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Flea Control |
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| Adult fleas are 2-3 mm in length and
generally of a shiny brown appearance. They have a thin, laterally
flattened body and large hind legs which allow them to jump onto
passing hosts. |
Flea eggs are about 0.5mm long, oval,
pearly-white in colour and laid indiscriminately in the fur or
feathers of the host or in its nest or bedding. Four to eight eggs are
laid after each blood meal and a single female may produce 800 - 1000
eggs during her lifetime, which may be as long as two years.
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| The larvae thrive in dark, humid places such as
animal bedding and carpet fluff, and feed on organic debris and adult
flea excrement. Cats' bedding may support a flea population of 8000
immature and 2000 adult forms. |
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| SOLUTION |
| Where very high populations of fleas are
present, a single application of insecticide may not be sufficient, as
even a 99% kill rate can still leave sufficient survivors to form the
basis of a new infestation. In such cases,
additional treatments will need to be carried out until the
infestation is eradicated. All floors and upholstered furniture should
be vacuumed to remove animal hairs, organic debris, flea eggs and
pupae. Dispose of vacuum bag in an outside bin. Any cats
and dogs should be treated for fleas with an insecticide
recommended for this purpose and pet bedding should be destroyed or
washed. All floor areas should then be treated with a residual
insecticide or a desiccant spray from skirting board to skirting
board. |
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