogs; rather, they often feed upon rats, mice, and rabbits. They can also bite humans, which is made obvious by the red-encircled dot that appears afterward. But the main issue with rat fleas is that they are known spreaders of various diseases through multiple generations, as their eggs are infected with the diseases of their parents. The most commonly transmitted pathogens are plague, typhus, and various tapeworms.

Every flea species has its problems, but they are no match for Pointe Pest Control. We stand by our flea treatments as effective and efficient, and we guarantee complete client satisfaction.

Protect Your Pets

If you have a dog or a cat, there is a greater risk of a flea invasion than a home without a pet. Household pets are the most common target of fleas in populated areas because they provide both a reliable food source and an egg-laying site. In fact, the first hints of a flea issue in the home are the physical reactions of pets to being bitten. An animal that has been bitten will constantly scratch and nibble on its skin, and can even develop irritated skin if they are allergic. If your pet has lighter fur or hair, you may see tiny brown fleas crawling around.

Keeping fleas from using your pet as a host involves both caring for the animal and their home. There are preventative topical treatments for dogs and cats, but ask your vet before using them, as they can greatly irritate the pet’s skin. If your dog or cat spends a lot of time indoors, vacuum their favorite places often. Carpeting, pet beds, and couches are all common hiding spots of fleas. Make sure you pet receives regular baths, and take them to their scheduled vet appointments. Pets that spend a lot of time in shaded grass and dirt are at a higher risk of contracting fleas, so checking them for fleas often provides you with peace of mind and a home free of fleas.

Pointe Pest Control Fights Fleas

In addition to keeping the shrubs and lawn trimmed outdoors and the floors vacuumed indoors, regularly-scheduled pest control will keep the number of fleas down to a minimum. If your pets are treated, or if you do not have any, the sudden appearance of fleas could be a sign of a different pest issue, like rodents. But if specific flea control services are requested, it is essential that any pets are treated first. The pest control treatments will be pointless if the pets are not treated, as the fleas can simply hide on the animal until the technician is gone.

Pointe Pest Control has flea treatments down to a science. During the first service, our technicians will spray the same products we use to combat mosquitos and ticks, as all of these bloodsuckers are preventable in similar ways. About 10 to 14 days after the initial service, we will return and treat once again. The return visit is important because it eliminates the adult fleas that were hidden in their protective cocoons during the first visit. No matter how many visits it takes to rid your home of every flea, you can be sure that our team will provide thorough services every time. We value the safety of your family and pets, and we guarantee the effective results of our EPA-approved products. If you are itching to keep your space flea-free, give Pointe Pest Control a call today!

I would highly recommend

We have used Pointe for about a year. They come quarterly for mice since we live in the country and monthly during the summer for fleas, ticks and mosquitoes. We have been pleased with the service and the friendliness and professionalism of the technicians that come out. I would highly recommend Pointe Pest Control.

Kim Mitzelfelt

West Chicago

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Fleas

Fleas

Live Flea-Free with Pointe!

FREE PEST CONTROL QUOTE

A Bloodthirsty Pest

Frequent Hiders

The Feast of Fleas

Get Rid of Your Fleas Today!

Initial Service

Follow-up Treatment

Flea-Free Guarantee

Fleas in Missouri

Protect Your Pets

Pointe Pest Control Fights Fleas

I would highly recommend

Free Pest Control Quote

Contact Us Form

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customer care

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services

customer care

Email Us

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