Flea Identification & Prevention

Fleas are tiny wingless insects with oval bodies flattened from side to side and covered in a hard shell. Their body shape makes it challenging to squish these pests. They are wingless, but they have six legs covered in spines which, along with their body shape, help them move easily through the fur of their animal host.

Fleas are parasitic pests that bite their hosts and feed on their blood. Their preferred hosts are dogs, cats, rodents, and wild animals, and while people aren't preferred hosts if given the opportunity, fleas won't hesitate to bite us and feed on our blood.

Because fleas are so tiny, it can be easy to forget how problematic and potentially dangerous they can be. Fleas carry and transmit diseases, including bubonic plague, murine typhus, and tularemia. They also spread parasites like tapeworms to people and animals.

While the spread of diseases by fleas in the United States isn't as big of a concern as in other parts of the world, avoiding as much contact with these biting, blood-feeding pests is always best.

Flea reproduce quickly, and a flea infestation can quickly take over any indoor or outdoor space; fleas are very challenging to eliminate. In addition, flea bites are extremely itchy and leave behind uncomfortable, unsightly rashes on people and animals. Excessive scratching at flea bites can result in a secondary infection.

Fleas can enter our homes in several ways, a big reason why these tiny bugs are such common household pests.

Typical ways fleas enter our homes:

• Pets can walk fleas right through your front door.
• After fleas jump onto our clothing, we unknowingly bring them indoors.
• They will come inside on the backs of rodents, using your home as a nesting site.
• Fleas can hitchhike inside on secondhand upholstered furniture, rugs, or bedding.

Once in your home, fleas will quickly establish themselves and become a nuisance. The best way to get rid of fleas from your house is to partner with an experienced pest professional.

Adult fleas generally spend their lives on the back of an animal and move most effectively from place to place with their help. Adult fleas feed and breed on the back of their hosts, and after the female lays its eggs, they roll off the animals and drop to the ground, where they develop into new biting fleas.

Before finding their way onto a host, fleas live in moist, shady areas because they don't survive well in direct sunlight. We regularly discover fleas gathered under decks, shrubs, areas of dense landscaping, piles of leaves or other yard debris, and grassy areas.

When fleas are in our homes and not on an animal host, we find them infesting upholstered furniture, bedding, rugs, behind baseboards, and pet bedding.

Fleas are frustrating pests that regularly find their way into our Chicago yards and homes. The best way to maintain a flea-free property is to partner with an experienced professional. Here at Sleep Tight Extermination, we can provide the regular home pest control services necessary to eliminate current problems with fleas and stop them from being problematic on your property in the future. Call today to learn more about residential or commercial flea control in Chicago. 

To prevent problems with fleas in Chicago, utilize the following prevention tips:

• Keep the grass in your yard cut short.
• Cut back shrubbery and bushes back from your home.
• Remove yard debris and leaf litter that can provide resting spots for fleas.
• Inspect yourself and your pets for fleas after spending time outside before going into your home.
• Regularly vacuum your floors and upholstered furniture to pick up stray fleas.
• Routinely wash your family's bedding and pet bedding. 
• If you have pets, place them on a year-round flea preventative program.

Call us today to reduce the number of biting fleas turning your Chicago property into their home.