Some people assume that fleas are only present in homes with dogs or cats. However, the truth is that fleas can make their way into any home, regardless as to whether or not there are pets living inside.
It’s downright frustrating when you begin to see fleas crawling and jumping on your furniture. Even if you vacuum, clean and dust your home a regular basis, these blood-sucking parasites may still find a way to inhabit your home. Normally, homeowners treat infestations by using an insecticide on their pet. But with a pet present in your home, how are you supposed to kill the fleas?
Flea drawing: photo by IrishErlina.
How Fleas Enter The Home
The first step towards treating a flea infestation in the home is to identify their method of transportation. You must find out how exactly they are making their way into your home.
Typically, fleas enter the home by catching a ride on the homeowner’s dog or cat while they are outside, but this obviously doesn’t apply in a situation where the homeowner’s does not own a pet.
Common hosts that may bring fleas into your home:
- Mice
- Rats
- Squirrels
- Foxes
- Raccoon
- Possums
- Bats
Check Your Attic!
If your home is infested with fleas and you don’t have pets, you should ‘carefully’ check the attic to see if there’s an unwanted tenant living there without your permission. It’s not uncommon for squirrels, mice or any of the other pests listed above to make their way into the attic, at which point they reproduce while scavenging for food.
Depending on the type of host inhabiting your attic, you may want to call a professional pest control expert. Attempting to remove a fox den without the proper tools and experience is downright dangerous, as these animals may be carrying rabies along with fleas.
Seal Your Home
Once the flea hosts are removed, you should perform a thorough inspection of your home to identify their entry point. Remember, it only takes a small hole about the size of nickel for a field mice to enter, so fill any and all holes you come across with an expanding epoxy solution.
As long as you keep your home sealed and free of any hosts, fleas shouldn’t be able to enter. And if you ever happen to experience a flea infestation in the future, be sure to check back with our blog here at fleabitesonhumans.com for more tips and how-tos on dealing with these pesky parasites!