Flea Instructions

HOW SHOULD I PREPARE FOR TREATMENT?

PREPARE TO BE GONE (your pets also) FOR 2-3 HOURS; floor surfaces and upholstery will need time to dry.

CLEAR ITEMS FROM THE FLOORS.
Books, toys, shoes should be placed on tables or beds (not on upholstered furniture). Clear items from closet floors, if possible.

REMOVE ITEMS STORED UNDER BEDS, AND CLEAN UNDER UPHOLSTERY CUSHIONS.

VACUUM ENTIRE HOUSE, INCLUDING UNDER BEDS AND FURNITURE IF POSSIBLE.
Remove vacuum bag and discard in sealed plastic bag.

WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU TAKE YOUR PET(S) TO BE TREATED AT THE SAME TIME AS YOUR RESIDENCE.

WHAT DO I NEED TO DO AFTER TREATMENT?

VACUUM YOUR ENTIRE HOUSE AT LEAST TWICE PER WEEK.

ACTIVITY NEEDED! Fleas will not die if they remain in hibernation. To encourage flea activity there must be human (or pet) movement and activity in the structure. Make sure to spend time in the basement and every room twice a week.

WHAT CAN I EXPECT AFTER TREATMENT?

First and second weeks: You will not notice much change (although much is changing for the fleas). We have killed at least ½ the flea population, but you may not notice.
Just after the end of the second week you may begin to see smaller and slower fleas (look for that).
Soon after, the flea population will begin to crash. Almost all flea infestations are eradicated by the end of 30 days.

There is a reduced fee for re-sprays (up to 90 days). We can legally re-spray after just 2 weeks (not sooner), but recommend you wait 30 days. Since the success rate is so high for those who wait the full 30 days, we discourage early re-sprays by charging a higher re-spray price for re-sprays requested 15-30 days from initial treatment.

"You've treated my VACANT property for fleas. Why do I still have fleas?"

Fleas can be even more difficult to control in vacant buildings. Many factors contribute to the flea problem. Let's look at each and see what can be done...

ACTIVITY: Unlike other insects, the adult flea does not exit the pupae case when it completes development. Instead, it hibernates and waits (up to 5 months) for a food source to wander by. This survival technique makes control in vacant buildings especially difficult. Since chemicals cannot penetrate this pupae case, something must be done to encourage the fleas to "pop out" where the insecticide and IGR (Insect Growth Regulator) can do its work. We have found that there is no substitute for activity in the vacant building. We recommend that the floors be vacuumed weekly and every room entered every week following treatment. (This is the most uncomfortable part of the process for owners of flea-infested vacant buildings.)

TIME: Please allow time for the chemicals to work (usually about 30 days). We have found that most flea problems in vacant buildings are solved with the first treatment if the proper amount of time is allowed. We charge an additional, but reduced, fee if a second treatment is needed within 90 days (less than 10% require a second treatment).

TEMPERATURE: The warmer the temperature in the building the faster the fleas reproduce and develop. Ventilation or air conditioning may help.

SEVERITY: Heavy flea populations do not develop quickly; neither can they be eliminated quickly. Either allow more time (the IGR lasts up to 5 months) or expect the need for additional treatments.

CLEANLINESS: Most people don't realize that flea larvae also require meals consisting of blood. They eat the undigested blood excreted by the adult fleas. If the building's floor surfaces are not vacuumed thoroughly (even hard-surface floors) an abundance of this "food" will remain available for the larvae and more of them will survive and mature into adult fleas. Continue to vacuum weekly after treatment until fleas are gone.