Fleas and ticks
Flea control in Bakersfield
Most of a flea problem lives in the carpet and where the pet sleeps, not on the pet. Call to reach an independent company. Ticks can be raised on the same call.
Calls answered early morning to late evening
How to recognize fleas
- Small, itchy bites, often around the ankles.
- A pet that keeps scratching, with dark specks showing up on a flea comb.
- Small dark insects jumping from carpet or bedding, often after you've been away.
Why they keep coming back
UC IPM says the common flea in California is the cat flea, which also attacks dogs and bites people. Numbers tend to climb in spring and early summer.
At normal room temperature the whole life cycle can take about 18 days. Fleas waiting in cocoons can stay put for up to 12 months in cool conditions, then come out when warmth and footsteps set them off. That's why a home can seem fine until someone returns from a trip.
Treatment doesn't kill pupae either, so UC IPM says fleas may keep emerging for up to 2 weeks. Seeing a few afterward doesn't mean the visit failed.
What a flea visit usually involves
Someone asks where pets rest and focuses on those areas: carpets, upholstery, pet bedding, and shaded outdoor spots. You will likely be asked to vacuum and wash bedding first, and to have the pet treated by your vet at about the same time.
Ask how to prepare, how long people and pets should stay out, and what to do if you see fleas two weeks later. If ticks are your concern, say so on the call.
Keep numbers down
- Vacuum often where pets rest and empty the vacuum outside.
- Wash pet bedding regularly.
- Use a flea comb to catch new problems early.
- Ask your vet about flea products for your pet.
- Open up shaded spots where pets sleep outdoors: immature fleas don't survive sun well.
Flea questions
I don't have a pet. Can I still have fleas?
Yes. A previous occupant's pet can leave fleas behind in a carpet, and stray animals can bring them under a house or onto a porch.
Seeing something now? Make the call.
Say what you found, where you found it, and your ZIP. The company on the line can tell you how it would handle the job and what a visit involves.
Calls answered early morning to late evening. Calls may be recorded. Referral disclosure