May 10th, 2022 by Sarah Miles

Just the thought of fleas and ticks is enough to make your skin crawl, and as summer rolls around they can become more difficult to deal with. Read our frequently asked questions to find out more about them and whether you need to be worried.

Do fleas only live on animals?

Not exactly. Fleas like to live in the fur of animals like cats and dogs as it’s warm, they can stay attached to the host in the fur, and they have easy access to blood (which they feed on). They do this by biting them. While this is their preferred habitat, their eggs can fall off into carpets, soft furnishings, and beds and hatch out there, infesting the area.

Can fleas live on humans?
No, because they can’t attach to the skin in the same way due to our lack of fur. However, they can bite, and will if they don’t have access to animal blood.

How do you get fleas?
Fleas tend to attach themselves to animals when outside, either from the environment or from other animals. They then bring them into the home. They can even come into the home on second-hand soft furnishings or clothes, though this is less likely.

Are they more prevalent in summer?
Yes, they are, as they reproduce at a faster rate in warm weather, plus your pets are likely to spend more time outside so have more potential to attract them.

Do they prefer dirty homes?
No, they feed on blood, so they’re not attracted to dirt in any way. That said, you can minimise the risk of an infestation by vacuuming regularly and periodically cleaning your carpets to remove eggs and larvae.

How do you know whether you have them?
There are some warning signs that indicate you may have a flea infestation. Your pet will be scratching more and may make their skin sore. You may even experience bites yourself. While very small, you can see them if you look closely. Examine animal coats for black or white specks (or indeed, carpets, beds, or sofas).

Are they harmful?
They can be. Their bites will usually be itchy, and they can carry diseases. Bites can also become infected.

Can you prevent them?
On the whole, yes you can by using a proactive flea and tick treatment (usually a spot-on treatment or in tablet form). However, as no treatment is ever 100% effective it is important to keep up with the treatments and be sure to bather and brush pets regularly, particularly dogs.

What should you do if you think you have them?
If you think your home may have a flea or tick infestation, you need to do what you can to eradicate it as they will increase their population massively if left untreated. Because you need to kill fleas, eggs, and larvae, it’s always best to combine a number of measures to ensure that you kill them all. Dusting powder can be used to get into nooks and crannies and applied to carpets. Protector C spray can be sprayed on sofas, beds, carpets, and pet beds. It’s safe to use in areas that your pet uses. Smoke bombs are great for penetrating all areas of a room so there’s no escape. Obviously, you will need to treat your pets as the majority of fleas will be living on them so consult your vet.

Will they come back?
Technically, they could do as you could miss eggs that haven’t hatched yet. To deal with this risk, always retreat around 7 days after initial treatment for the home, and keep up with regularly 4 weekly treatments with your pets, so that you don’t allow a new infestation to take hold again as the lifecycle continues.