The insects are responding to Spring and in the case of fleas, its all bad news! The warmer months here in Auckland are more favourable to fleas and as the weather heats up slowly so do the flea problems.
Fleas (order Siphonaptera) can build up into a major problem very quickly. A female will usually drop off 4-8 eggs after each blood feed and can drop off hundreds in a life time. They are usually dropped onto the host and then fall off from there. This why the hot wash to bedding and pets bedding is important. These fleas can hatch out as adults in as little as four weeks in favourable conditions

A house that is occupied is easier to treat than an un-occupied one. This is because flea larvae can enter the pupae stage and stay there for up to a year before hatching out in unfavourable conditions. In the case of un-occupied houses, the fleas may continue to breed and build up to the pupae stage and then just lay dormant waiting. When the house is then re occupied, the vibrations of the people entering tell the fleas it is a good time to hatch and jump on for a blood feed. there could be hundreds hatch out all at once - feeling the same vibrations and looking for a feed - on you!

Flea treatments should include an adulticide and an insect growth regulator. This way there is something to stop the fleas at the different stages of development. An effective treatment should be done alongside a treatment for pets, a hot wash of bedding and a very thorough pre-spray vaccum.

Most flea problems can be sorted by a professional in a single application to all floor areas. This is providing the occupant follows all the house keeping directions of the pest control technician to make the treatment effective. Ask about the guarantee that comes with any treatment you are considering.