Fleas and rat mites
Flea and Rat Mite Treatment in San Francisco
When the biting starts after a rodent problem, the rodents are usually gone and their parasites are not. We treat what they left behind.
Why the biting often starts after the rodents leave
Rats and mice carry fleas and mites. While the rodents are alive and moving, the parasites stay on them. When the rodents are removed, die out or abandon a nest, those parasites lose their host and go looking for another one, which is when people start getting bitten in rooms that were fine a week earlier.
That timing catches people out. The rodent problem looks solved, and then the bites start. It is not a new infestation, it is the tail end of the old one, and it is the reason we treat parasites as part of finishing a rodent job rather than as an unrelated call.
Rat mites are easy to confuse with bed bugs or bird mites, and the treatment is not the same. Mites are nearly invisible, bite mostly at night, and cluster near where the nest was: a wall void, an attic corner, the back of a closet. Finding the nest site is what makes the treatment work, which is where the rodent inspection does double duty.
FAQ
Fleas & Rat Mites questions
Why did the biting start after the rats were gone?
Because the fleas and mites the rodents carried lost their host. They leave the nest looking for another warm-blooded animal, which is often a person or a pet in the next room. It usually means the rodent work is done, not that it failed.
How do I tell rat mites from bed bugs?
Bed bugs are visible, about the size of an apple seed, and hide in mattress seams and bed frames. Rat mites are nearly too small to see, bite at night and cluster near a former nest site rather than the bed. If there was recent rodent activity in the building, mites are the more likely answer, and the treatments are different, so it is worth being sure.
Do I need to treat my pet too?
For fleas, yes. We treat the building, but a pet that has fleas will keep reintroducing them, so treatment works best alongside whatever your vet recommends for the animal.
Can you treat the parasites without dealing with the rodents?
We can treat, but it will not hold if the rodents are still there or can get back in. Fleas and mites come from a host. Sealing the building and removing the rodents is what stops the supply.
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(415) 875-0674 Book online- Poison free, every job
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