Below is a list of tips to ensure your pets are happy and safe during and after your next pest control treatment. 

Tell your provider 

If you have a pet, tell your provider when you book your pest control service, as they may need to tailor the treatment. Before the treatment begins, always discuss any concerns you may have with the office or with a pest control specialist. 

Before the treatment starts, make sure you remove any water/food bowls, toys or bedding if they are in the treatment area.

Secure your pets 

Pets are often curious and may try to investigate new sounds and smells in their home. Our technicians love meeting your pets; however, sometimes, that curiosity can bring them too close to our treatment and increase the chance of something going wrong.

You will need to keep your pests safely secured while our pest technician is carrying out work. We often recommend leaving your pets with a friend or at a kennel for the day of the treatment. If this isn’t an option for you, close them in a room that isn’t being treated and make sure you use a towel to block any gaps in doorways. For example, if you have a pest problem in your kitchen, you may want to put your them into your garage or bedroom. Make sure cats or dogs can’t sneak back inside if you placed them outside for the treatment. 

Feathery And Fishy Friends

We need to know if you have birds, fish or reptiles kept in tanks or cages inside. Please don’t be upset if we can’t treat a room where you have birds, fish, reptiles or other such pets that can’t be relocated. Our job is to make sure we keep you and your pets safe during pest treatments. 

Ideally, you will relocate them somewhere safe during the treatment. However, this is not always practicable so at the very minimum you need to cover tanks including filters with a nonpermeable fabric. Make sure there are no gaps where air can enter. Be careful when doing this, as if the power is on the heat from the covered motor may create a fire hazard. Make sure any food or equipment you use is put away or covered. 

If you are worried, we recommend calling your veterinarian to ask if the pesticide will react with your pet. Some birds have susceptible respiratory systems and may be prone to problems. 

Important note about rodent treatments

When carrying out rodent control, it’s important that you tell us if you have a dog or if dogs frequent your property. Rodenticide is toxic and harmful to humans and pets. It can be lethal to dogs. THE ANTIDOTE IS VITAMIN K1. If you have a dog, we recommend you check that your local vet has stock. We use lockable tamper-proof stations to hold bait (rodenticide), which are designed to help protect people and pets from accidental exposure to the bait inside. While we take the utmost care to ensure stations are secure and out of reach from pets, we can’t guarantee that your pet won’t access the bait inside. 

Are you still worried? Please speak with A-Jet Pest Control today. They are knowledgeable and always happy to answer any concerns you may have. 

Hire A Professional 

Most importantly, if you have pets avoid doing the treatment yourself. If you don’t know how to apply the pesticide correctly or if you use the wrong amount, you run the risk of unintentionally poisoning your pet. In saying that, no two pest control companies are created equal. If you’re looking for the safest and most effective service, ensure you hire a certified PMANZ (Pest Management Association NZ) technician. If you still have concerns about your pet’s safety, contact A-Jet Pest Control for free advice or a quote. Our founder was the past president of PMANZ, so we know what we’re talking about! 

How To Get Rid of Fleas (In 3 simple steps):

There are three key steps to getting rid of fleas. 

1. Treat animals 
2. Treat your house 
3. Prevention to stop them from coming back. 

1. Treat animals

If you have a pet and don’t treat them regularly for fleas, then it’s best you get started. There are many flea control methods on the market such as flea sprays, collars and oral medication. Talk with your vet about what is the best product for your pet. These products work by repelling or killing fleas and their eggs. Certain products are more effective on a specific type of flea. Check out this article about all the different types of fleas we have in New Zealand. 

Remember, your pet may not be the cause of the flea infestation. There may be other animals that come onto your property, such as stray cats. Check for cavities or voids around your house where animals may get inside or use them as shelter. If there are any gaps, make sure they are closed off so animals can’t access this area. 

2. Treat your home

Fleas aren’t always brought inside on animals, they can hitch a ride on unsuspecting people too. When you notice there are fleas in your home, you need to eradicate the infestation quickly. For this, you will need a pest control provider specialising in flea control. We recommend a carpet clean before the treatment, which can help provide fast relief. Then your property will need a flea treatment that is specifically designed to kill and break the flea lifecycle. 

3. How To Prevent Fleas

When the flea infestation is eradicated, you can do a few things to help prevent fleas from infesting your home or office again. 

1. Act quickly if you notice flea activity, so the infestation doesn’t get out of control.

2. Keep your property clean and tidy. Vacuum carpet, furniture, and pet bedding at least once a week. Mow grass regularly and make sure gardens are tidy. 

3. If you have pets, keep them well-groomed. Regularly check your pet for fleas; you can use a flea comb to remove any fleas or flea eggs that may be in their fur. Ask your vet to recommend a suitable flea control treatment. Hot wash and tumble-dry pet bedding regularly to help kill live fleas and remove eggs (always follow laundry instructions). If items can’t be hot washed or tumbled dried, you can put them in a freezer for several days. 

Does Carpet Cleaning Kill Fleas?

If you have a flea infestation a professional carpet cleaner can be an effective way to quickly kill fleas that may be hiding in your carpets, providing much-needed relief. However, carpet cleaning alone won’t be enough to fully eliminate a flea infestation as eggs won’t necessarily be killed. 

A-Jet specialises in flea control and can offer carpet cleaning and targeted flea treatments. Call them today for more information.

Do Fleas Survive In Winter:

During winter months fleas that have already infested your home will survive by finding warmer areas such as in your pet’s fur, bedding, around heaters or other warm areas. Fleas have a life cycle that typically lasts two-three months. Factors that affect the flea’s survival rate in winter include temperature, humidity, and the availability of a host (a mammal). 

So how can you get rid of fleas in your home or office? Prevention is best, by following our recommendations you hopefully will reduce the chance of fleas infesting your property. However, if you see any flea activity act immediately before it becomes a serious problem. If you have noticed any flea activity in your home/office or you have any questions please give us a free call at 0800 862 538 we’d love to help. 

They’re disliked for good reason – not only because of the itchy bites they leave or their lightning speed reproduction rates, but also because they are be known to carry certain diseases.

As such, it’s important to deal with the flea problem as early as possible to keep the situation from getting out of hand. If you have spotted fleas on your pets or in your home, it’s helpful to know which type as we have at least four main types here in New Zealand. If in doubt, get in touch with our professional flea treatment team.

Let’s take a look at some of the different types of fleas in New Zealand and how to distinguish them. Along the way, we’ll discuss a bit about the life cycles and habits of fleas, too.

Note: If you’ve found bites on your body these may not necessarily be flea bites. Check out our guide on bed bug bites vs flea bites to help if this is the case.

Dog Flea (Ctenocephalides canis)

When you think of fleas, you probably think of dogs – the aptly named dog flea is the most common species that affects man’s best friend. Adult dog fleas are brown to black in color, while their larva is off-white. Adults measure about around 3mm in length and (like all fleas) are laterally flattened, meaning they’re incredibly thin when viewed from the front or top.

All types of fleas have six legs, and it’s their hind legs that enable them to jump an astonishing 50 times their height. While fleas by definition do not have wings, it may appear as if they do when you see them flying through the air thanks to their powerful legs.

Due to their tiny size, your best chance to spot them is on a contrasting surface to notice their dark color. Unfortunately, this contrasting surface tends to be your dog’s fur. These fleas will burrow themselves there and if left alone will lay eggs on your dog’s body. These are small, white, and very difficult to see.

As spotting them is difficult, the easiest way to know if your dog is dealing with fleas is to observe their behavior – if your furry friend is frequently scratching, whining or seems agitated, be sure to look through their coat. Consider using a magnifying glass if you have one available.

Cat Flea (Ctenocephalides felis)

The cat flea looks like the dog flea, being brown to black in color. They are also similar in size to dog fleas at around 1-3 millimeters. To make things even more confusing, while the cat flea mostly focuses on cats, it can also be found on dogs.

Cat fleas have both anterior and posterior “combs” on their bodies – these are dark, protruding bristles. Dog fleas have them too, but only on their heads (anterior). This is one of the clearest ways to distinguish the two types.

Like all fleas, cat fleas go through the following life cycle: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Even if eggs are laid on your cat’s body, many will fall off (by design) and incubate on carpets or furniture. When the temperature is right, they’ll hatch into larvae before transitioning to pupae and finally adults.

Cat fleas – and all other fleas on this list – become more active in the spring and summertime. In fact, pupae can remain dormant for up to 12 months! In other words, you could have flea babies relaxing inside your carpet, ready to pounce on you or your pet when the time is right.

If you suspect your dog or cat has fleas, use a flea-comb, or wet their fur to make it easier to spot these parasites.

Rat Flea (Xenopsylla cheopis)

Rat fleas are most commonly found feeding on the Norway (brown) rat, one of the most common types of rats here in New Zealand.

When it comes to appearance, the primary difference between the dog/cat flea and the rat flea is the lack of “combs” on their heads. As adults, they’re reddish-brown in color.

Another distinguishing feature of the rat flea is that it can jump higher than other types of fleas, up to 30cm (ruler length) in the air.

Human Flea (Pulex irritans)

Despite their name, human fleas don’t only focus on humans for their nutritional needs – they focus on hairy animals, too. These fleas are much less common in New Zealand compared to dog and cat fleas.

While cat, dog, and rat fleas can attach themselves to humans, they have a tough time surviving due to our relatively low amount of body hair. Human fleas, on the other hand, are adapted to survive on or beneath human skin.

Like the rat flea, human fleas lack combs on their heads, distinguishing them from cat and dog fleas. These critters also have more prominent eyespots than their commoner brethren and are reddish-brown in color as adults. As larvae, they tend to be yellowish in colour.

Wrapping Up

Any insect that bites and feeds off our pets and family members is not the sort of critter you want around. Furthermore, as fleas can cause blemishes and rashes, transmit illnesses or other parasites, it’s important to take their removal and prevention seriously.

Even if you successfully rid your pet of a flea infestation using vert approved treatments, the only surefire way to rid your home of the problem is to hire a team of professionals who can track down the source and carry out a professional treatment that stops fleas from breeding in your home while killing live activity.

With over 30 years of experience and a deep knowledge of the methods our NZ fleas use to wreak havoc, we can help you put an end to their persistence.

If you need help identifying or solving a flea problem at your home or place of work give us a call at 0800 862 538, or send us a message and we’ll be happy to rid you of this pest.

What do bed bugs look like?

It is tricky to identify these guys because they are so jolly small so to help out we made a dedicated post on what bed bugs look like. An adult bed bug is roughly half a centimeter in size, and their children measure in at a whopping 2 to 5 millimeters. Keep those eyes peeled for little flat, oval-shaped, rusty coloured apple seeds with 6 legs, 2 antennae and no wings, and should you find them, grab your magnifying glass because the baby bugs are still translucent and the tiny eggs are a cream colour, making them even harder to spot. 

Image: Wikimedia Commons

What do fleas look like?

These are even harder to inspect than bed bugs as they’re roughly the size of a baby bed bug, a whole 3mm. They are, however, great bed bug impersonators. They’re the same rusty colour, they’re also flat, and they don’t rely on wings to travel.

They give themselves away in that they just can’t help jumping, they love it, it’s how they get around, and their back legs are designed for it, unlike bed bugs who merely crawl to their desired destinations. So should you get close enough to a flea (before it jumps away), you’ll notice their very long back legs which afford them the ability to jump an impressive 30cm, making it one of the best jumpers out there. Read out full article on the different types of fleas you find in New Zealand for more info.

Where are bed bugs found?

Bed bugs are the undisputed hide and seek champions of the world. Their tiny bodies are perfectly suited to hard-to-find hiding spaces. Furthermore, they’re nocturnal. They love to hide under bed frames, behind headboards, in electrical outlets, in springs, on the corners of mattresses, behind wall paper, on the back of paintings and frames and in furniture crevices. These nasty pests are also incredibly committed to hiding. They’ll hide for up to 4 months after gorging themselves on your blood. If you’ve found bed bugs in these locations see how to get rid of them.

Image: Louento.pix on Flickr

Where are fleas found?

After hatching, the flea’s only intent is to protect itself, and carpet fibres, mats and floors are the perfect places to do so. As they get older, fleas, like most humans, begin to love pets, they just have an unorthodox way of showing it; they suck their blood and take over their beds. The juiciest parts of our beloved fur children are their necks, backs and underside areas, which is where fleas take up residence in order to take full advantage of the buffet. Apart from that, they also quite enjoy the great outdoors, taking a liking to places that offer both shade and humidity, like long grass, shrubs trees and leaves. 

What do bed bug bites look like?

Considering where bed bugs live, their bites tend to appear mostly from the waistline up; you’ll generally find bites on your hands, shoulders and neck, and occasionally on your legs. Bed bug bites form in clusters or lines, with multiple bites appearing in one area. They become red, swollen and itchy and have a defining dark spot in the middle of each bite. 

Image: louento.pix on Flickr

What do flea bites look like?

Flea bites tend to appear mostly from the waistline down, especially on your ankles, given that they prefer the safety of the carpet in your home, shrubs in your garden or the fur on your pets. Flea bites are also raised, red and itchy, but their bites are more spread out (remember, they love jumping) and, if infected, can form a white pustule in the middle of the bite. 

Image: Michael Voelker on Flickr

How do you get rid of fleas?

Flea extermination is more straightforward, and thus approximately half the cost of bed bug extermination. Residual product (product that is absorbed by the pests when walking over it) is applied to carpets and floors where it actively works for several weeks, ensuring fleas hatching over the next few weeks will be dealt with accordingly.

In order to ensure the residual product functions optimally, do not wash or vacuum floors for at least 10 days after treatment. Powder treatment is then applied outside and underneath your house to prevent camping fleas from heading inside. Simple, effective, and much easier on your wallet, so let’s hope those bites belong to fleas.

Although similar in so many ways, the aforementioned differences between fleas and bed bugs are clear enough for you to identify which critter is squatting in your home. However, if you’re still unsure, or are extra cautious, most bed bug treatment or flea removal specialist will offer an inspection service where they’ll accurately diagnose the problem, equipping them with the best knowledge to inform their treatment.