Service Challenge #2: Finding the Source

Sometimes the source of a flea infestation is obvious; other times, not so much.

“Good initial inspections” are key and are “going to help you out a lot,” said Trent Johnson, Ja-Roy Pest Control. If fleas jump on you at an account, don’t just say, “‘Yeah, you’ve got fleas’ and start spraying,” he said.

Instead, identify where pets spend most of their time. Dogs may be confined to one area of the home or have free range and sleep on the customer’s bed. Cats are known to hang out on windowsills, mantels, the backs of upholstered furniture and on top of refrigerators. They even may get up into drop ceilings or the floor void if they have access.

If customers don’t have pets, determine if wildlife or rodents are the source of the problem. One of Johnson’s customers kept getting bit by fleas in his shed. Turns out, a raccoon was living in it.

An often-missed area for treatment is the crawlspace or underneath pier-and-beam-constructed houses where feral cats, skunks, possums, raccoons and rodents hunker down and the fleas come up through the floor. Customers “may not even know that there’s some kind of wildlife underneath their house,” said Greg Schoch, Anytime Pest Elimination.

Squirrels and rodents that get into attics and basements bring in fleas. Wild animals also drop fleas in yards as they’re passing through. A full-blown flea problem can develop if a yard is shady and has a high level of animal activity, said Trey Howard, Bug Out Pest Solutions.

“If you’re not finding the source and taking care of it, then you’re not taking care of the problem and you’re going to just keep chasing your tail,” said Chad Highley, Environmental Pest Control.

According to the 2022 PCT State of the Flea Control Market survey, 24 percent of PMPs include source reduction or sanitation as part of their flea treatment protocol.