Flea Exclusion
Fleas are considered difficult to control, which is why Bug Commander (BC) requires a minimum of two treatments to get rid of fleas. Flea exclusions typically take 45 minutes to complete and can be scheduled within a 2 hour window if necessary.
The success of this service depends on the completion of client responsibilities listed below. A 90-day warranty will be provided should all necessary areas be treated, all pets be treated for fleas, and the client complete their responsibilities. Receiving a warranty will be determined by the BC technician performing the service.
Client responsibilities before the initial treatment:
Pets: All applicable pets must be treated for fleas before the initial treatment to prevent re-infestation.
- Clients must have their pets treated for fleas by a veterinarian or do so themselves. Clients that plan to treat their pets at home must do so responsibly by following all label directions and using species-specific products.
- BC recommends keeping all applicable pets on a flea and tick preventative treatment plan at the direction of their veterinarian moving forward.
Cleaning: This pre-treatment cleaning will help remove flea eggs.
- Wash all pet bedding in hot water or destroy it. If possible, dry these items on the hottest dryer cycle for a minimum of 40 minutes.
- Strip all bed linens and wash in hot water. If possible, dry these items on the hottest dryer cycle for a minimum of 40 minutes.
- Vacuum all carpeting and mop wood and tile floors, including along the walls and inside of closets.
- Clean or vacuum furniture, especially between and under cushions, and under the furniture itself.
- After vacuuming, close the vacuum cleaner bag tightly and dispose of it in a trash container outside your home. If the vacuum has a re-usable canister, take it outside and empty the contents into a container, close it tightly, and discard.
- Wash the reusable canister in hot water.
- Pick up all pet food bowls, pet toys, children’s toys, and other items off of the floor. This includes picking up items from floors inside of closets, under beds, inside of kennels, and inside of outdoor pet houses.
- Cover and store any open food products, dishes, and utensils before service is rendered.
- Vacuum the floor and any other infested areas 2 times per day before the first treatment.
Timing/Ventilation: Be prepared to leave your home during this treatment and until the treatment is thoroughly dried. This will be approximately 4 hours. The wait time can decrease if a form of ventilation is being used.
Please do NOT self-treat before or after BC’s service visits as these products will not allow our treatment to work correctly and may void the warranty.
What clients can expect during this service:
Any inhabitants (pets included) must leave the home during and after the treatment for at least 4 hours. BC’s technician is happy to lock up the structure after each treatment.
If applicable, clients must: Cover fish tanks with wet towels and turn off pumps until reoccupying the structure. Remove all caged pets from the structure (birds, reptiles, hamsters, etc.) before service is rendered and until the waiting period described below has elapsed.
- Inspection
- Interior treatment using aerosols products (pet/kid-friendly once dry)
- Notification of any major issues that need to be addressed to prevent re-infestation and in order to receive a warranty
- You can resume your day-to-day activities after the applied products are fully dry
Client responsibilities after this service:
For safety: People, children, and pets can not go back inside or into treated areas for a minimum of 4 hours as the floor will be extremely slippery before the treatment dries.
The drying process can take 4-5 hours, less if a form of ventilation is used. Forms of ventilation include: leaving windows open, running bathroom fans, running dehumidifiers, and running any other fans throughout the house.
For control: Clients must vacuum lightly every day for 14 days. This will help remove larvae, debris the larvae feed on, and adult fleas. Fleas can re-infest the home from the vacuum cleaner, so it is very important to clean the vacuum with hot water and dispose of the contents outside in a sealed garbage bag. Continuing to vacuum will get the fleas through their life cycle more quickly, resulting in better service effectiveness.
Keep in mind:
- Seeing fleas after this treatment is normal until control is achieved. Please allow 21 days for the treatment to reach its maximum effectiveness as there can be any number of fleas going through various stages of their life cycle at any given time.
- Additional follow up treatments may be necessary pending the infestation.
- BC will reach out to the client to schedule follow-up visits.