The cat has had its drops, the dog has been combed, and you are still scratching at your ankles. In a village home, the carpet is usually where the trouble sits.
Adult fleas stay on the animal, but most of the flea population is elsewhere: eggs, larvae and pupae in the home. Eggs fall from the pet wherever it rests. Larvae feed on skin flakes and the dried blood droppings of adults and hide deep in carpet pile, floor gaps and soft furnishings. Pupae can wait in cocoons for weeks, then hatch when they sense movement or warmth. So treating only the pet takes out a small fraction of the total.
Farndon is a village on the Trent south-west of Newark, a mix of older cottages and newer homes with riverside and farmland around it. In an older cottage with rugs, wooden boards and gaps between planks, debris collects and larvae develop in the cracks. In a newer home with fitted carpets, the larvae sit deep in the pile. Animals that roam outdoors across farmland and riverbanks can pick fleas up from wildlife and other animals and carry them in.
A common mistake is to treat the pet, see the fleas disappear for a week or two and assume the problem is solved. Then pupae hatch, fresh fleas jump onto the pet and the cycle restarts. Another mistake is to stop the pet treatment as soon as bites stop. Keeping the pet protected through the process stops new fleas surviving long enough to breed.
A professional treatment applies a product to carpets, floor edges and upholstery, and we will talk you through preparation, such as moving furniture and keeping pets out of the room while it dries. You may see fleas emerge for a couple of weeks as pupae hatch, which is normal. How many visits are needed depends on the severity and the amount of carpet and soft furnishings.
Riverside homes can have damp ground and long grass nearby, which suits flea larvae living outdoors in shaded places where animals rest. If your pet spends time under hedges or in outbuildings, it can bring in eggs on its coat. Combing with a fine flea comb on a white sheet is a quick and simple check: black specks that turn red when damp are flea droppings, and are proof that you need to act.
Call 0115 937 5117 and we will arrange a visit. A free pest prevention survey and free advice come with all treatments.
Rarely. Pupae can survive for weeks, and a warm home allows the cycle to continue. Without treating both the pets and the home, the problem tends to persist.
Yes. Outdoor pets can pick them up from other animals and wildlife and bring them indoors. Regular preventive treatment from a vet helps reduce the chance of a household infestation.
Tell us what you have seen and where, and we will come back to you. Prices are fixed and there is no call-out charge.
