Your pet may be a member of your family, but sometimes it's easy for them to invite an unwelcome guest to take up residence in your carpets, couches, and corners, unintentionally causing a big household problem.
Getting Rid of Fleas and Ticks
Once you've established that your pet is infested with fleas or ticks, time is of the essence. But be sure to remain calm and take things one step at a time. First, treat your pet; consult with your veterinarian to find the best treatment option. Secondly, you will need to thoroughly clean and treat your home – inside and out – especially those areas where your pet spends a lot of time. Flea and tick infestations can be difficult to eliminate, so it is a good idea to call your experienced Organic professionally trained pest control experts in order to rid you and your home of fleas and ticks.
Inspect
Your Organic Executive will ask where you have experienced fleas or ticks to determine the extent of your infestation. Our professionally trained technicians will use their “think like a bug” science-based approach as they conduct a visual inspection of the likely areas of infestation, including areas where your pets have been. Your technician will take thorough notes of all findings and at the end of the inspection will outline suggestions for implementing an integrated pest management solution specific for your home. Your technician will discuss with you which areas of your home may require preparation before treatment.
Implementing Your Action Plan
Treating the Indoor Environment
Your technician will let you know which specific areas may need to be prepared for your Organic visit. Preparations may include the following:
Thoroughly Vacuum
First, thoroughly vacuum the entire house, including hard surfaces, with particular attention to any place an animal rested or where animal bedding is situated. Be sure to get under everything – furniture, rugs, etc. You may also need to vacuum and treat furniture. Once you are finished, immediately seal your vacuum bag in a plastic bag and throw it away. This prevents the fleas from crawling back out and infesting your home again. Vacuuming and shampooing or steam cleaning the carpet can kill some of the larvae; however it may also still leave some live fleas, so a chemical treatment may be necessary.
Hot Wash All Linens
Wash all linens and pet beds in order to kill possible fleas. You should wash and dry any bedding at the hottest temperature it will tolerate or, if washing is not feasible, discard it in an outside trash receptacle.
Keep Your Pet Away
To ensure the safety of you and your animals, it is recommended your veterinarian treat your pet for fleas and/or ticks on the day Organic provides service. This should prevent your pet from re-introducing the pest into the treated environment, as well as remove the insect for the benefit of the animal's health. Make sure to remove any pet feeding dishes or any other pet-related items from the treatment area. Please keep your pet out of treated areas until materials are dry (approximately one hour) and ventilate the interior during that time.
Your Organic treatment will address cracks and crevices, like those between the carpet and baseboard. Your professionally trained Organic pest expert will provide you with an interior liquid application, with a residual material, providing you the best long-term control. Using a low pressure spray, the technician focuses on the surfaces where the animal frequents, sleeps, and any areas where evidence of fleas or ticks was documented during inspection.
Treating the Outdoor Environment
Pets moving indoors to outdoors (and vice versa) make it virtually impossible to treat ticks and fleas without treating both the exterior and interior of your home.
Keeping Your Yard Pest Free
In many parts of the United States, freezing weather helps to control outside flea populations. But in warm and humid climates, the flea battle may rage year-round. Fleas prefer cool, shady, moist places and especially like to hide in shrubs, leaf litter and underneath lawn structures. They cannot tolerate hot sun for long periods of time and don’t do well in open grass or in a sunny yard. There are some simple steps you can take to keep your yard a less desirable habitat for fleas and ticks to hide and lay their eggs:
A Clean Yard
Begin by thoroughly cleaning your yard. Remove yard and garden debris including stacked wood, piles of bricks, and discarded pots that are the ideal breeding ground for fleas. The more clutter, the more places fleas can take refuge. Sweep off patios and lawn furniture. Don’t forget to check out your pet’s favorite places to hang out including dog runs or kennels, spaces under decks or porches, beneath low-hanging shrubs, or along fence lines. Flea and tick larvae can remain within 50 feet of any cool, shady spots your pet favors.
Mowing and Pruning
An easy way to reduce flea and tick populations in your yard is to keep the grass, trees, and shrubs trimmed. Mowing your lawn to the proper height exposes the soil to sunshine, keeping it dry, and removing the longer grass fleas and ticks prefer to hide in. Prune bushes and trim trees to increase the amount of sunshine in your yard. Both fleas and ticks prefer moist environments, so be sure to avoid overwatering.