Fleas and Ticks in South Florida

Why fleas show up, even without pets

Only the adult fleas live on an animal. Most of the population, the eggs, larvae and cocoons, lives in carpet, rugs, furniture, pet beds and the shady parts of the yard. That's why a house can have fleas with no dog or cat at all. A previous owner's or tenant's pet can leave a population behind, and raccoons, opossums and stray cats resting under decks, porches and crawl spaces can keep one going outside. Young fleas can also wait inside their cocoons until footsteps, body heat or the carbon dioxide we breathe out tells them someone is home, so bites often start right after a move-in or a long trip. Read fleas in the house with no pets for the full list. The cocoons are also why fleas seem to come back about two weeks after a treatment. Those are usually young adults hatching from cocoons that were already in the carpet, not a new infestation, and the answer is to keep the pressure on inside and out; see fleas came back after treatment. The brown dog tick is the other indoor problem. It hides in cracks, along baseboards and behind furniture near where the dog sleeps.

What we do and when to call

Flea service starts with an inspection and a talk about your pets and where they spend time. We treat fleas inside the home, in carpets, furniture and along baseboards, and in the yard where they breed. We also treat ticks, following the product label. We never treat the animals themselves; that's your veterinarian's job. Chiggers are covered here for identification.

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Frequently Asked Questions