How an empty flat fills with fleas
Eggs laid in a carpet by a previous pet develop into pupae that can sit dormant inside a tough cocoon for a long stretch if nothing disturbs the flat. Movement and body heat trigger the next generation to hatch, which is why bites can start within days of moving into a property that had stood empty.
Is it really fleas?
Look low, around the ankle or lower leg, for the bite itself, and remember fleas jump rather than crawl; their droppings show up reddish on a piece of damp paper, true near Holland Park too, where some of the borough's largest detached and semi-detached houses. Bites higher up in a row across the shoulder point somewhere else - see the bed bug guide instead.
If you have just moved in around Notting Hill or Earl's Court
The high turnover of rented flats around Notting Hill and Earl's Court means a change of tenant is often the trigger. Note down when bites started and which rooms are affected, photograph any flea dirt in the carpet, and put the letting agent on notice in writing.
If you let the property
A flat standing empty between tenancies is the easiest time to deal with fleas, since there is nothing to move and nobody around to be bitten. A previous tenant's pet, or flea dirt spotted at check-out, are both reasons to act before the next tenants move in, true near Earl's Court too, where large mansion blocks and converted terraces.
Clearing the carpets
Before the treatment, move furniture away from the walls, vacuum every surface thoroughly, empty the vacuum bag or canister straight outside, and put pet bedding through a hot wash - the same pattern holds near Ladbroke Grove, where a mix of stucco terraces and estates around North Kensington. Afterwards, keep using and vacuuming the rooms as normal, since the activity draws out the last of the hatching cocoons.
Booking flea treatment in Kensington and Chelsea
A flea job in Kensington and Chelsea costs £180 for the first room and £60 for each additional room, and since around Holland Park, where some of the borough's largest detached and semi-detached houses, 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 Kensington and Chelsea flea treatment page.
