Flea control in Midrand homes

Flea control in Midrand works only when the house, the garden and the pets are treated at the same time. We treat carpets, bedding areas, under furniture and the shady spots outside where pets lie, using odourless residual products, while you treat the animals with a vet-recommended product, so the flea cycle is broken.

Why fleas take hold in Midrand homes

Midrand is dog country. Estates are full of family dogs, plots keep several at a time, and many owners walk their dogs along the grass verges and open veld between developments, where stray cats, hares and other animals leave flea eggs behind. Warm summer weather speeds the flea life cycle up, so a problem that started with a few fleas in October can be a carpet full of them by December.

There is one situation we see often in Midrand because people move here so much: the new home that "had no fleas" until the family moved in. Flea pupae can lie dormant in carpets, under floor tiles and in the garden for weeks after the previous owner's pets have gone. The vibration and warmth of new occupants triggers them to hatch all at once, and the first people they find are you and your children.

Signs it is fleas

• Small, itchy red bites, usually around the ankles and lower legs.
• Pets scratching, licking or chewing at their back near the tail.
• Tiny dark insects that jump when you walk on a rug or sit on the couch.
• Black specks (flea dirt) in pet bedding that turn reddish when dampened on white paper.
• More bites after coming home from a weekend away, when hungry fleas have been waiting.

The flea life cycle, in short

Adult fleas live on the animal, but they are only a small part of the problem. Eggs fall off into carpets, bedding, cracks in the floor and shady soil. Larvae feed on flea dirt in those places, then spin cocoons that protect the pupae from most treatments. That is why treating only the dog, or only the house, almost never works. The fleas simply wait in the part that was missed.

How we treat fleas

1. Before we arrive: vacuum every carpet, rug and couch thoroughly, empty the vacuum bag outside, wash pet bedding on a hot cycle, and pick up toys and items from the floor.
2. Inside treatment: we apply a residual treatment to carpets, rugs, under beds and furniture, along skirting boards and in the places your pets sleep.
3. Outside treatment: we treat shady areas under decks, trees and hedges, kennels and the spots where pets rest.
4. Pet treatment: your vet advises on the right flea product for each animal, applied on the same day.
5. Keep vacuuming: for the next two weeks, vacuuming daily brings pupae out of their cocoons so the treatment can reach them.

Nobody needs to move out while we work; just let treated carpets dry before the children and animals go back on them.

The mistake that brings fleas straight back

Treating the pets and calling it done. Within days, a new wave of fleas hatches from the carpets and the garden and climbs back on. The opposite mistake happens too: spraying the house while the dog still carries live fleas. Everything has to be done together.

Fleas and ticks often come together

Dogs that pick up fleas in long grass usually pick up ticks too, and on smallholdings and estates bordering veld the two are closely linked. If you are pulling ticks off the dog as well, read about tick treatments in Midrand.

A Midrand tip

When you buy or rent a home in Midrand, ask whether the previous occupants had pets. If they did, have the house treated for fleas before you move your furniture in. An empty house is quicker and cheaper to treat, and you avoid that first week of bites.

What flea treatment costs, and why

Fleas are priced mainly on floor area and furnishings: the size of the home, how much carpet and soft furnishing there is, whether the garden needs treating and how bad the infestation is. A small flat with tiled floors and one cat is a quick job. A large house with carpets, several dogs and a big garden takes more product and time. Our guide prices for flea and insect treatments show the starting point, and this page lists a "from" price too. If you have a few fleas and the pets are already on a good vet product, thorough vacuuming may be enough on its own.

Homes in Halfway House Estate and the surrounding suburbs get the same treatment approach. Our flea control service in Sandton covers the area to the south, the city-wide method is on flea control in Johannesburg, and our pest control services in Midrand page lists everything else.

Combat Pest Control is owned by Jason van Heerden, who has worked in pest control for 25 years. We are SAPCA registered and registered with the Department of Agriculture under Act 36, we offer service within 24 hours, and flea treatments are guaranteed for 3 months. Call 084 200 2700 to book, or WhatsApp us if you would like to ask about the bites first.