How an empty home fills with fleas
Eggs a previous pet left in the carpet develop into pupae that can lie dormant in a tough cocoon for a long stretch if the property stays undisturbed, as anyone near Herne Hill will recognise, where victorian villas and terraces near the railway station and Brockwell Park. It's movement and body heat that trigger the next generation, so a flat empty for weeks can start biting again within days of someone moving back in, as anyone near Stockwell will recognise, where ex-GLC estates and Victorian terraces close to the Underground and bus garage.
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, much as it does near Tulse Hill, where residential streets and estates on the rising ground between Brixton and Herne Hill. Bites higher up, in a row along an arm or shoulder, point somewhere else - see the bed bug guide instead.
Tower-block estates with a history of pets
Estate flats around Stockwell and Vauxhall with a history of pets are where flea eggs commonly hatch once carpets are disturbed by a new occupant, so it is worth asking a managing agent whether the flat has previously housed a cat or dog.
If you let the property
The simplest time to tackle fleas is while a property stands empty between tenancies, no furniture in the way and no one around to be bitten - the same pattern holds near Kennington, where georgian and Victorian terraces close to the park. A previous tenant's pet, or flea dirt spotted at check-out, are both reasons to act before the next tenants move in, whether that's near Kennington, where georgian and Victorian terraces close to the park, or elsewhere in the borough.
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 Tulse Hill, where residential streets and estates on the rising ground between Brixton and Herne Hill. Keep the rooms in normal use and vacuum as usual afterwards, the activity actually helps draw out any late-hatching cocoons, just as near Streatham, where a mix of Victorian terraces and postwar blocks along the high road towards Streatham.
Booking flea treatment in Lambeth
A flea job in Lambeth costs £180 for the first room and £60 for each additional room, and since around Stockwell, where ex-GLC estates and Victorian terraces close to the Underground and bus garage, 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 Lambeth flea treatment page.
