Fleas need to flee
Q. I have fleas in my house. They’ve been there for about a week and a half. I’ve identified them on sticky tape. What can I do to get rid of them?
Jean from Warren
A. Fleas are fickle and frustrating!
First of all, they are tiny. Fleas are only about 1/8 of an inch long. To narrow down possibilities and be sure this is what you have, you can disturb the area where you think they are.
If you see jumping, that’s what you have. If you catch some, you’ll be able to identify them by their large back legs. Use a sticky trap in the area to catch a few. Using sticky tape works great. Something like packing tape rolled into cylinders will do the trick.
Control Entry Points
Fleas can get into the home several ways, from having pets to just having lots of wildlife up close to your house may be the reason you have fleas. Discourage nests on your downspouts and other areas touching the home.
Avoid feeding wild cats, as you’ll get raccoons eating when you’re not looking. Be sure to not have tall grasses or extensive landscaping or weeds up against the house. These kinds of areas will serve as entry points for fleas.
Seal up or screen over areas where anything from a chipmunk to a mouse might gain entry into the home.
INFESTATION-REDUCTION STRATEGIES
Inside the home, our entomologists encourage frequent vacuuming. This can remove 95 percent of flea eggs, larvae and adults. Remove your bag or clean your vacuum each time.
There are many options for controlling the ones you already have. Details are at the fact-sheet link below.
Please note that we do not recommend using “bug bombs,” as the active ingredient rarely gets to the cracks and crevices where the eggs, larvae and adults are located.
Also, note that eggs hatch in two to 14 days. Thus, the infestation may come back quickly. Vacuuming and other tactics should be done regularly – even after you think the fleas are all gone.
For detailed control options and other information about fleas, go to: http://go.osu.edu/fleas.
Eric Barrett is OSU Extension educator for agriculture and natural resources in Mahoning County. Call the office hot line at 330-533-5538 to submit your questions. Regular clinic hours are over for the growing season, but you can still call and submit questions. Hours vary throughout the winter season.