Fleas
Fleas jump, bite round the ankles and wait in carpets as cocoons. Treat every pet with your vet, vacuum every day, and the house follows.
- Size
- Tiny, a few millimetres
- Colour
- Dark reddish brown, flat from the side
- Lives
- Pets, carpets, sofas, pet beds
- Active
- Day and night; they jump
How to tell
They jump
Fleas leap away. Bed bugs and most other biters crawl.
Flat side to side
Narrow from above, like a seed on its edge, with big back legs.
Bites at the ankles
Small, very itchy red spots, often in clusters on the lower legs.
Cats and dogs Never use a dog flea product on a cat. Some are poisonous to cats. Ask your vet for one made for each pet.
Signs you have them
- Itchy bites round the ankles and lower legs.
- Dark specks in pet fur or bedding that turn red on damp tissue.
- Hopping specks on white socks after a walk round the carpet.
- A pet scratching more than usual.
The plan
- 1
Treat every pet
A flea treatment from your vet, for every cat and dog in the home.
- 2
Vacuum every day
Carpets, sofas and edges, for a couple of weeks. Empty it outside.
- 3
Wash it hot
Bedding, pet beds and throws, as hot as the label allows.
- 4
Still bitten?
After a few weeks of this, a professional can treat the house.
Solutions for fleas
Monitor traps
Check them weekly to track progress.
Opens Google Maps. Call first to check they have it.
Shoo does not sell these yet. They are standard products sold by other shops; follow the label on the one you buy.
What people worry about
We have no pets. How can we have fleas?
Flea cocoons can wait in carpets from a previous occupant's pet and hatch when someone moves in. A neighbour's cat or animals under the floor are other routes.
Are flea bites dangerous for my child?
They are itchy rather than dangerous. Ask a pharmacist about something for the itch that suits their age, and see a doctor if bites look infected or your child seems unwell.
How long until they are gone?
Expect a few weeks. Waiting cocoons keep hatching, so keep vacuuming every day even when you see fewer.