How an empty flat fills with fleas
Larvae hatching from eggs a previous pet left in the carpet go on to form pupae in a tough cocoon, one that can remain dormant for weeks if nothing in the property disturbs it, as anyone near Finsbury Park will recognise, where housing around the park itself. The next generation waits for movement and body heat to emerge, so an empty flat between tenants can go from quiet to biting within days of someone moving in, true near Angel too, where the busy junction and shopping streets.
When a short-term tenancy ends
Islington's high rate of short lets and quick turnovers, especially around Angel and Upper Street, means this pattern comes up regularly: a tenancy ends, the flat stands empty for a short stretch, and the next occupant starts getting bitten around the ankles almost as soon as they've moved their own things in.
Is it really fleas?
Low down, near the ankle, is where a flea bite usually shows up, and the insect jumps rather than crawls; dabbing its droppings on damp paper turns them reddish, true near Angel too, where the busy junction and shopping streets. Bites in a row higher up point somewhere else - the Islington bed bug guide covers that instead.
If you have just moved in
Keep track of when the bites started and where, and photograph any flea dirt you find in the carpet - the same pattern holds near Canonbury, where georgian squares and terraces close to the Regent's Canal. Notify the landlord, agent or seller in writing straight away, so there's a written record of when the problem started, just as near Angel, where the busy junction and shopping streets.
Clearing the carpets
- Pull furniture away from the walls so every edge of each room can be reached
- Vacuum thoroughly and empty it straight into an outside bin, not an indoor one
- Wash any pet bedding on a hot cycle
- Keep using and vacuuming the rooms after treatment rather than shutting them up
Booking flea treatment in Islington
A flea job in Islington costs £180 for the first room and £60 for each additional room, and since around Finsbury Park, where housing around the park itself, telling us how many rooms are carpeted and whether pets are part of the household when you book flea treatment helps, with the full detail on the Islington flea treatment page.
