We have arrived at the end of our three-part flea series. If you missed the first two articles about what you need to do before a flea treatment and what will be going on during a flea treatment, you can visit those posts to get the full story. Let us now discuss what you need to do after a flea treatment to ensure that the family of fleas is fully eradicated and does not re-infest your home.
You might remember from our previous discussions about flea biology that young fleas can be very difficult to eliminate. Insect eggs are so tiny, but they’re surprisingly durable. It’s very difficult to get a pest control product through the walls of an egg. Additionally, flea pupae are like little fortresses. All told, there are two phases of the flea life cycle that are quite a challenge to eliminate. This means that we have to get clever and turn their habits against them to fully stop a flea infestation.
Do you remember that flea pupae are motion-activated? The fleas inside their cocoons will wait to emerge until they feel vibrations nearby. Since most of the fleas hatched and grew up in a sunning spot that is much-frequented by your cat Whiskers, the fleas assume that the vibration is Whiskers returning to lie down. They quickly emerge so that they can have immediate access to a host. Luckily for us, vacuums provide all of the vibration needed to stimulate the waiting pupae. The vacuum tricks the fleas into emerging at the wrong time. They are then exposed to the product that the technician used to treat the carpet, and they are also at risk of being sucked into the vacuum.
Because the adult fleas were probably laying eggs for several days, you’ll need to vacuum every day for at least two weeks to ensure that you stimulate all of the pupae as soon as they develop. You must also empty the vacuum cleaner in an outside trashcan every day. As we’ve said before, vacuum suction does not kill most pests; it is simply a way to gather many of them together and move them outside.
If you vacuum every day for at least two weeks, you should be happily rid of your flea problem in no time at all. This is another example of how pest control is always a joint effort between an experienced technician and a willing homeowner. A professional flea treatment is much less effective without the daily vacuuming by the homeowner.
Thanks for joining us as we’ve walked through the process of keeping Whiskers and your home flea-free.
The Three-Part Flea Treatment: Part 3 in Knoxville TN
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