Fleas
Pets in a Large Edwardian Flat
A cat that goes out into a long garden and comes back in, or a dog walked on the Heath Extension, can bring fleas home. Most of the flea population then lives off the animal: eggs roll off into rugs, bedding and upholstery, and the larvae hide deep in pile and in the gaps between old floorboards. In a flat with high ceilings and big rooms, the pet's favourite spots may be spread across the whole floor. Where fleas hide around the home shows the places to check.
Rugs over floorboards
Many period flats have stripped or painted boards with rugs laid over them. Larvae can live in the rug and in the gaps between the boards beneath it, where a vacuum does not easily reach. Fitted carpet on the stairs of a converted house can hold them too.
A shared garden and a shared stair
In a converted house the garden is often shared between two or three flats, and one household's cat can pick up fleas that another household's dog then carries in. A shared hallway and stair carpet can move fleas between flats on shoes. Foxes and visiting cats in the garden can add to it.
Signs of Fleas
- Your pet scratching more than usual, especially around the neck and base of the tail
- Small itchy bites on ankles and lower legs
- Tiny dark specks on the pet's bedding that turn red on damp paper
- Fleas jumping on a light-coloured rug or on socks
How to tell if you have fleas covers this in more detail. If the bites are in bed and there is no pet, it could be bed bugs in Golders Green instead. For itchy bites, a pharmacist or GP can advise, and call 999 for signs of a severe allergic reaction.
What to Do Now
- Speak to your vet about treating your pets, as treating the home alone will not work
- Wash pet bedding on a hot wash
- Vacuum rugs, the gaps between boards and under furniture, and empty the vacuum outside
- Lift rugs so the floor underneath can be vacuumed too
Whether pet treatments clear the house explains why both the animal and the home usually need attention.
Booking and Preparing
When you book flea treatment, tell us which rooms the pets use, whether you have rugs over bare boards and whether the flat shares a garden or stairs. You will be told how to prepare, and preparing for flea treatment covers the usual steps. It is normal to see a few fleas for a while afterwards as eggs hatch. Get back in touch if bites continue after that.
Moving Into a Flat Where a Pet Lived
Flats in converted houses change hands, and the previous owner or tenant may have had a pet. If you are bitten soon after moving in, fleas left behind are a likely cause. Carpet moths can also be a problem in rugs left in empty rooms. For fleas across the rest of the borough, see Flea Control Barnet.
Keeping Fleas Down in a Period Flat
Once the fleas have cleared, keep your pets on the flea protection your vet recommends all year round, not only in summer; centrally heated flats with thick rugs stay warm enough for fleas through the winter. Vacuum the gaps between floorboards and the edges of rugs regularly, and wash pet bedding often. If your flat shares a garden, a word with the other households about their own pets helps, and closing gaps under a shed stops foxes resting there. Filling wide gaps between old boards also leaves larvae fewer places to hide.
