★★★★★Google review
Wasps had made a home in my front brick facade but thanks to Sting Out Pest Control, they were eliminated quickly and easily the first time. Very pleased with their services and would recommend.
PEST CONTROL
Flea Control in Toronto, Oakville & the GTA
Home flea treatment, timed with the pet treatment from your vet
Flea control in Toronto, Oakville and GTA homes means treating the house and the pet at the same time. The adult fleas you see are only part of it. Their eggs, larvae and cocoons sit in carpet, furniture and pet bedding, where they keep hatching. We treat those areas, find where the fleas came from, and help you line up the home treatment with your vet's treatment.
Open 7 days until 9pm. Most calls are returned within 1 hour during business hours. After hours, leave a message and we’ll call back as soon as we can.
Ontario-licensed exterminators, insured
AT A GLANCE
Fleas at a Glance
Cat flea, the flea in most Canadian homes, on dogs as well as cats
- Size
- 1 to 4 mm
- Colour
- Dark brown to reddish-brown
- Body
- Wingless, hard, flattened side to side
- How to tell
- Jumps up to 20 cm; leaves black specks that turn red when wet
- Active
- Year round indoors; the cycle can finish in about 18 days at room temperature
- Where found
- On pets, and in carpet, furniture and pet beds where pets sleep
- Bites or stings
- Bites people and pets; itchy red spots, mostly ankles and legs
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Signs You Have Fleas
If you’ve noticed any of these, call and a licensed technician will tell you what it points to.
Call (905) 739-7888- A dog or cat scratching and biting at its fur far more than usual
- Small, hard, itchy red bites on people, mostly on the ankles and lower legs
- Black specks like ground pepper in pet fur near the tail or in pet bedding
- Tiny dark insects jumping on carpet, furniture or your socks
- Hair loss on a pet from constant scratching
IDENTIFICATION
What Do Fleas Look Like?
An adult flea is 1 to 4 mm long, dark brown to reddish-brown, wingless and hard-bodied. It is flattened from side to side, so it looks as if it walks on its edge, and it can leap as high as 20 cm. The eggs, larvae and cocoons are off the pet, in the carpet and bedding where it sleeps, and the larvae hide from light. The easiest proof is flea dirt: black specks in pet fur that turn red when you wet them, because they are dried blood.
- Flea dirt test: put the black specks on a damp white paper towel. If they turn red, they are flea droppings, not soil.
- Sock test: walk through the rooms where your pet rests wearing white socks pulled up to the knee. Fleas jump on and are easy to see.
- Flea comb: a fine metal flea comb pulled through the pet's fur picks up adult fleas.
TYPES
Cat Fleas and Other Fleas Found in Homes
Cat flea
Ctenocephalides felis
The flea in most homes. Despite the name it is also the main flea on dogs, and most dogs with fleas have cat fleas.
Where found: On cats and dogs across Canada, and in the carpet, furniture and bedding where they rest.
The flea most often found in and around homes.
Dog flea
Ctenocephalides canis
Looks very like the cat flea.
Where found: Occasionally on dogs in Canada.
Relatively rare in North America.
Fleas from wildlife and rodents
Fleas also live on mice, rats, squirrels, raccoons and opossums, and wild animals can start a flea problem outdoors.
Where found: Near animal nests, and on pets that spend time where wildlife lives.
Dealing with the animal is part of the job.
Mouse & Rat Control
If mice, squirrels or raccoons in the attic or walls brought the fleas in, the animals have to be dealt with too. See mouse and rat control, raccoon removal or squirrel removal.
OUR APPROACH
How We Treat Fleas
Step 1
Find the Source
Fleas arrive from somewhere: a pet, mice or wildlife nesting in the attic, walls or crawl space, or a previous owner's animal. If the source is still active, the house gets reinfested, so we work out where they came from before treating.
Step 2
Treat Where Larvae Live
Eggs fall off the pet and land where it sleeps, and the larvae hide from light in carpet fibres and bedding. The treatment goes into cracks and crevices and onto spots along baseboards, in carpet, under and in upholstered furniture, and around pet beds.
Step 3
Line It Up With the Vet
The pet and the home have to be treated at the same time, or an untreated animal keeps dropping eggs into the house. Your vet treats the animal. We treat the house in the same window and tell you what to vacuum and wash before and after.
Step 4
Return for the Pupae
Treatment sprays don't kill flea pupae in their cocoons, so new fleas keep hatching for about two weeks afterward. Vacuuming every day in that time brings them out where the treatment can reach them, and the follow-up visit deals with any that are still turning up.
BITES AND STINGS
Flea Bites: Do Fleas Bite Humans?
Yes. Adult fleas prefer to stay on your pet, but fleas from dogs and cats will also bite people, and the bites can be very itchy. A flea bite is a small, hard, red spot, slightly raised, with one puncture point in the middle. Bites are usually on the ankles and legs, and people bitten while asleep often get them in small clusters or lines. Some people and pets are allergic to flea saliva and get a rash, and scratching can lead to infection. For a rash, signs of infection or a strong reaction, ask a pharmacist or doctor, or call Health811 at 811 to talk to a nurse. In an emergency, call 911.
- Flea bites: small, hard, red, one puncture point in the middle, often on the ankles and legs.
- On pets: constant scratching, hair loss, and in allergic pets a skin reaction even with only a few fleas.
RISKS AND DAMAGE
What Damage Can Fleas Cause?
Fleas don't damage the house, but they make the people and animals in it miserable, and they can carry parasites. An allergic pet can react strongly even to a few fleas, with itching, hair loss and red skin that can become infected. Fleas also carry a tapeworm that pets can pick up.
- Itchy bites on people, mostly around the ankles and legs
- Flea allergy in dogs and cats, even with only a few fleas
- Hair loss and skin infection on pets from scratching
- Tapeworms, passed to pets through fleas
A few fleas on a pet that goes outside are a job for the vet and a flea comb. Bites on people, flea dirt in bedding or fleas jumping on carpet mean they are breeding in the house, and the house needs treating too.
CAUSES
Why You Have Fleas
Fleas come in on animals. Most often it is a dog or cat that picked them up outside. Mice, rats, squirrels and raccoons carry fleas too, and wild animals around the property can start a flea problem outdoors. A home can also have fleas waiting from a previous owner's pet. Flea pupae can wait in their cocoons for months in cool conditions, and they hatch when warmth and footsteps tell them a host is near, such as when people move in.
What Draws Them In
- Dogs and cats that go outdoors, without vet-recommended flea prevention
- Mice, rats, squirrels or raccoons nesting in the attic, walls, crawl space or under a deck
- Carpet, rugs and upholstered furniture where pets sleep
- A home where a previous owner kept pets
How They Get In
- On pets coming back inside
- Animals getting in through torn window screens, vents and gaps
- Wildlife living under decks, porches and sheds
HABITS
Life Cycle and Habits
Habitat
Adult fleas stay on the animal. The rest of the population lives where the animal sleeps: in carpet and rugs, upholstered furniture, pet beds and kennels. Larvae need damp, protected spots and avoid light, so they work down into carpet fibres and bedding. They rarely survive in sunlight or high-traffic areas.
Diet
Adults feed on blood from mammals and birds, mainly cats and dogs in a home, and they will bite people. Larvae don't bite. They eat the dried blood and droppings that adult fleas leave behind, which is why they gather where the pet sleeps.
Life Cycle
A female cat flea lays about 20 to 50 eggs a day, and they fall off the pet onto bedding and carpet. Eggs hatch in 2 to 5 days. Larvae feed for 8 to 15 days, then spin cocoons. Adults can stay sealed in the cocoon for up to 12 months in cool conditions, and come out when warmth and footsteps or vacuuming tell them a host is near. At room temperature the whole cycle can take about 18 days, and an adult lives about 30 to 40 days on the pet.
Seasonal Behaviour in Ontario
Indoors, fleas don't need summer: at normal room temperature the cycle keeps running all year. Outdoors, larvae only make it in shaded, protected spots out of the sun. A house left empty can hold cocooned fleas for months, waiting for the next people or pets to walk in.
PREVENTION
How to Keep Fleas Out of Your Home
- Ask your vet about flea prevention for every dog and cat in the home, and use pet products only on the animal the label names.
- Check pets often with a flea comb, especially near the base of the tail.
- Keep cats indoors.
- Wash pet bedding and blankets in hot, soapy water regularly.
- Vacuum carpets, rugs and upholstered furniture where pets rest, and empty the vacuum into a sealed bag in an outdoor bin.
- Mow and rake the lawn so it is less inviting to animals that carry fleas.
- Cut off food, water and shelter for wildlife around the property, such as open garbage and gaps under decks.
- Repair torn window screens and seal openings that mice, squirrels or raccoons could use to get inside.
How to Get Rid of Fleas in the House: DIY or a Professional?
Start with your vet: treating every pet in the home comes first. At the same time, vacuum carpets and furniture every day, steam-clean carpets, and wash pet and family bedding in hot, soapy water. If you buy a flea product for the house, look for a PCP number on the label and follow the label exactly. Call a professional when bites keep coming after a few weeks of this, when fleas are in several rooms, or when they came from wildlife or a previous owner's pet.
- DIY: vet treatment for every pet, daily vacuuming, steam-cleaning, hot washes for bedding, a flea comb.
- Call us: bites still coming after a few weeks, fleas in several rooms, wildlife in the attic or walls, or fleas in a home you just moved into.
WHY CHOOSE US
Why Ontario Homeowners Choose Sting Out
No Binding Contracts
Cancel anytime, with no lock-in and no pressure. If you keep us on, it should be because the work is getting results.
Integrated Pest Management
Inspection first, then targeted treatment with registered products used as the label directs. Your technician will advise on any precautions.
Ontario-Licensed Exterminators
Treatments are applied by technicians licensed under Ontario pesticide rules.
5 Star Google Rating
Read what GTA homeowners and businesses say about us on Google Maps.
Reviews
What GTA customers say
★★★★★Google review
Sting Out Pest Control helped me get rid of a pretty bad crawling insect problem in my office. They were friendly, easy to deal with, and explained everything clearly from the start. Instead of just spraying and leaving, they came up with a treatment plan that used different methods to get the problem under control. Over time, the infestation was completely gone. I now have them come by once a month for maintenance, and if anything small comes up, they take care of it right away before it becomes a bigger issue. It's been a great experience, and I have peace of mind knowing my office is protected. I would definitely recommend Sting Out Pest Control to anyone needing a reliable pest control company.
Review 1 of 7
COMMON QUESTIONS
Flea Control: Questions We Get
How do I get rid of fleas in my house fast?
Treat the pet and the house at the same time. Your vet treats every animal. In the house, vacuum carpets and furniture every day, wash bedding in hot, soapy water, and have the rooms where pets rest treated. Expect to see a few new fleas for about two weeks after treatment, because the pupae in their cocoons survive the spray and keep hatching.
Why are there still fleas after treatment?
Pupae. Flea pupae sit in a cocoon that treatment sprays don't get through, and they hatch when warmth and footsteps or vacuuming signal a host. New fleas appearing for about two weeks after treatment is expected and doesn't mean it failed. Keep vacuuming daily so they come out sooner. The follow-up visit is booked for this reason.
Do I need to treat my pet at the same time?
Yes. An untreated pet keeps dropping eggs into the carpet and bedding, so the home gets reinfested. Your veterinarian chooses the right product for each animal, and pet flea products must only be used on the animal the label names, dog products on dogs and cat products on cats. We treat the house in the same window.
Can I have fleas in my house without pets?
Yes. Fleas can come from mice, rats, squirrels or raccoons living in the attic, walls or crawl space. They can also be left behind by a previous owner's pet: cocooned fleas can wait for months, then hatch when people move in. In both cases the source has to be dealt with as well as the fleas.
What kind of fleas are in Ontario homes?
Usually the cat flea. It is the most common flea on both dogs and cats in Canada and is found across the country. The dog flea looks very similar but turns up only occasionally. Fleas can also come in with mice, rats or wildlife nesting in the attic or walls.
How long can fleas live without a host?
A newly hatched adult flea lives only about a week without a blood meal, but once it has fed it can go two months or more between meals. Fleas still sealed in their cocoons can wait up to 12 months in cool conditions, which is how an empty house can still have fleas.
Sources
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- 5 Star Google Rating
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- No contracts, most calls returned within 1 hour during business hours
SERVICE AREAS
Flea Control Across Toronto, Oakville & the GTA
We treat fleas in homes and businesses throughout Toronto and Southern Ontario.
We Also Treat
- TicksTick treatment along the yard edges where ticks wait.
- Boxelder BugsTreat the walls before boxelder bugs move in.
- Bed BugsInspection first, then targeted treatment where bed bugs hide.
- Mice & RatsRodent removal with full exclusion work.
- SpidersSpider control inside and out.
See our residential pest control and commercial pest control services, or go back to the Sting Out home page.