How an empty home fills with fleas
Where a previous pet left eggs in the carpet, those develop into pupae that can stay dormant in a durable cocoon for weeks if nothing disturbs the place, whether that's near Forest Hill, where steep residential streets of Victorian terraces near Horniman Museum and the railway, or elsewhere in the borough. 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, whether that's near Catford, where victorian terraces and postwar estates spreading out from the town centre and shopping area, or elsewhere in the borough.
Is it really fleas?
A flea bite tends to appear low down around the ankle, and unlike other insects a flea jumps instead of crawling; its droppings turn reddish when dabbed on damp paper, true near Forest Hill too, where steep residential streets of Victorian terraces near Horniman Museum and the railway. Bites higher up, in a row along an arm or shoulder, point somewhere else - see the bed bug guide instead.
Downham and Bellingham's large estates
Large postwar estates at Downham and Bellingham with a history of pets are where flea eggs commonly hatch after a tenancy change, so it is worth asking a managing agent whether the flat has previously housed a cat or dog.
If you let the property
An empty property between tenants is the easiest point to treat fleas, nothing to shift and no one there to get bitten, true near Ladywell too, where terraced housing and low-rise blocks near Ladywell Fields and the River Ravensbourne. Whether it's a pet kept by the previous tenant or flea dirt found at check-out, either is worth dealing with before new tenants arrive, whether that's near Catford, where victorian terraces and postwar estates spreading out from the town centre and shopping area, or elsewhere in the borough.
Clearing the carpets
Get ready for the visit by pulling furniture clear of the walls so every edge is reachable, vacuuming thoroughly and emptying the vacuum straight into an outdoor bin, then washing pet bedding on a hot cycle, as anyone near Deptford will recognise, where converted dockland warehouses and new-build flats close to Deptford Creek. Keep the rooms in normal use and vacuum as usual afterwards, the activity actually helps draw out any late-hatching cocoons, just as near Brockley, where well-preserved Victorian terraces and conservation-area streets close to the station.
Booking flea treatment in Lewisham
A flea job in Lewisham costs £180 for the first room and £60 for each additional room, and since around Forest Hill, where steep residential streets of Victorian terraces near Horniman Museum and the railway, 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 Lewisham flea treatment page.
