How to Help Customers with Flea Infestations

When your customers come to you embarrassed and exasperated about a flea problem in their home, let them know it’s OK and you’re ready to help.

Most importantly, reassure your customers that they don’t need to be embarrassed about flea problems. It really can happen to anyone. Most people are careful and do everything they can to keep homes and pets clear of fleas. Bathing, flea treatments and frequent vacuuming sometimes isn’t enough.

Despite those efforts, any cat or dog can still pick up fleas and bring them into the home. From there, it’s not too long before they completely take over!

At first thought, getting rid of fleas inside the home can seem like a daunting task, but don’t let them give up. With some persistence and the right tools supplied by you, your customer can end a flea infestation in just a few days.

Recognizing a Flea Infestation

For fleas in the home, there are a number of ways to detect an infestation so you can guide customers to take further action.

Set Up a Flea Trap – The Victor® Ultimate Flea Trap™ is perfect for detecting a flea infestation. Plug this device in, turn off the lights and leave it overnight. By morning, customers check the sticky pad to see if they’ve captured any fleas. The more fleas, the worse their infestation!
Pet Bed and Carpet Inspection – Have customers check for signs of fleas in pet beds and in carpets. With a pet bed, the evidence of fleas is usually concentrated in a small area – the fleas themselves as well as flea dirt will be visible. In a carpet, advise them to pick a few areas and run a hands through the fibers – they should look for fleas, flea dirt and eggs.
The White Sock Test – Advise consumers to put on knee-high white socks and move slowly through a room. Their body heat should be enough to attract fleas, which will leap on to the socks for a bite to eat. After a complete a circuit of the room, check the socks for any fleas. The more they find, the more they need your help!

Flea Bites in Humans

If the fleas in a home can’t get all they need to eat from your pets, then they turn to the next most accessible warm-blooded mammal in the house – your customers!

Signs of flea bites on humans:

Itches: If bitten, victims should expect the site of the bite to redden and grow itchy.
Redness: Flea bites can trigger allergic reactions in many people, which will exaggerate the itchiness even more.
Target: Legs: Look for flea bites below the knees and in clusters as the flea moves around your skin.
Target: Ankles and feet: These an especially common location for bites.
Target: Forearms: This area may also exhibit flea bites too – they’ll hop to humans as they pet a cat or dog.

How to Get Rid of Fleas in the Home

Advise the use of a non-poisonous and odorless flea killer – the Victor® Ultimate Flea Trap™. This simple trap uses a warm light to trick fleas into thinking a new host is nearby. As they bound to the trap, they land on a sticky pad where they’re captured.

Useful for luring fleas away from upholstery and out of carpets.
No chemicals used.
Safe to use when pets and children are present.
Expect a 93% catch rate for fleas within 30 feet.
For best results, advise overnight use.
Be sure to stock Victor® Ultimate Flea Trap™ sticky pad refills at your store.

Natural Flea ControlNATURAL FLEA CONTROL

Other options for flea treatment in the home include two powder-based flea killers.

Safer® Brand Diatomaceous Earth – Within 48 hours of coming in contact with DE, fleas and other insects die. Though it seems like a fine powder, DE contains fossilized algae that scrapes through the exoskeleton of an insect. Thanks to these small abrasions, insects die from dehydration.
Safer® Brand Ant and Crawling Insect Killer – The diatomaceous earth powder inside this container functions the same way as the powder mentioned above. The primary difference is in the amount offered and that it comes in a “puffer” bottle. This bottle helps customers easily apply DE in hard-to-reach areas.

Flea Control for Pets

Once your customer has the infestation under control, it’s time to turn their attention back to the pets who probably introduced the fleas in the first place.

Suggest the following products, which can also be available at your store:

Topical Flea Treatment
Topical Flea Powder
Flea Shampoo
Flea Collars
Flea Combs

These precautionary products, along with Safer® Brand diatomaceous earth, Victor® ultimate flea traps and your expertise, will help them avoid full-blown flea infestations in the future.