THE ALL STAR ADVANTAGE

All Star Services serve greater Los Angeles, and our founder, Robert Messersmith, is an animal trapper who has 18 years of experience. He also has a background in construction, so he knows the best ways of removing pests and then repairing any resultant damage. All Star Animal Trapping makes a point of hiring similarly experienced professionals.

How to Deal With a Flea Infestation

You require a holistic approach to handling flea infestation. This will include eradicating fleas from the indoors, outdoors, and your pet. Here's what you need to know about each of these processes:

• Eliminating indoor fleas

While adult fleas typically reside on pets' bodies, they lay their eggs in hidden corners in the furniture, carpet, and other items. When these eggs hatch into larvae and then adults, they hop onto the fur of your pet to get their blood meal. 

The key to getting rid of indoor fleas is proper sanitation. Here are some things to bear in mind:

1. Change your pet bedding regularly.
2. Vacuum your house regularly and thoroughly. Why? Because vacuuming removes up to 60% of flea larvae and up to 60% of eggs. Ensure you also vacuum under the furniture, chairs, cushions, beds, and along walls. And most importantly, make sure you properly dispose of the vacuum bag to prevent reinfestation.

• Eliminating outdoor fleas

You must also reduce the flea population in your yard as much as possible to reduce the likelihood of your pets bringing them inside. 

Several outdoor flea treatment products are available in the market in the form of foggers and sprays. These products often contain IDI and IGRs with pyrethrins, which work to kill them quickly. 

Ensure that you use any treatment product you purchase as stipulated by the manufacturer. And for best results, work with professionals like All Star Services - Wildlife and Pest Control.

• Pet treatment

This is the last piece of the puzzle when solving a flea infestation. 

You can use a flea comb to groom your pet. This will help remove fleas on its body. You can then dip the comb (with the fleas on it) inside soapy water to kill the fleas. Once you're done, bathe your pet. 

Alternatively, oral medications and topical spot-on solutions, sprays, and shampoos can be used to treat pets. Just ensure you read the label and follow the instructions carefully. 

And for best results, you may have to take your pet to the vet to rid it of fleas. 

Wrap Up

Going through all of these processes can be challenging, especially if you're inexperienced. But why go through all that stress when you can count on All Star Services - Wildlife and Pest Control to help you eradicate your flea infestation?

How to Prevent Flea Infestation

Fleas are gnarly, unpleasant home intruders that no homeowner wants to encounter. Endowed with the ability to make your life (and that of your pets) a living hell, fleas are tenacious home intruders that can be quite tricky to keep away. In this article, we’ll talk more about what steps you can take to prevent a flea infestation.

Of course, these don’t replace having your home evaluated and inspected by a professional wildlife removal and pest control expert. We recommend scheduling regular inspections since a wildlife removal expert is more likely to spot potential weaknesses in your home and help you fix issues before they become an actual problem.

• Select an ongoing flea preventive treatment for your pet.

If you are the proud owner of a furry friend, you understand the concern of a potential flea infestation. It is important, then, that you opt for an ongoing preventive measure to keep your pet flea-free. This can involve the use of a shampoo or spray, wearing a special collar, or even an oral treatment.

We recommend choosing your pet’s flea treatment with the aid of a certified vet since they will be able to point out particular do’s and don’ts and figure out the best option for your particular pet.

• Flea-proof your yard.

It’s important to think about where your pet is most likely to pick up fleas, and that place is the yard. Yes, your pet (your dog, in particular) is bound to love rolling around in the overgrowth, but unfortunately, so will fleas. So try to maintain a neat, and trimmed yard. This will prevent not only fleas but also make it less likely that other wild animals will invade (since they use overgrown yards to hide in).

We also recommend using a special flea spray designed for your yard, to reduce the chances of an infestation, as well as trying to limit your dog’s contact with wild areas, where there might be fleas (not to mention snakes, rats, or other undesirable wildlife).

• Keep it clean.

Next, you will also need to take appropriate preventive measures indoors, to reduce the chances of a flea infestation cropping up indoors. Thankfully, there are sprays for this, as well, but they are specifically designed for indoor use. Remember to never use an indoor space outside, or vice-versa, as that may be dangerous.

Furthermore, clean up the house regularly, wash your pet’s toys, favorite blankets, and bedding, and vacuum the carpets regularly, to keep the risk at a bare minimum.

• Hire professional cleaning.

If you are really worried about fleas (or perhaps have dealt with a flea infestation in the past), it may be a good idea to work with a professional cleaning service that specializes in flea and tick infestations. They will be able to come in regularly and clean up the house, with specific gear and products designed to get rid of fleas. 

This can be a great way to put yourself at ease about this unpleasant topic.

• Keep an eye on your pet.

If your preventive measures should fail, it’s important to catch the flea infestation early, otherwise, you may never get rid of it. So keep an eye on your pet and always be on the lookout for tell-tale signs of flea infestations, like intensive scratching, or erratic behavior.

If you discover or at least suspect a flea infestation, call us immediately, and don’t attempt to use an insecticide on your own, as this may end up causing more harm than good, and not removing the flea infestation completely. Remember, the sooner you treat it, the higher the chances of getting rid of it completely!