Controlling Fleas In Modesto, Oakdale, & Manteca Since 2020
One of the worst epidemics in recorded human history was the Black Death in mid evil Europe, cause by bubonic plague. About 1/3rd of the population died from this disease carried by rats bearing fleas infected with the disease. We still have occasions where the plague shows up in modern times, but it can be successfully treated if caught early enough.
If you remember the old adage- if you see one flea, your house is infested with fleas. When you consider the numbers from a typical infestation (5% adults, 10% cocoons, 35% larvae and the remaining 50% eggs), you can see why just treating the adults that you see will not contain the infestation. Scroll to bottom of the page for more info.
Integrated Pest Management
As stated by The University of California at Davis, “Integrated Pest Management is a process used to solve pest problems while minimizing risks to people and the environment.”
When you put it that way, aren't you glad that this is the philosophy Solos uses in treating your pest or vermin infestation. We do not expect you to be the expert on Integrated Pest Management, but we bet you understand the importance of calling in the experts at Solos. Our knowledgeable and trained staff will take it from there. Contact our pest control experts for more info today.
An Organic Solution for Pest Control
Green pest control solutions
Our company prides itself in offering organic material solutions to rid you of pests and keep them away.
If you have a home with children and pets, the last thing you need is to be using poison where they sleep and play.The first part of any pest control solution is to find the pests, identify them, and use the best & fastest means to control them. Our maintenance programs are designed to keep them gone, for good.
Life Stage of a Flea
- The first stage in the life of the flea is the egg, and the fact that a female adult can lay eggs every hour helps the average homeowner understand why controlling fleas is a true nightmare. These eggs can be laid on a host (usually a family pet, an invading raccoon or squirrel) or inside your home on your carpet. These eggs hatch anywhere from 1 to 6 days, depending on the temperature and humidity. If the conditions are not ideal for hatching, an egg can lie dormant for up to one year.
- The second stage in the development of a flea is the larval stage. Once again, the surrounding temperature and level of light allows for a range of hatching time to be present. The larvae burrow into the host or your carpet, and you don’t need to worry about feeding them as the larvae feed off of the excrement of the adult fleas which feed off the blood of the host. Larvae are sensitive to light and humidity and thrive in moist, shady areas.
- The third stage is the pupa stage, where the larvae creates a cocoon around itself. This cocoon is sticky which allows it to adhere to your poor pet or the carpet. This phase looks a lot like little balls of dirt. If you see these on the stomach of your pet, or around the head or tail area, you are probably looking at the pupa stage of the flea. Once it has completed the cocoon, an adult flea can emerge in a matter of a few days. The cocooned flea can be very aware of a host nearby, and will actually emerge sooner than planned to take advantage of the unaware host. The presence of larvae requires a very thorough vacuuming prior to any treatment by pesticides as you want to leave as few of these cocoons behind as possible. Their presence also explains why it can be so difficult to treat for fleas, as the thicker or more dense that the carpet is, the harder to get to the base of it.
- The 4th and final stage of the life cycle of a flea is the adult, and if you have ever been in a home infested with fleas, you know how irritating and itchy the bites can be. You also know that they are something you cannot tolerate in your home or on your pets. They also represent a health risk because their bite can transmit both viruses and bacteria from other hosts that they have fed off of. From the time they emerge from their cocoon, they latch onto the nearest host and start their life as a parasite.
An adult flea can live for about 6 months time, constantly feeding off of their host, mating and depositing eggs. It is a vicious cycle that should be interrupted early on, the infestation controlled, and future generations denied.
Solos Pest Control has programs designed to first control the infestation, and maintenance programs designed to control any future infestation. Since we have already addressed how difficult it can be to control eggs and larvae at the base of your carpet, you can see how imperative it is to deny them a safe harbor. One female flea with the capacity of constant egg laying must be hunted down and destroyed, or you will never find peace in your home.
When you schedule your appointment for the initial treatment, there are certain steps you need to take prior to our appearance. If you do not follow these steps, you are not going to receive the results you want.
- While we are treating your home for fleas, you need to take your pets to a groomer or a veterinarian who will treat them for active fleas and eggs, larvae and cocoons. Consider placing them on medication designed to prevent them from becoming hosts to the adult and their eggs. It will do you no good to treat your home if your pets will re infest them.
- Your carpets will need to be vacuumed well no more than 1 hour prior to our arrival. The action of the vacuum will loosen the cocoons and larvae and expose more fleas to the pesticides we will be using.
- You are doing yourself a disservice if you do not immediately begin a maintenance program to truly control your flea problem. Since they have 4 distinct life cycles, you need to eliminate and destroy all phases found in your home. Failure to do so will deny you truly good results, and you will have merely given yourself a temporary safe haven from the flea.
You can choose from a monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly service program. We recommend an aggressive initial maintenance program which can be relaxed once the infestation is under control.
Call or e-mail us today to see how affordable and simple flea control can be. Visit our Manteca location here.
