If you suspect fleas have made it into your home, speed matters. The signs below will help you confirm whether you have a problem, and the sooner you spot them, the easier the infestation is to clear. If anything here sounds familiar, get in touch with our flea control team before it gets worse.
One thing to bear in mind before you start checking: a single female flea can lay around 1,500 eggs in her lifetime. So if you have seen one flea, there are almost certainly many more you have not. A female takes a meal of blood from her host and lays her eggs as she feeds. Those eggs drop off onto carpets, furniture, clothing and the floor, then hatch into larvae, and a small problem becomes a big one fast.
Signs that fleas have moved into your home
Your pets are usually the first place to look. Constant scratching, biting or licking is one of the clearest signals that fleas are living in their fur. Next time you stroke or cuddle them, part the coat and check down to the skin: you may see the fleas themselves, or the dark specks of flea dirt.
A simple test confirms it. Comb your pet over a sheet of paper that has a few drops of water on it, then look at what falls out. Black specks that smear red when wet are flea droppings, which means flesh blood, and your pet has fleas.
People show signs too. Small red bites clustered around the ankles often mean fleas are hiding in the carpet or floorboards. If you notice bites on your arms after holding a pet for a while, those fleas may have transferred to you. And the most obvious sign of all is seeing them in the open: fleas are easy to spot jumping about on soft furnishings.
You do not need pets to get fleas
It is a common assumption that only homes with pets get fleas, but that is not the case. A visitor who owns animals can carry fleas in with them, and you can pick them up the same way when you visit a home with pets. Fleas also hitch a ride from wild animals while you are out and about, so any home can end up with them.
Spotted the signs of fleas? Call our flea control team and we will help clear the problem before it gets out of hand. We are open every day except Christmas Day, from early until late.