You should be able to enjoy time outside at your own home. But that can be challenging if you are worried about what’s lurking out there.
Pests like fleas and ticks are more than just a nuisance. They can transmit deadly diseases and become a full-blown infestation if brought into your home.
Fortunately, there are answers. Pest control for fleas and ticks can be an effective way to prevent these pests from ruining your outdoor fun. But if you are already dealing with an infestation, we can provide solutions for that, too.
In this article, we’ll dive into how to manage fleas and ticks and get back to enjoying life as usual.
Flea and Tick Infestations Inside the Home
One of the big concerns that homeowners have about outdoor pests is what happens if they get brought inside. If you or a pet unknowingly carries a flea or tick indoors, will it turn into a full-blown infestation?
With ticks, the chances are low. Ticks that get brought indoors may drop off and hang around the house a bit, but they aren’t going to take up residence the way that other pests may. Ticks are usually in search of their next blood meal and they’re typically in search of a host…not a house to settle down in.
Ticks also prefer to lay their eggs outside, on the soil.
Fleas, however, are another story. If fleas get brought into the house, the chances are high that it could turn into an infestation. Fleas will drop off pets and then find a hiding spot in your home where they will reproduce. They prefer places where they can stay warm like bedding, couches, carpeting, and other hiding spots.
Pest control for fleas already in the home is complex. That’s because it has to be a multi-faceted effort.
We’ll explain below what’s involved in flea treatment as well as what steps you’ll need to take yourself.
Pest Control for Fleas in the Home
At Joshua Tree Experts, we offer a one-time interior flea treatment that also includes a follow-up visit. However, an interior flea infestation can be very tricky since homeowners also have to be involved in getting rid of fleas in the home. That’s because leaving behind even a few fleas could mean the problem just keeps coming back.
Ahead of an interior flea treatment, homeowners must prepare by completing all of the following steps.
- Take your animals to the vet for treatment. The pets also need to be out of the house during the day of the interior flea treatment service.
- Remove all personal items from the floor.
- Vacuum all upholstered furniture, floors, carpet, under furniture, and wall junctions.
- Remove the bag from the vacuum, place it in a plastic bag, and throw it away in an outside trashcan with a lid.
- Cover any fish tanks with plastic wrap.
During an initial service, the pest management professional will apply a product to kill fleas in the home. A follow-up visit will be scheduled to determine whether a second treatment will be necessary.
Due to the high egg production of fleas, after the treatment, homeowners should continue to repeat the vacuuming process for 7 to 10 days. Vacuuming helps to reduce emerging fleas and unnecessary treatments going forward.
It will also be critical that you focus on preventing fleas in the future. Our Mosquito, Flea, & Tick Program can help be a proactive step toward preventing these pests.
How to Control Ticks
The effort to control ticks should be more focused on the yard, as this is where pets and people tend to get bit.
Although people assume that ticks are only found in the woods, they can live and breed in other habitats, like your backyard.
Areas where ticks are most likely to be found include:
- Tall grasses
- Brush and shrubbery
- Under leaves and plants
- In landscaped areas that have a lot of groundcover or shrubs
- In the woods or the fields that back up to your lawn
Outdoor tick control products can help address these pests before they become a problem. At Joshua Tree Experts, our Mosquito, Flea, & Tick Program covers all three of these pests.
We’ll look at it in more detail in our next section.
What Kills Fleas and Ticks in Your Yard
In the future, the best course of action against fleas and ticks is always a proactive approach. A flea and tick yard treatment can help kill these pests in your yard.
If you have a wooded property, technicians will enter the woods and then start spraying there. This includes rocky areas where rodents might be living. It’s often rodents that bring fleas and ticks into your yard in the first place.
After spraying around the woods, the pest management professional will work their way back into the lawn and spray there, too. When applying pest control for fleas and ticks, the technician will pay special attention to areas where these pests tend to hide.
Even if you have flea and tick treatments done, you should still take other steps to protect your family.
In addition to treating the yard, we also recommend:
- Follow all recommendations from your veterinarian for flea and tick prevention. Even if your yard is safe from these pests, your pets can pick them up elsewhere (like on the trail or at the park) and then bring them home.
- If you live in an area that is prone to tick habitats, take extra steps to protect yourself. The CDC recommends wearing long sleeves and pants when spending time in tick habitats (like the woods).
- Keep your property neat and tidy to make it less desirable for fleas and ticks to hang around. Keep the lawn mowed and shrubs pruned. Make sure that you don’t let leaves and debris stay on the ground for long.
Take Back Your Yard
We understand that pests like fleas and ticks can be a major source of stress. You might feel like you can’t spend time outside because you’re worried about these issues. But you can take important steps toward protecting yourself and your family (including the pets) with pest control for fleas and ticks.
As we’ve mentioned our program also covers mosquitoes, which are another troublesome pest that can carry diseases like West Nile and Zika. But treating your yard can help drastically reduce these pests and avoid an interior infestation.
We commend you for doing your research and taking control of the situation. Soon, you’ll be able to take back your yard and enjoy time outside once again!
If you're interested in learning more about pest control services, give us a call at 833-JTE-TREE or contact us for a free pest control quote today!
