Controlling Fleas In Modesto, Oakdale, & Manteca Since 1998

One of the worst epidemics in recorded human history was the Black Death in mid evil Europe, cause by bubonic plague.  About 1/3rd of the population died from this disease carried by rats bearing fleas infected with the disease.  We still have occasions where the plague shows up in modern times, but it can be successfully treated if caught early enough.

If you remember the old adage- if you see one flea, your house is infested with fleas. When you consider the numbers from a typical infestation (5% adults, 10% cocoons, 35% larvae and the remaining 50% eggs), you can see why just treating the adults that you see will not contain the infestation. Scroll to bottom of the page for more info.

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The Life Cycle of Fleas

1. The first stage in the life of the flea is the egg, and the fact that a female adult can lay eggs every hour helps the average homeowner understand why controlling fleas is a true nightmare. These eggs can be laid on a host (usually a family pet, an invading raccoon or squirrel)  or inside your home on your carpet.  These eggs hatch anywhere from 1 to 6 days, depending on the temperature and humidity. If the conditions are not ideal for hatching, an egg can lie dormant for up to one year.
2. The second stage in the development of a flea is the larval stage.  Once again, the surrounding temperature and level of light allows for a range of hatching time to be present.  The larvae burrow into the host or your carpet, and you don’t need to worry about feeding them as the larvae feed off of the excrement of the adult fleas which feed off the blood of the host.  Larvae are sensitive to light and humidity and thrive in moist, shady areas.
3. The third stage is the pupa stage, where the larvae creates a cocoon around itself.  This cocoon is sticky which allows it to adhere to your poor pet or the carpet.  This phase looks a lot like little balls of dirt.  If you see these on the stomach of your pet, or around the head or tail area, you are probably looking at the pupa stage of the flea. Once it has completed the cocoon, an adult flea can emerge in a matter of a few days. The cocooned flea can be very aware of a host nearby, and will actually emerge sooner than planned to take advantage of the unaware host. The presence of larvae requires a very thorough vacuuming prior to any treatment by pesticides as you want to leave as few of these cocoons behind as possible. Their presence also explains why it can be so difficult to treat for fleas, as the thicker or more dense that the carpet is, the harder to get to the base of it.
4. The 4th and final stage of the life cycle of a flea is the adult, and if you have ever been in a home infested with fleas, you know how irritating and itchy the bites can be.  You also know that they are something you cannot tolerate in your home or on your pets.  They also represent a health risk because their bite can transmit both viruses and bacteria from other hosts that they have fed off of. From the time they emerge from their cocoon, they latch onto the nearest host and start their life as a parasite.