Grounds Services, Inc. | Turf, Tree & Shrub Management System: Turf Insects: Fleas

Flea Fleas

insect program

Adult size: about 1/16th - 1/8th inches

Although these pest are not turf-destroying pest, they are a problem for many homeowners and their furry family members. If you have or previously had a flea problem, one part of the solution may be surface feeding insect control. A good pest management program involves multiple points of treatment and a surface feeding insect application could help to control the flea population in your yard. It is important to keep in mind that treating the lawn is only one front in the battle against fleas.

A flea bite will usually appear as a small, hard, red, slightly-raised (swollen) itching spot that turns white when touched with pressure. There is a single puncture in the center of the swollen area, and depending on the individual and their sensitivity, the bite may be accompanied by a rash or inflammation. Fleas can also transmit diseases from rodents or other mammals to humans as well as tapeworms. Within 30 days, an unchecked flea population can exploid to over 100,000 in various life stages (the female may lay as much as 30-50 eggs per day!). It is also important to note that the adult fleas only make up about 5% of the total flea population. Due to their size, population and different stages of life, fleas can be difficult to control.

Flea Life Cycle

Flea bites & size of flea on finger

What homeowners can do:

Vacuum the floor thouroghly with a beater-bar type vacuum. Ensure that you get under furnature and rugs. Also vacuum or use a hose to get up tight to the base boards. After vacuuming, place or empty contents into a large plastic bag and discard away from home. To be effective, vacuuming must be done at least every other day.
Using insect growth regulators will stop the egg or larvae life stages from continueing on (though does not effect the pupae or adult stage).
Products for pets, such as topical, powders, oral or collars will kill the adult stage (and some will even target earlier stages of the life cycle as well).
Wash pet bedding regularly.
Keep your lawn trimmed on a regular basis to deter fleas from nesting on your lawn.
Keep long-standing piles of sand and gravel away from the house.
Surface feeding insect control will target these pest and rid them from the yard.
Aerosols can be used to fog complete rooms and destroy the adult (ensure all pilot lights are off prior to fogging a room).
Insecticidal spray directed into cracks and base boards will help to target hidden larvae.

Grounds Services is Ohio certified in:
Commercial Core
Aquatic
Industrial Vegetation
Ornamental Pest Control
Ornamental Weed Control
Vertebrate Animal Control
Turf Pest Control
General Pest Control