Fleas are small, sneaky, and an absolute nuisance once they enter your home. Whether they hitch a ride in on your dog, your socks, or through an open window from your yard, once fleas are inside, they don’t waste any time making themselves at home. And worse – they don’t just bite pets. They gladly bite you, too.
But how do you know if you have fleas? And how bad can it get if you ignore them?
Let’s take a look at the top signs of a flea infestation, how dangerous it can be, how it spreads, and why professional flea control is the fastest way to kick them out – for good.
1. Your Pet Can’t Stop Scratching
One of the most obvious signs of fleas in the house starts with your four-legged friend. If your dog or cat suddenly scratches nonstop or seems restless and irritated, fleas might be the reason.
Check for:
- Flea dirt (tiny black specks) on their skin or bedding
- Red irritated skin – especially around the tail, neck, or belly.
- Hair loss in areas where they’ve been biting or scratching excessively.
2. You’re Getting Bitten, Too
Flea bites on humans usually show up as small, red bumps – often in clusters or straight lines – typically around your ankles or lower legs. The bites are itchy and can easily be mistaken for mosquito bites, but if you’re waking up with new ones each day and no mosquito in sight, it’s time to suspect fleas.
Some people and pets can even have allergic reactions to flea bites, causing more intense itching or even secondary infection from scratching.
3. Flea Dirt and Flea Eggs Around the House
Tiny black specs (aka flea dirt) on carpets, pet bedding, or furniture are a sure giveaway. If you add a drop of water to flea dirt and it turns reddish brown, it’s dried blood – meaning fleas are feeding.
Flea eggs are even trickier – they’re tiny, white, and nearly invisible to the naked eye, but they can fall off pets and into your carpet, baseboards, furniture, and yard.
4. You Spot a Flea
Adult fleas are reddish-brown, about the size of a sesame seed, and they can jump impressive distances for their size. If you spot one of your pets, furniture, or even your socks, there are likely dozens – if not hundreds – more hiding nearby.
5. The Yard is Jumping
If you walk through your yard and feel little “jumps” on your ankles or see small bugs leaping away, your lawn may be infested with fleas. Shady, moist areas with tall grass, mulch, or piles of leaves are ideal flea hangouts. And if you’re in the yard, it’s only a matter of time before they find their way inside.
Are Fleas Dangerous?
Fleas aren’t just annoying – they can also be dangerous. They’re known carriers of diseases like murine typhus and Bartonella (cat scratch fever), and they can transmit tapeworms to both pets and people. If left unchecked, fleas can cause anemia in pets, especially in puppies and kittens.
How Fast Can Fleas Spread?
Fleas reproduce fast. A single female can lay up to 50 eggs per day, and those eggs can hatch into biting adults in as little as two to three weeks. What starts as a few fleas can turn into a full-blown infestation in no time. And since flea eggs can fall off anywhere – carpet, rugs, pet beds – they can spread to every corner of your home before you even notice.
Professional Flea Control Makes All the Difference
Here’s the hard truth: over-the-counter sprays and DIY methods might kill adult fleas on contact, but they rarely address the full life cycle. That’s why professional flea control is your best option.
At Greenhouse Termite and Pest Control, we offer a two-step flea treatment plan that targets fleas at every stage of life:
- Lawn Spray – We saturate your yard from the front curb to the back fence line, eliminating flea hotspots and creating a barrier to keep new fleas from entering.
- Interior Flea Flush – Our team treats the inside of your home, targeting fleas hiding in carpet fibers, baseboards, pet beds, and furniture. We return in two weeks for a follow-up treatment to ensure the infestation is completely wiped out.
Don’t Let Fleas Take Over
If you think you might have fleas – or if your pet’s itching is making you suspicious – it’s best not to wait. The sooner you act, the easier it is to stop the spread.
Get a free quote from Greenhouse Termite and Pest Control today and learn about our comprehensive flea treatments. We’ll help you kick the fleas out of your home – and keep them out.
