The vet treatment worked on the dog, yet the bites continued. In a carpeted semi, most of the flea population is not on the animal at all but in the house.
Adult fleas live on the animal, but the eggs they lay drop off into the places where it rests. Eggs hatch into larvae that burrow into carpet pile, cracks in floors and the dust under furniture. After feeding they spin cocoons and become pupae. Pupae can wait for weeks or months, hatching when they sense warmth and movement. That is why fleas can seem to reappear after you thought the problem was over.
Wollaton has inter-war semis and larger detached homes, many with fitted carpets, long staircases and a number of rooms for pets to rest in. Gardens with wildlife visitors, such as foxes and hedgehogs, can bring fleas close to doors and cat flaps. A cat that wanders in and out, or a dog on regular walks near the park, picks up fleas from the outdoors.
Because pets sleep in several rooms, the infestation is spread wide. Treating one room leaves the rest as a reservoir.
A pale sock test can help: walk slowly through a carpeted room in white socks and look for tiny dark jumping insects.
Wash all pet bedding and removable covers on a hot wash. Vacuum carpets, stairs, sofas and skirting boards daily, paying attention to places where the animal sleeps. Empty the vacuum outside. Ask your vet to recommend a regular flea treatment for the animal.
Follow veterinary advice on any product used on pets, and keep animals out of rooms while a household treatment is being carried out.
A technician treats carpets, soft furnishings and the places pets rest, targeting the stages that are not on the animal. Some fleas may emerge for a couple of weeks as pupae hatch, and that is not unusual. We offer free advice with treatment on vacuuming and laundry. Results depend on how many rooms are involved and whether the pet is treated at the same time.
Keep an eye on soft furnishings as well. Sofas, cushions and the gap between the sofa arms and seat collect hair and skin flakes, which flea larvae eat. If a pet likes a particular chair, lift the cushions and vacuum underneath. Washing removable covers at a high temperature helps remove eggs that you cannot see.
If anyone in the house is bitten repeatedly while the pet seems fine, suspect fleas in the carpets all the same.
Call 0115 937 5117 and we will arrange a visit that suits you.
They can. Fleas arrive on other pets, on visitors' clothing, or through an open door. Eggs and pupae can also be carried in on shoes, so even an indoor cat is not completely safe.
It depends on how many pupae are in the carpets. Some fleas can emerge for two or three weeks after treatment. Regular vacuuming and treating pets keep those late arrivals from restarting the cycle.
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.
