Do you have a cute little baby kitten, or perhaps a fluffy pup? Maybe you have a ginormously huge Great Dane, or a cat that can out-eat Garfield? Whatever the case may be, this spring it would be wise to be on your guard against fleas. You see, warm winters mean that fleas, as well as ticks, will be on the rise. And if spring proves to be wetter than usual, then the problem becomes even worse, since ticks and fleas thrive in warm, humid conditions.

As we all know, fleas attach to our pets outdoors and feed on their blood. Not only will this cause itching, but flea bites can also cause skin infections or edema, and can possibly spread diseases such as cat-scratch fever, typhus or plague to humans. Certainly these are not an insect to take lightly.

Although there is a myriad of products out there that you can purchase to try to prevent, or eliminate a flea infestation, consumers often find themselves in a losing battle. Maybe you’ve gone down this road. You see Fido, or Fluffy, digging away at a flea, so you pop on over to the Stuff-Mart down the street and get a canister of flea powder. After choking on the fumes and making your pet good and mad, you may have a little success. But a week later they’re digging at fleas again. Maybe you’ve tried flea collars. You may as well just throw money out the window, because once fleas have infested, most collars do very little to kill fleas. Maybe you’ve even bought different flea baths. The fact is, once pets are infested, it can be very difficult to completely eradicate fleas.

Some flea prevention tips:

• Keeping your grass cut short and shrubs trimmed back may help reduce the flea population, since this gives fleas fewer places to hide.

• Discouraging feral pets and wildlife from coming into your yard may also help keep fleas down. Putting up fencing, and not leaving pet food, or other food sources, outside will help with this.

• Trimming bushes and trees back from your house to keep animals from gaining access to the outside of it, and the inside, may keep fleas from riding in on rodents or wildlife.

• Regularly vacuuming and cleaning your home may discourage flea populations from taking hold if a few have made it inside.

Preventing fleas from plaguing your pets and taking over your home can be a daunting task. But with a little help from Schendel Pest Services, you can breathe easy. With over 60 years of experience, Schendel can take care of fleas, and any other pest problem you have. And don’t worry; we use natural products, baits and mechanical means as a form of treatment as much as possible. And if we need to use conventional materials, we follow stringent guidelines so as to not pose any threat to people, pets, or plants.

Don’t take chances with your pets this spring. Protect them, and your home, with help from Schendel.