Fleas

Cat & Dog Fleas

cat & dog flea Approximately 1/8 inch long, fleas are wingless, laterally flattened, and have piercing and sucking mouthparts. The flea has well developed legs allowing it to jump at least 6 inches in height. They are typically black to reddish brown in color.

Adult fleas are quite troublesome because they feed on the blood of their host which can be a dog, cat, human, raccoons, mice rats etc. Fleas are approximately 2.5 mm in length and the adults are brown to blackish wingless with flattened bodies for easier movement through animal hair. The adult flea lays eggs singly usually in the hair of animals. The eggs are easily dislodged and can be found anywhere the pet travels. The larvae or immature stage seek protection from bright light and will work their way into debris, into the deep pile zone of carpeting or other protective areas for coverage. The larvae or immature stage feed on organic matter and on the blood-containing faecal droppings of the adult flea. The larvae require moisture and thrive best in humid parts of the building, cracks and crevices of the floor or deep in the lower zone of carpeting where moisture levels are higher. Adult fleas can live for several months without food.

Family
Siphonaptera/Pulicidae

Scientific Name
Ctenocephalides felis / Ctenocephalides canis

Biology
After each and every blood meal, females lay four to eight eggs at a time (approximately 400 to 800 in total within her lifetime) on the host animal and/or in its bedding. The eggs hatch in about 10 days, and the developing larvae feed on the adult flea feces, which contain bits of dried blood.

Behaviour
Adult fleas feed on blood with their piercing and sucking mouthparts. They typically seek a blood meal within two days of becoming an adult. Cat and dog fleas prefer these two animals, but readily feed on other animals (i.e. raccoons, rats and humans).

Control & Prevention
For effective flea control, this requires customer cooperation and involves three major steps:

sanitation, insecticide application, and on-animal flea control. The house should be thoroughly
vacuumed to remove larvae, pupae and food materials. The vacuum cleaner bag should be sealed and
discarded immediately after vacuuming, and pet bedding should be discarded or washed in hot, soapy water. The pet should be treated on the same day that a residual insecticide treatment is being done at the home.

Wash pet with a good quality flea shampoo every week during flea season. Fleas are most prevalent in British Columbia mid-August to mid-October.

Need help with cat & dog fleas extermination?
Call Nikol Pest Control at 604-364-3201 for a free estimate.

Blow / Bottle Flies

Blow/bottle flies range in size, varying from ¼ – ½ inch. The black blowfly’s coloring is black with a bluish green lustre; the green bottle flies is a metallic blue-green, and the blue bottle fly is a metallic blue.

Family
Diptera/Calliphoridae

Scientific Name
Phormia regina (Meigen) / Phaenicia (Meigen) / Calliphora spp.

Biology
Depending on the species, females lay from 540 up to 2,373 eggs in their lifetime. Eggs are laid in batches of 100 to 180 on meat and fish, but they are also attracted to animal manure, garbage and rotting vegetable matter. The eggs are ready to hatch in less than a day, making their cycle continuous and rapid.

Behaviour
Blow/bottle flies are frequently found developing in the decaying bodies of rodents and other animals that have died. Some species are strong fliers, and all are attracted to bright light.

Control & Prevention
Sanitation, or source reduction, is the most important step in blowfly control because it will eliminate the breeding sites. Property owners should ensure that all garbage is emptied and that receptacles are cleaned weekly to disrupt the developmental cycle. Fly and sticky traps are beneficial in decreasing the adult fly activity, both indoors and out.

Need help with bottle flies extermination?
Call Nikol Pest Control at 604-364-3201 for a free estimate.

Fruit Flies

Adult fruit flies are 1/8-inch long and have a dull, yellow-brown to dark brown colour. Some species have distinctive red eyes. The larvae are small (1/10-to 1/5-inch long) and very distinctive with an extended, stalk-like breathing tube at the rear end of the body.

Family
Diptera/Drosophilidae

Scientific Name
Drosophila

Biology
The eggs are laid onto the surface of fermenting fruit or vegetables, or in areas where moisture and yeast are abundant. The eggs hatch within the span of 30 hours. Each female produces up to 500 eggs. The larvae complete development in five to six days and crawl to drier areas of the food or elsewhere in order to pupate. The life cycle (adult to adult) requires eight to ten days.

Behaviour
Fruit flies are common structural pests, frequently associated with fermenting fruits and vegetable. Recycling bins and their contents, as well as fruit and salad bars, are ideal habitats and have resulted in increased problems with this pest fly.

Control & Prevention
Fruit flies are best controlled by finding and eliminating the breeding material. Complete and

thorough sanitation is necessary to eliminate the source of the infestation. Insect light traps and baited jar traps, fitted with tops which permit entry and prevent escape, are effective in reducing the population but are no substitute for sanitation.

Need help with fruit flies extermination?
Call Nikol Pest Control at 604-364-3201 for a free estimate.

Cluster Flies

Approximately 3/8 inch in size, cluster flies are close relatives of blow flies. Cluster flies appear narrow when at rest because their wings completely overlap over their back.

Family
Diptera/Calliphoridae

Scientific Name
Pollenia rudis (Fabricius)

Biology
The female cluster flies mate in the spring, laying their eggs in soil crevices, which take three days to hatch. The larvae burrow into the bodies of earthworms, where they continue the process of developing. There are usually four generations per year.

Behaviour
Cluster Flies are highly aggravating and annoying because they survive through out winter as adults in the attics and wall voids of structures. They enter structures in early fall to seek shelter from cooling temperatures. On warm days in winter and spring, they can become active and crawl sluggishly over walls and windows. When the weather warms, the cluster flies emerge in order to exit the structure.

Control & Prevention
There is no effective means of control for the larval stage of the cluster fly because they develop in earthworms. Large accumulations of these flies can be removed with a vacuum cleaner.

Insect light traps can also be placed in attics but require frequent service. Since cluster flies can not be controlled by disrupting the life cycle of the larvae, it is recommended to contact pest control for treatment.

Need help with cluster flies extermination?
Call Nikol Pest Control at 604-364-3201 for a free estimate.