Fleas –Pesky bloodsuckers
Intro
Fleas are extremely pesky pests which are basically external parasites. This is because fleas have mouthparts adapted for piercing skin and sucking blood. They live off the blood from mammals which include us humans, bats and also birds.
These nasty bloodsuckers are one of the best jumpers of all known animals as it can leap 200 times their own body length which is an amazing feat, second only to the froghopper which is actually an insect despite its deceiving name.
It is well known that fleas are tough to kill as they can jump so fast from one place to another that they seem to disappear and appear a few feet away. Furthermore, the flea body is hard, polished and covered with many hairs and short spines. The tough and tiny body is able to withstand great pressure, likely an adaptation to survive attempts to eliminate them by mashing or scratching. This can be disconcerting as even hard squeezing between the fingers is normally insufficient to kill a flea unless you have long nails which can be used to crush this pest.
Eliminating Fleas
Step 1
If you have pets, this is usually the main problem that you have been attacked by fleas. If you have a cat or a dog and are infested by fleas, well, they definitely have to be shampooed. There should be no problem washing the dogs, but as for cats, it’s an entirely different matter as its water is like heaven and hell for them. Anyhow, flea shampoos are readily available in any hypermarkets.
You can simply run a bathtub full of warm or cool water gently place your squirming pet in the water and use a cup to prerinse them. Apply soap thoroughly, especially focusing on the areas where you have fleas, wherever they may be. The biggest mistake you can make is rinsing the soap off right away. If your dog is whining, just let it whine as it is for the better. When you see fleas leaping out of your dog’s fur and into the water to be drowned, your dog is flea free and you can proceed to rinse the soap off your pet.
Step 2
The yard is a place where fleas roam freely. The easiest solution in this stage is to use a flea pesticide which usually comes in a spray bottle that you can spray in your yard. The best way is to start from the edges of your property and slowly work your way to the middle. This will keep new fleas from coming onto your property and into your home.
Step 3
Finally, the last place is your house. This is the biggest challenge. Vacuuming thoroughly is a good option as this will suck up any fleas, living or dead in your house. Other than vacuuming you could use a flea bomb which will fog your house. The only drawback of this method is that you have to get out of your house for a few hours for the fogging mist to dissipate.