Several years back I was working with a client,(we will call her Jane) who had been absent for a longer period than normal. I asked Jane about her absence, if she had been working out of town, or on vacation. I was shocked to find out that neither was the case, in fact she had been laying in a hospital for over a month with a disease I had thought from my childhood history books had been eradicated. The disease Jane had was the Bubonic Plague. It had shocked Jane as well, she had thought she had the flu initially, but when she continuously got worse she went to her Doctor. After a lot of tests they discovered she had the Bubonic Plague, presumably from fleas from a house hold pet. Now Bubonic Plague is generally treatable these days with antibiotics, but Jane stated it was the closest she had ever felt to death in her entire life, and her recovery was not an easy one. It’s still a disease to be avoided.
For such a tiny insect, Flea’s can work havoc in the health and safety of not only your pets but you and your family as well. It’s important to speak to your Vet about protection for your animals from flea infestation, especially if they spend time out of doors. And it’s not just the Bubonic Plague we are concerned about. Fleas consume up to 15 times their body weight in blood daily. This can lead to anemia in your pet. Fleas can also be a source of tapeworms, as well as cat scratch disease. In humans, fleas have been known to transmit Bubonic Plague, Murine Typhus ( Usually in California, Texas and Hawaii) and Tularemia. All treatable, none of them pleasant.
Every year we get calls from clients confused as to why they are suddenly dealing with a Flea infestation when they have no pets. This generally occurs when there is a rodent infestation of some sort. We have more than one client who had no idea they had a rodent issue until the fleas showed up. If you have a sudden infestation of fleas, and it doesn’t take much to cause an infestation, look for a rodent issue. In cases such as this it is important to not only treat the home for fleas but to go to the root of the problem and deal with the rodent issue as well, so your home isn’t reinfected.
If you have a home that is infested with fleas, give us a call. We have tried and true methods to partner with you in taking back your home from these invasive insects. We have rodent programs available as well, that start by taking care of any rodents you already have, then work to set up a perimeter of defense around your home to keep them out. As always, we look forward to hearing from you and helping you solve your pest problems!