Recognizing the Signs of a Flea Infestation

If you see your pet scratching or licking his skin, you probably should inspect for fleas. You should first examine the pests hair to look for fleas. The examination must be done under sufficient light. To start with, you can part your pets hair and look at the skin for fleas. Fleas are tiny, (less than 1/8th inch), reddish brown and they move rapidly.

Manual examination of the skin and fur is laborious and not very successful. A better method is to make the examination using a fine toothed flea comb. The teeth are spaced so closely that a flea can't pass between them. Just run the comb through the pets hair and any fleas will be pulled away from the fur.

An even better way to look for fleas is to inspect for "flea dirt." Flea dirt is a misnomer for flea feces, which consists mostly of dried coagulated blood. To inspect for flea dirt take a white moist paper cloth. Rub the skin in any area suspected of having fleas with the white paper towel. On contact, the flea dirt will dissolve and turn red.

Even if there are no pets in your home or even if you have a pet but find no fleas on it, you might still have fleas in the home. To test for house fleas try this trick. Walk across the suspected area wearing white socks. Fleas are attracted to white and vibration and will jump on the socks. You can recognizing them as tiny black specs on the socks. If you find more than five fleas in a room you have a major infestation. Flea feces may also stick to the socks and appear as tiny brown or black specs.

You can also inspect for fleas using a flea trap. Fleas are attracted to light. At night, before you go to sleep, place a small lamp over a bowl of water mixed with a little detergent. Fleas will jump towards the light and fall in the water and drown. The next morning you should find them floating in the water.

If you find fleas or suspect you have fleas, confirm your discoer by calling a professional flea inspector. Dovid David, a Baltimore pest control specialist who directs %A # 1 Pest Control recommends that anyone who sees one or more fleas in the home or is told by the vet that he has fleas should call an exterminator who can advise him about what to do to get rid of the fleas.

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This research has been supported by Entymologist Dovis Davis, a Baltimore Pest Control specialist and Director of A #1 Pest Control Exterminator Bed Bugs, Roach Animal Flea and Termite Control

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