Chelle Hartzer Wants You to Look at Flea Control Differently

When compared to pests like cockroaches or flies, fleas are not an everyday nuisance that pest management professionals (PMPs) deal with. The 2021 PCT “State of the Flea Control Market Report” showed an average yearly revenue of just under $21,000, and only 23 percent of survey respondents said that flea control was important or very important.

That doesn’t mean fleas aren’t a pest to be aware of or that it shouldn’t be in your service offerings. Fleas need to be looked at a little differently because of their life cycle, hosts and habitats. If you think of fleas like cockroaches or rodents, the typical integrated pest management (IPM) tactics are not going to be effective. The closest pest relative to compare fleas to might be mosquitoes. It may sound like a bad joke, “why is a flea like a mosquito,” but there are a lot of similarities. Thinking about them together can lead to effective control measures.

HABITAT. Fleas have an interesting life cycle. Like mosquitoes, only the adult flea is feeding on the host. Immature stages are found off the host in different (but nearby) environments. Unlike mosquitoes, both males and females bite and feed on blood. When the adult fleas produce eggs, the eggs just fall off the host animal to the ground. This is often in bedding, carpets, sofas and other host resting areas. The larvae live in these same environments as they develop. They feed off the adult flea feces. This contains undigested blood from the host and they will feed on other organic debris in their habitat.

Like mosquitoes, treatment has to focus on two different areas for the greatest efficacy: adult and immature habitats. In the case of fleas, the animal the adults are living on must be treated and veterinary care is required. The eggs, larvae and pupae need to be treated in the areas they are living: where the host animals spend their time. Vacuuming and physical removal of the feces, organic debris and immature fleas can significantly reduce the problem.

HOSTS. These are otherwise known as the food source. Any good IPM program includes sanitation and cleaning up the food source and habitat of the pest. For fleas and mosquitoes, eliminating the blood meal is not too practical! Homeowners are not likely to get rid of their pet just because of fleas. While exclusion works pretty well for mosquitoes (doors and windows can be kept shut and screened to keep them out), exclusion for fleas is more complicated, particularly when animals spend a lot of time outdoors. This is why flea treatments for pets are essential (with veterinary approval). Adult fleas live on the animal, so for animals spending time outdoors, customers should consult their veterinarian to get preventive treatments. Otherwise, they will hitchhike back indoors and start the process all over again by dropping their eggs and feces for larvae to feed on. As a reminder, pest professionals should not be treating animals. Refer customers to their veterinarian.

While humans can be hosts, it is not as common. People often start getting bit when flea populations are high, or when pets have been removed from the home and the people become the only warm-blooded meal available. Like all bites on people, do not diagnose from the bite: Monitor the area and identify the pest that is present.

CONTROLS. As with mosquitoes, fleas are dependent on moisture. Fleas need higher humidity of at least 75 percent and temperatures between 70 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Along with looking for where host animals spend a lot of time, look for warmer areas of the home such as kitchens and bathrooms that provide that warm, humid environment. Suggest to customers that they dry out damp areas, install dehumidifiers and even run fans to increase air movement and dry spaces out. Bedding, pillows, plush toys and other soft materials can be laundered and/or dried under high heat to kill any insects living on them. Deep cleaning carpets can reduce more of the organic debris, but make sure the customers know to dry them as quickly as possible so it doesn’t create extra humidity.

Just like mosquitoes, getting treatment to the right areas is key for flea control. Fleas are hiding in cracks and crevices indoors. Ask customers where their pets spend the most time and target those areas, particularly around baseboards, furniture edges and behind appliances and furniture. Since treatments are targeted at the immature stages, insect growth regulators are a great addition. Fleas have complete development (egg, larvae, pupae, adult) and the IGRs act on the larval stage to prevent them from developing into reproductive adults.

Outside treatments can be targeted to those areas on a customer’s property that have fleas, have animal areas (such as dog runs, backyard livestock, heavy wildlife activity, etc.) and are permitted by the label. One more time: Do not treat animals.

DISEASES. Both mosquitoes and fleas can carry several diseases that can be transmitted to humans and animals. For fleas, the most well known is the bubonic plague, infamous cause of the Black Death that wiped out a massive part of the population of Europe in the 1300s. It hasn’t completely gone away. In the last 20 years, there have been 1-17 cases per year in the United States.

They also can transmit fleaborne typhus and cat scratch disease to humans. Of bigger concern is our furry friends: Fleas can transmit tapeworm, and if your pet has tapeworm, fleas can transmit that from the pet to their owners. The good news is that these diseases are fairly rare in people.

Many people adopted pets during the COVID-19 pandemic, and those pets are at risk of getting fleas, particularly if they go outside. Backyard chicken ownership piqued at the beginning of the pandemic and hasn’t decreased significantly since then, creating yet another flea host close to people. The 2021 “State of the Flea Control Market” survey showed 91 percent of respondents offer flea services, but are you advertising that to your customers?

As summer continues, pets are taken outside and flea populations increase, so it’s a great time to remind customers to get flea control from their veterinarians and have tick treatments done for their home and property. If your customers have any pets (including backyard animals), talk to them about the risks from fleas and the solutions you provide to help protect them and their animals. Don’t forget to wear your PPE and protect yourself when doing flea work.

The author is a regular contributor to PCT.