Fleas are found all over the world. In fact, fossil records have been found dating their ancestors back to the Jurassic period. It’s safe to say all humans are at risk of dealing with fleas. But how do you identify fleas? What do you need to know about how they spread and what dangers they present? And most importantly, how do you get rid of fleas? 

What Do Fleas Look Like?

Fleas and bedbugs are often confused for each other. Makes sense: both are tiny, flat insects that suck blood, and both are a reddish-brown color. But pay attention and you’ll see some differences. An adult flea is smaller than a bedbug, at approximately 2.5 millimeters (only a bit bigger than the head of a pin) long versus the bedbug’s 5-7 millimeters body length. 

You can also tell the difference by where the bugs are found. A bedbug most likely resides in the piping of your mattress and only comes out at night. A flea is most likely to be found outdoors in tall grass, on your pet, your pet’s bedding, or carpeting inside your home. Bites from a flea resemble a cluster of mosquito bites and begin to itch within an hour. Bed bug bites look like large, flat welts and can take several days to show up.

How Did I Get Fleas?

The most common way for fleas to get inside your home is on your pet. Fleas live outside, often clustered together in the tall grass. They are attracted to the body heat, carbon dioxide, and vibrations that mammals emit as they move around. 

“Your backyard can seem totally empty and fine, and then in one area suddenly they’re hopping all over, jumping on you or your pets,” says Efrain Velasco, Lloyd Pest Control’s Technical Director and a trained entomologist. “They want to be on an animal.”

Once a flea has hitched a ride on a pet, they use their specialized, straw-like mouths to drink its blood (which they later defecate as small, dark pellets). They also often lay eggs on their host. Those eggs are loosely attached and it’s just a matter of time until they drop off your dog or cat brings them indoors. Once inside, they fall off and hatch in dog or cat beds, furniture, and carpets, where they lie in wait for their next victim: you. Most of the time, fleas don’t live on humans—we’re not sufficiently furry enough for that—but they will happily take a blood meal from you. 

Can I Get Fleas If I Don’t Have Pets?

Yes. Though fleas often ride into a home aboard Fido, you can get fleas even if you don’t have pets. Fleas often enter yards and homes via wildlife. Last year, one of our veteran pest control technicians visited a home multiple times: the woman kept getting fleas. She had no pets, and the technician only discovered why her flea problem was happening after looking under the home’s foundation. They found a family of flea-ridden raccoons sleeping the day away. Removing the raccoons took care of the flea problem.

How Dangerous Are Fleas?

They’re certainly not fun. Besides the “ick” factor, their bites can spread nasty diseases like murine typhus and parasites, such as tapeworms. That’s why it’s important to catch flea infestations early, take care of them, and make sure they’re gone for good. 

How Do I Get Rid of Fleas?

Administer flea medication to your pets. Veterinarian-approved flea collars, oral medications, and topical treatments all work well to halt the growth and reproduction cycle of fleas that hitch a ride on your pet—helping to take care of the problem at its source, before fleas can gain a foothold in your home. You should also eliminate yard debris and waste where fleas live. This includes leaf litter, rock piles, wood piles, overgrown hedges, and long grass.

Additionally, keep wild animals away from your home. Don’t feed feral cats or other animals that might be carrying fleas, and make sure your garbage cans are securely covered to keep foraging raccoons at bay.

How Do Pest Control Professionals Kill Fleas?

Unfortunately, flea eggs that hatch into larvae enter a pesticide-resistant cocoon where they can lie in wait as a pupa for months. This makes them a tough pest to get rid of. If fleas become a problem in your home, your best bet is to seek help from flea professionals in Southern California. 

When they find fleas, Lloyd Pest Control’s veteran technicians make sure you’re taking care of your dog’s flea problem, while we treat the exterior of your home with a low-intensity pest barrier. We’ll treat for eggs, pupal stage fleas, and adult fleas indoors in all the places they hang out: carpet, furniture, and common pet areas. For immediate assistance with fleas, give us a call, or request a quote for our flea control services today!

The post How Did I Get Fleas In My House? first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.

With conducive habitats, booming rat populations, and plenty of potential hosts, flea-borne typhus outbreaks are on the rise throughout urban areas in Los Angeles and Orange County—which means that fleas aren’t an issue we can simply ignore.

To better understand how you can get rid of fleas and prevent disease, it’s best to learn about the origins of flea-borne typhus and what you can do to make your surroundings less attractive to these blood-sucking parasites:

What Is Flea-Borne Murine Typhus?

Not to be confused with typhoid fever (caused by Salmonella Typhi bacteria and spread via contaminated food and water) or epidemic typhus (caused by Rickettsia prowazekii and transmitted via body lice), flea-borne murine typhus is caused by Rickettsia typhi or Rickettsia felis bacteria and is spread by fleas infected from biting sick rats, mice, opossums, feral cats, or homeless dogs.

How Do Fleas Transmit Typhus to Humans?

This disease occurs in humans when either 1) a bacteria-laden flea latches onto a host (aka you) to feed on their blood, 2) infectious flea fecal matter (known as “flea dirt”) gets rubbed into wounds in the skin or mucous membranes (aka your eyes), or 3) flea dirt is breathed in.

Even worse, infected fleas tend to defecate while biting you, creating a streamlined source for the disease to enter your body.

Symptoms of Murine Typhus

One to two weeks after being bitten, an infected host can expect a rapidly ensuing fever, headache, chills, muscle aches, abdominal pain, or vomiting that typically last a few days.

Additionally, maculopapular rashes—rashes that contain both flat and raised skin lesions— may occur. Typhus that’s left untreated can lead to severe complications with your major organs, including your:

• Kidneys
• Liver
• Lungs
• Eyes
• Heart
• Brain

Murine Typhus Treatment

While no vaccination exists to prevent flea-borne murine typhus, doctors can treat those who are infected with the antibiotic doxycycline soon after symptoms begin.

Filth and Clutter Attracts Rats and Fleas

While fleas can contract typhus from various animals, extensive rat populations in the city are becoming a primary source of flea-borne murine typhus.

The rat population has been exploding in homeless encampments due to unsanitary conditions, an exorbitant amount of trash improperly disposed of, and the elimination of rodent control methods under legislation such as AB 1788.

Even city hall officials have felt the impact of a typhus outbreak from rat infestations, causing staff to tear out rat-contaminated office carpet that led to sick employees.

“California is being overrun by rodents—and without immediate emergency action by state and local government, we face significant economic costs and risk a public health crisis,” said Carl DeMaio, chairman of Reform California, at a news conference at city hall where he discussed his group’s recent report on rats becoming a public health crisis in more ways than one.

Stopping Fleas to Prevent Disease

While controlling the city-wide issue of unsanitary homeless encampments and rat infestations might be a challenge, keeping you, your family, and your pets safe from fleas only takes a few simple preventative measures:

Administer Flea Medications to Your Pets

To stop fleas from harming you or your pets’ health, the first (and most important) thing to do is keep up to date on your pets’ flea treatments. Utilize veterinarian-approved medications for both cats and dogs, including flea collars, oral medications, or topical treatments.

It’s almost inevitable that you’ll have a flea issue otherwise, as your pets are susceptible to these pests no matter where they go.

Eliminate Yard Waste and Debris

Fleas flock to landscaping with plenty of moisture and safe places to live, so make sure to remove leaf litter, rock piles, cords of firewood, and other debris from your yard. Also, make sure to keep your grass and hedges trimmed short to prevent any additional flea breeding grounds.

The less flea-friendly your yard is, the less likely your pet will encounter them at home.

Keep Wild Animals Away from Your Home

Finally, keep feral cats, opossums, and rodents—and any traces of them—far away from you and your home.

Don’t pet or feed wild animals near your house, in the park, or out on a hike, regardless of how cute they may seem. At home, ensure all your trash cans, recycle bins, or compost bins have lids that are always sealed tight, and store all food—including your pet’s food—in air-tight containers to avoid attracting hungry animals.

Our Flea Control: Preventing Fleas from Coming Back

Fleas are tough buggers to combat. In fact, they’re the second-most difficult pest to eradicate behind bed bugs, considering their fast reproduction, hardiness, and ability to hide in furniture and carpet fibers.

That’s why, at Lloyd Pest Control, we ward off these tiny disease-spreaders with low-intensity pest barriers outdoors and spot treatments indoors. No matter where fleas are lurking in your home or what life cycle stage they’re in, our team will target their colonies at the source with treatments that are safe for both you and your pets.

Additionally, if you’re dealing with rats or mice, we provide comprehensive rodent control through thorough inspections, exclusion recommendations, and the use of advanced traps and baits.

Contact us today for flea control that goes above and beyond most—and keeps the health of you, your family, and your pets in check.

The post How To Get Rid of Fleas and Prevent Typhus Disease first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.

What Do Fleas Look Like?

Adult fleas are approximately 2.5 cm long and are a dark reddish-brown color. They’re wingless, but their long legs allow them to jump large distances from host to host. Fleas bodies are thin and flat, which makes it easy for them to crawl through your pet’s fur. Adults also have mouthparts, which act like beaks to dig in and extract blood from their hosts. If we never have to use the word “mouthparts” again to describe this bloodsucking parasite, then we can live happily ever after.

Fleas Versus Bed Bugs

Fleas and bed bugs have a lot of similarities, and they’re often confused for one another: They both suck blood and have a reddish brown coloring. However, fleas are generally smaller than bedbugs, as well as skinnier and longer. Bed bugs are nocturnal, so if you see them, they’ll likely be in the piping of your mattress and in or around your box spring. Fleas are also nocturnal, but can be found clinging to your pet at all hours of the day.

The difference between the two bugs is also apparent in their bites. Flea bites resemble a cluster of mosquito bites, and will start to itch within an hour. On the other hand, bed bug bites can take a couple days to show, and they will look like raised, flat welts. Fleas can carry many types of bacteria and viral diseases. They can also transmit tapeworms. Bed bugs, it now appears, are able to transmit Chagas disease.

After Detection: Professional Assistance

So, you’ve spotted blood-sucking parasites in your home, and you’re adamant that they’re fleas, not bed bugs. If they’re causing you or your pet fits, it’s time to take care of them – otherwise, those bumps will just keep showing up. Contact Lloyd Pest Control for professional help to ensure their elimination. We offer flea extermination across Southern California.

The post How Do I Detect Fleas? first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.

Fleas: The Problematic Parasite

A parasitic insect, the flea is the sole member of the insect order Siphonaptera. The order’s name derives from the Greek words “siphon,” meaning tube, and “aptera,” meaning wingless. Together, they aptly describe the flea – a non-flying pest that, using its cylindrical mouth, sucks blood from hosts. They most often feed on pets like cats and dogs, and occasionally people as well.

Fleas are hard to control, and biology has a lot to do with it. They’re practically invisible to the eye, measuring at a length of around 1/10 of an inch. While they don’t fly, they have impressive jumping power, as their strong hind legs allow them to leap over 50 times their body length. This is a big help when seeking hosts that are high off the ground; your golden retriever or German shepherd is no match for the mobility of the flea.

A Walking (and Hopping) Health Hazard

It makes sense, then, that fleas should be of grave concern for your pets. You might have already dealt with them in the past. The symptom that tips most people off to a flea infestation is their pet’s constant scratching. This is a result of flea allergy dermatitis, as flea bites make your pet’s skin quite itchy.

That’s not the worst of it, though. Fleas may also cause the following health complications:

• Tapeworm: If your pet accidentally swallows a flea, they could develop a tapeworm that robs them of valuable nutrients.
• Anemia: Rapid blood loss, or anemia, may occur if fleas drain too much blood from your pet, causing fatigue and weakness.
• Bartonella infection: Also known as “cat scratch fever,” this bacterial infection may occur in cats, dogs, or even humans, resulting in fever, vomiting, and fatigue.

Why Do Fleas Love the Fall?

It’s easy to think that fleas are solely a summer issue like most pests. But this bothersome bloodsucker is different than most. Because a variety of conditions make it easy for them to sustain colonies, one could argue that the risk of a flea infestation is actually heightened in the fall.

Here are a few reasons why fleas thrive this time of year:

• Southern California remains warm during the fall season, as temperatures hover around 70 degrees Fahrenheit – perfect weather for colonies to thrive.
• Larvae are highly hygrotactic (meaning they respond positively to moisture), and precipitation tends to increase during the fall.
• Fallen leaves and branches accumulate in yards, making for a humid habitat for flea colonies.
• Indoor temperatures increase as air conditioners are turned off and windows are closed, providing a warm and stable environment for eggs to hatch.
• Pets begin to grow their winter coats, which allow plenty of cover for fleas as they feed.

More than anything, a huge reason for fleas’ fall frenzy is because they’re underestimated. Most pet owners tend to give their pets preventative treatments solely in the spring and summer, leaving them vulnerable when October hits. A firm understanding of fleas’ potential for harm is a good starting point, and it may prevent them from getting the upper hand.

The Flea’s Autumn Escapades

If you spot fleas on your pet, know that you’re only seeing the tip of the iceberg. Take a look around, and you may find that the rest of the population is scattered in places throughout the house and outside. With a bit of help from the fall conditions, flea infestations can spread fast. Here’s how:

1. Finding a Host: The fall offers leaves grass, and other moist, covered areas for fleas to reside. From there, they look to hitch a ride on passing pets, putting their incredible jumping skills to good use. Fleas tend to latch onto places that aren’t groomed – for dogs, around the armpits and hips, and for cats, around the neck. They then go wherever the pet goes, finding their way indoors as a result.
2. Setting Up Camp: Fleas are constantly expanding their colonies, and the home offers conditions ripe for reproduction. It helps that, during the fall, it’s often warmer indoors than outdoors. After hitchhiking inside, adult fleas feed on their host’s blood and prepare to lay eggs. They also tend to their newly hatched eggs, found outside of the pet in nearby locations.
3. Reproducing in Mass: As fleas begin reproduction, adults lay eggs on the host, which soon fall to the ground. They end up wherever the pet spends most of its time, usually on bedding, furniture, and carpet. The life cycle continues as the eggs hatch into larvae, form into cocoons, and then become adults. During a fall period that stunts their growth, the entire cycle is often completed in less than three weeks.

Prevention and Treatment

With the fast spread of fleas, it’s important to take care of them before things get out of hand. Eliminate the root of the problem – bag leaves and sticks that may bring them to your yard in the first place. If they’ve already made it indoors, get rid of fleas by washing your pet’s bedding thoroughly and vacuuming carpet and furniture. Treat your cat or dog with flea medicine, and get them a preventative for future protection.

If fleas still don’t seem to go away, don’t fret. Many chemical pest control methods are proven to work, including residual pesticides. This won’t be enough against hardy cocoons, but another solution exists just for that. Chemical growth regulators prevent larvae from turning into cocoons – a surefire way of eliminating any fleas remaining in your home.

Stop Fleas This Fall with Lloyd Pest Control

Fleas can survive year-round in Southern California, and the fall is an ideal time for them. That’s because falling leaves, wet weather, cozy homes, and – most importantly – active pets contribute to their colonies’ growth. The conditions here are perfect for this so-called “fall flea surge.” If your infestation has grown out of control, Lloyd Pest Control is capable of combating this bloodsucking parasite. We offer flea control in Southern California proven to reduce their numbers – and their risk to your pets.

For defense against fleas and other fall pests, contact us.

The post Fleas in Fall: Your Pet’s Biggest Pet Peeve first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.

Some ants protect their nests with their heads

Aside from being able to carry objects 50 times their own body weight, ants display another behavior that is quite spectacular. head to protect its colony from unwanted guests.

Ants use to live alongside the dinosaurs over 130 million years ago. Fossilized evidence of ants and other insects have been found in lumps of amber, or plant resin.

Termites are less dirty than you might think

Termites, though they can be disastrous to your home, are actually a benefit to the environment. Termites are vital to earth’s decomposition of tough plant fibers. But that’s not what’s so cool about these pests.

Much of a termite’s life is spent cleaning other termites in the colony!

Bacteria and fungal infections can make quick work of termite colonies, which is why they spend such a great deal of time grooming each other to keep the colony clean. A termite’s antennae enable the termite to detect infections while they clean.

Bed bugs hide before you know they’ve bitten you

Over the past few years bed bugs have grown as a menace throughout Southern California and the entire country.

Bed bugs inject anti-coagulants and anesthetics into your skin so they can feed and hide before you even know they are around. The bed bug’s saliva acts as an anesthetic thus masking the bite and increasing the speed of the feeding process.

Spiders limbs work like that of a machine

While it’s true that almost every spider in the world is venomous, most spiders teeth are either too small or lack the potency of venom to harm people. But it’s not just the fangs and the venom that scare people. Spiders have a strange way of moving, which, as it turns out isn’t that different, mechanically speaking, than the more familiar movement of a common construction site excavator.

Spiders can control blood pressure in their limbs using a combination of hemolymph (arthropod blood) and extensor muscles located in the three hip joints, which allows them to move, and even jump in the case of jumping spiders.

Bees will create a new queen from existing larvae

Often, the only silver lining to a bee sting is the assumed knowledge that after a single sting, the bee dies.  The truth, however, is that honeybees don’t always die after stinging something. A bee stinger may become caught in a human’s skin but many other surfaces anima skins are more forgiving and will endure multiple stings without harm to the bee itself.

But despite all this seemingly violent behavior, bees are extraordinarily community driven. As a queen bee dies, she emits a pheromone that will cause worker bees to immediately create a new queen from existing larvae.

Fleas and brushes have something in common

Your dog or cat may disagree, but the flea is quite a magnificent creature. Not only can a flea jump 8-10 inches vertically (making it one of the best jumpers of any animal, relative to body size), and not only can the flea’s hard body withstand incredible pressure, but the common flea is in some ways similar to the common hair.

 The flea’s body is covered with hard plates called Sclerites. In the same why that a hair brush is designed to easily part the hair on your head, the flea’s hard body plates (called Sclerites) have hairs that point away from its head allowing it to easily crawl through your dog or cat’s fur.

Cockroaches just want to be loved…sort of

You may know that cockroaches can live for weeks without their heads, but did you know that they like to be touched? Cockroaches are thigmotropic, which means they like solid objects coming in contact with their bodies.

Despite how interesting these pests may be, they can be damaging to our home and health. That’s where Lloyd Pest Control comes in. Our elimination service covers Southern California with more than 200 radio-dispatched trucks, 200 licensed technicians, supervisors, a Quality Control staff, an entomologist, and a biologist. For more information about each of these pests and their eradication, contact Lloyd Pest Control today at 1.800.223.2847.

The post 7 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Pests first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.

Fleas cause more irritation (especially for your pet) than they do disease. Fleas can cause tapeworms if ingested by your pet, which could easily happen since they will constantly chew and gnaw on their coats/skin as fleas are biting.

It can be a long, hard battle if you get a flea infestation. In a month, a female can lay thousands and thousands of eggs. Fleas have several stages of life from egg to maturity and just when you think you’ve gotten rid of the fleas, a new round of mature fleas hatch.

Our best advice is Prevention! Topical flea treatments are incredibly effective in ensuring you don’t suffer from a flea infestation. If you do this, you shouldn’t experience a flea infestation and you won’t need professional treatment. There are a variety of topical treatments for fleas on the market and your veterinarian can recommend the best solution for your pet.

How To Get Rid Of Fleas For Good

You can’t just get the fleas off the dog or cat and be done with fleas. Fleas will also be in the pet’s bed, carpet, furniture, and sheets. You’ll also have to treat your home for fleas.  Fleas live their life on and off of the host. Almost 75% of a flea’s life is spent away or off of the host.

First, get fleas off the pet with flea shampoos, combs, and topical treatments.

Next, (and very soon) treat your home. Vacuum upholstered furniture, rugs, and carpets to loosen the fleas and dispose of the contents in an outdoor trashcan. Do this again and again and again. Home foggers are readily available but can be dangerous and often used incorrectly. The safest (and most effective) solution is to have your trusted pest control service treat the inside and outside of your home for fleas. For professional help with fleas in Southern California, get an instant quote today.

Tip: Make sure your neighbors are also vigilant in flea prevention and control. Your neighborhood can easily become a breeding ground for fleas and may require area-wide control.

The post How to Prevent and Treat Fleas first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.