Flea Season

The dog sleeps in your bed. The mutt watches teevee with you. You let your best friend romp around in the backyard chasing squirrels. Unless you give them a once-a-month flea and tick pill, one day the two of you are catching the latest installment of “Too Cute” on the Animal Planet and you feel something bite your leg. It could be your spouse with a come-hither look. But since you’re single, it might just be a flea that’s hopped from your puppy to your shin.

flea

The canine rolls over and you see one flea on its no-so-hairy belly. Don’t think that’s the only one. Every tiny, bouncing monster means there are about 40 that you didn’t see. And since it’s becoming flea season, you can bet that mommy flea has laid a bunch of eggs not only on the pet. It’s also deposited a slew of yet-to-be-born babies in not your yard, your carpet, the sofa and virtually anywhere they spring to.

Eggs

Forget it if you think that bug bomb or spray is going to hill the yet-to-be hatched. Before they crawl out of their cocoon, there’s nothing out there that’s going to stop them from becoming a nuisance. To make matters worse, they’ll stay in their unhatched hiding place until they sense that there’s some blood in the area.

That’s why it’s smart to call in the pros. We at Vulcan Pest Control know that one blast of pesticide ain’t going to cut it. Once you have an infestation, the process will need to be repeated in a few weeks.

Focus

These tiny biters are bad news. Heck, they were the source of the Black Plague a couple hundred years ago. To get rid of them, you need a plan. A pro will not only kill the critters inside the house, but also treat your backyard and property where fleas jump-off squirrels, waiting for your mutt to swagger-by. BLAMMO! You’re right back at square one unless you deal with the great outdoors.

Vulcan Pest Control will do the work so you don’t have to. You’re still going to need to get the animal treated — the flea and tick pills work wonders. That should be your first step before calling us. Fleas are bad, but ticks are worse. They can give your four-legged buddy heartworm. If they get that, you’re looking at spending some serious vet cash and putting your dog or cat at danger. Last time we checked, the way to eliminate heartworm is basically poisoning the dog with small amounts by regular visits to the doctor to gets shots of arsenic.

Getting Things Under Control

Go to the vet and get a recommendation and prescription for the pills we mentioned above. Should take a couple of weeks to do its job. Then give us a ring and we’ll flea-proof your property. The whole 10-yeards.

Your work doesn’t stop there. Check-out what you’ll need to do for the rest of the life of your animal:

  • With your pet, cat or dog, you need to continue with the medication year-’round. Make sure they eat a healthy, balanced diet. Fleas know when your dog is sick. They’ll strike the weakest before they phone-out for a health dog.
  • Inside the house, start cleaning-up your act. Vacuum every week, mop the floors and don’t leave your bed sheets on the mattress until they become crusty. You don’t have to be a clean freak. You simply need to adopt healthy habits.
  • Outside in the back is a tad more tricky. After Vulcan does its job, an occasional trip to the pool supply store is recommended. What you want to purchase from them is this stuff called  diatomaceous earth. Other substances that won’t kill your pets or other wildlife is pyrethrum dust. Sprinkle it around right after you mow. A dose a month should keep matters in check.

Lastly, wrestle the remote away from the dog. There are more channels out there than Animal Planet. You never know, maybe your dog might like a cooking show or would enjoy keeping-up with current events.