Introducing The Flea!
This week we are excited to carry on with our series of "Pest Trumps" at PGM & SON Pest Control Services with The Flea.
Each file is available for free download, and you may use them at work to help identify pests for the protection of your workers and customers. The PGM "Pest Control Trump" set of information cards is created to assist with pest-related issues in the UK.
THE FLEA
Flea Fact File
The most common type of flea found in the UK is the cat flea (“Ctenocephalides felis”). This flea type is very common and whilst their primary host is cats, the flea will also bite humans and dogs.
The dog flea (“Ctenocephalides canis”) also uses a variety of hosts but most commonly targets cats and dogs.
Two other types of fleas are bird fleas and human fleas. The bird flea has a very short life span but an impressive breeding stamp and multiplies is significant numbers. Human fleas are thankfully rare in the UK but are known to carry the plague bacteria Yersinia pestis (Y.pestis) also known as the Black Death.
DID YOU KNOW
In the second World War the Japanese tried to use fleas to carry Y.pestis as a biological weapon by dropping them in China.
Strength
Fleas are tiny and don’t possess great strength, they can cause serious problems in animals and humans as we’ll find out later.
Score: 1
Breeding
Fleas’ lifecycle is a four-stage process from egg through to adult. This can take between two weeks and eight months depending on environmental factors. A female flea can live up to two years and in that time they can lay around 1500 eggs!
Score: 10
Nuisance Factor
Fleas carry disease for example myxomatosis which is a serious disease in rabbits and can be spread by fleas. They also bite animals and humans and bites can cause allergic reactions. Young or frail animals can become weak and die of blood loss and lengthy periods of infestation can also cause anaemia in pets. Flea larvae can become infected with tapeworm eggs so pets can become a host to this parasite as well. So all round the tiny flea can cause some serious health issues in both animals and humans.
Score: 10
Agility
Fleas are the Olympic high jumpers of the pest world. A flea can jump at least 100 times their own body length and have been known to reach up to 200 times.
Score: 8
Environmental
All organisms, including fleas, are part of the food chain. Whether they are consumed by animals, microorganisms or fungi, they help keep nutrients flowing through the system of life. Fleas score pretty low in this category though.
Score: 1
Flea Superpower: Enhanced Leap
We have to put the flea down for the enhanced leap. To put their jumping skills into context, if humans were to jump as well as fleas they would be able to leap over the Shard in London so that’s pretty amazing!!
Overall PGM Pest Trumps Flea Rating 4/10
The flea scores well on its ability to jump to great heights but these disease spreaders score low for their nuisance factor and danger to public health.
<< DOWNLOAD FOR FREE >>
To aid with pest-related issues in the UK, PGM & SON are creating a complete variety of "Pest Trump" documents that are available for the pest management industry and the general public to download for free. Please subscribe to our blog if you want to stay up to date with all of our current developments on the Pest Trump line.
Proof we're fit for the fight
PGM & SON is a member of the British Pest Control Association (BPCA), the UK's trade association for the pest management sector. Since membership is a badge of professionalism and quality, we are proud to exhibit our members logo, which we have achieved. The BPCA encourages best practices, and our membership in the group serves as independent evidence of our dedication to excellence in all facets of our organisation.
Our BPCA membership proves we’re committed to excellence in every part of our business
PGM & SON is a pioneer in ecologically responsible pest management thanks to our pet- and family-friendly technology. We are the Herefordshire area's top-recommended pest control management company. Contact us for assistance, support, and direction.
If you have a pest problem, it’s usually best to call in the professionals. For all your pest problems give PGM & Son Pest Control Hereford a call on 01981 540088 or 07964 370480 for a free no-obligation chat.
If you prefer, you can email us at contact@pgmpestcontrol.co.uk or use the live chat facility on ou website and if we’re not available on the live chat for any reason then there’s a handy message service for you to leave your details so we can call you back.
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