Anytime you see your dog or cat scratch at the same spot over and over again. You fear the worst: fleas. You may not know how that flea got there, but you certainly know that you want it gone. Before a potential flea problem arises, there are many things that you can do to prevent fleas from entering your home.

Although fleas are tiny (roughly one-eighth of an inch long), they can create big problems. Fleas don’t just cause discomfort that leads to scratching, but fleas can also carry diseases. It is possible that fleas can transmit several severe illnesses to humans, including typhus and the plague. More likely, however, fleas can serve as a host for tapeworms, which can infect your pet and occasionally humans.

Fleas like to feed on warm-blooded bodies, and especially prefer hairy animals like cats and dogs, as well as rabbits, rats, mice, opossums, raccoons, and skunks. After a flea hatches and grows to adulthood, it will use its powerful legs to jump onto its host. From there, the insect will feed, mate, and lay eggs. 

One of the best ways to prevent fleas is by regularly cleaning your home. Vacuuming your carpets and furniture can remove existing fleas and eggs. Also wash your bedsheets, as it may be possible there are fleas or eggs between the folds.

Fleas can transport themselves via rodents. By preventing rodents from making your yard their home, you will also cut back on the likelihood of fleas. Mowing the lawn, fixing loose mortar, and replacing weather stripping are all great ways to deter rodents from hanging around.

Keeping your home clean will help, and so is keeping your pet clean. If your pet spends a lot of time outdoors, check its coat for fleas, and continue watching for excessive scratching. Regularly bathe your pets, wash their bedding, and clean their plush toys. If it looks like a flea could kind somewhere, then it might be hiding there.

You might be able to control fleas in your home with an over-the-counter remedy, but you never know how long that will last. Van Den Berge Pest Control guarantees that we can eliminate fleas in your home for six months, controlling the adults, pupa, and the eggs.

Have the veterinarian treat your pet for fleas, and let Van Den Berge Pest Control treat your home. In addition to managing the pet, there are several things you need to do to prepare for the service. Call Van Den Berge Pest Control at 616-392-7367 for an appointment and all preparation information.