Nobody wants fleas in their home, but once your dog or cat brings them in, they can be difficult to remove. Fleas can infect your pet from the environment or from being around flea-infested animals. Whether you decide to control them yourself or hire a professional, it is critical that the home, pet(s), and yard, if applicable, all be treated simultaneously.
If you’ve decided to hire a pest control company, there are several measures you’ll have to take to get ready. Professional exterminators will generally give you a list of actions to take before they come and perform their service.
Before-Service Preparation:
- Prepare to leave your home or apartment during treatment and until the insecticide has dried completely. This will take 3 to 5 hours, or the time your pest control expert recommends.
- All cleaning should be done prior to treatment rather than after.
- All pet bedding should be washed in hot water or thrown away.
- Vacuum the carpets and mop the hardwood or tile surfaces, ensuring they get in the crevices and closets—clean or vacuum furniture, particularly between and under cushions.
- If you’re using a vacuum with a reusable bag/container, empty the contents into a trash bag outside your home, seal it tightly, and throw it away. In hot water, wash the reusable bag/container.
- Likewise, pets should be given flea treatments on the same day as a house treatment to eliminate all fleas.
- Put away or cover all food, dishes, tools, cookware, etc., in the open.
- Toys, cat dishes, and exposed food should all be stored safely out of reach of children.
- You’ll need to move all your equipment out from the walls by about a foot to access the home’s baseboards.
- Turn off the pumps and cover the fish aquariums with wet towels until you return.
After-Service Care:
- Before re-entering your house, make sure it is adequately ventilated.
- When you return home after three to five hours, ensure the house is wholly aired before reintroducing sensitive individuals, such as small children or vulnerable pets.
- Do not clean the carpet or floors for at least two weeks after treatment to give the treatment time to work.
- During service, your pest control technician will most likely turn off the air system. When reoccupied, this should be turned back on.
- Your technician may extinguish the pilot light on your stove if they find it necessary to perform maintenance. At the end of the day, switch on the home pilot.
- If your exterior has been treated, keep your grass cut short.
Conclusion
Preparation for professional flea elimination can take some time, but it is well spent when the desired result is considered. If your DIY flea control efforts are ineffective, it is time to contact a professional pest control company with flea management experience. At Vinx Pest Control, we help you eliminate fleas from your home. We offer various services to deal with the problem, including treatment for existing infestations and preventative measures for future ones.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do all of your cleaning before the treatment, not after. Vacuum carpets and get into crevices and closets, mop hard floors, vacuum furniture including between and under cushions, and wash pet bedding in hot water or throw it away. Empty the vacuum contents into a trash bag outside, seal it tightly, and discard it.
Plan to be out during the treatment and until the insecticide has dried completely, generally three to five hours or whatever your technician recommends. Air the house out before anyone goes back in. Be especially careful with small children and vulnerable pets.
Pets should get their flea treatment the same day the home is treated, otherwise they bring fleas straight back in. Turn off aquarium pumps and cover fish tanks with wet towels until you return. Put away cat dishes, toys, and any exposed food out of reach of children.
Not for at least two weeks. The product needs to stay in place to keep working as new fleas emerge, and cleaning the carpet or floors removes it. Your technician will also turn the air system back on and relight anything they shut off, so confirm both before you settle back in.
If your DIY efforts have not worked, yes. Fleas move between the pet, the house, and the yard, so all three have to be handled at the same time or the cycle simply restarts. A pro treats the existing infestation and can set up preventive service afterward.