Even though fleas tend to be worse in the summer months, they can invade your home during the winter as well. After all, who wouldn’t want a warm cozy spot when the winter winds begin to blow? If you find a flea on your dog or cat, there’s a huge potential for more throughout your home. The fleas you see are adults and make up about one percent of the total flea population that may be infesting your home. Getting rid of the fleas on animals isn’t enough; you have to eliminate them everywhere in the house to insure total eradication.

Fleas do more than just make Fido or Kitty itch; they also carry diseases and conditions that are far more serious, such as tapeworm, skin allergies and sometimes anemia. While fleas prefer a tasty meal of a dog or cat, they also attack humans as well. They can live for months without eating, but if you happen to be in the area of this hungry, micro predator, he’ll snack on the closest warm-blooded creature available, which might be you.

You may think flea season is over they may simply be lurking as larvae, pupae or eggs waiting to develop into a pest and then attack. Vigilance year around is important, particularly if you’re in an area that often has problems with fleas, such as those with more temperate weather where the winters barely hover near freezing or are warmer.

Even though treating your pets is a start, it requires more to keep your house free from pests such as fleas. You need to combat fleas on both the pets and your environment to keep your family and pets safe. Vacuuming floors, animal bedding and furniture frequently and disposing of the bag to eliminate any eggs or larvae you might have removed is a start, but you also may need a professional to help eliminate the infestation.

Having the area inspected by a professional and treated by a professional, while simultaneously treating your pets can help eliminate many future problems. Using the do-it-yourself products found in stores is often ineffective against big infestations and can introduce unnecessary chemicals into your environment. Professional exterminators have access to the necessary equipment and high concentration insecticides. They also have the knowledge and training to apply them effectively. They know the exact concentrations use these chemicals safely and suitably for the situation. You could easily spend more money attempting to treat the problem yourself with sprays from the store and still have no success, than it would be immediately seeking help from someone trained in pest control who offers a guarantee with the work.