FLEAS Rockin’ Around Your Christmas Tree

Shockin’ around the Christmas tree

Festivities are well underway as we all begin to decorate our homes with fairy lights and tinsel.

But new research has revealed that your Christmas tree is capable of bringing some unwanted guests into your home including aphids, spiders, fleas and ticks.

Key findings:

• Your Christmas tree is capable of carrying live pests like aphids, spiders, fleas and ticks into your home
• 95% of fleas don’t live on animals, but in wood floor crevices, carpets and soft furnishings
• Only one in every 100 fleas ever is seen by a pet owner

A new report from tails.com has found only one in every 100 fleas ever is seen by a pet owner, so whilst you might say you have seen between 10-15 on your pet – there’s likely to be many more lurking.

 As fleas thrive in warmer environments, central heating can be a nesting ground for the critters. After 55 days without action, your home could be crawling with over 5 million fleas and can also transmit tapeworms.

95% of fleas don’t live on animals, but in wood floor crevices, carpets and soft furnishings. And they can remain alive in the cracks for up to two years.

If you’ve suddenly noticed your dog scratching and found fleas but you are still finding fleas around your home even after treating your pet.

Using a treatment from your vet as well as treating the environment at the same time is the only reliable way to tackle a sudden or heavy infestation. Even with effective flea prevention for dogs, you might see dead or dying fleas for a while afterwards.

Tails.com Head Vet Sean McCormack warns that missed flea treatments in lockdown could be leading to a bigger problem and has the following advice for pet owners suffering:

“Often by the time you notice adult fleas there may already be hundreds of eggs and larvae developing in your home on bedding, soft furnishings, carpets and flooring – it’s the perfect environment. It is crucial to treat the home environment at the same time as your dog to reduce the chances of another infestation several weeks later.”

“Vacuuming the entire household, discarding the contents of the vacuum cleaner immediately in a sealed plastic bag, washing bedding on a high heat and using a spray in the home are vital to prevent reoccurrence. If your pet spends a lot of time in your car, it’s also worth giving that a good clean too.”