Wild Animals
Even the smallest opening between the outside of your house and the attic can allow a wild animal to enter. Squirrels, raccoons and mice are the most common. In many cases, fleas have infested these animals, and the pests will often find a place in your attic to take up residence. You can prevent this from occurring by inspecting the roof and outside of your home for any openings or cracks. If you think an animal is living in your attic, a call to your local exterminator may be warranted.
Your Pets
If you have had to recently treat your pet and home for fleas, your attic may be infested. When dealing with a flea problem, it is important to thoroughly treat your entire home; anything you left alone, including your attic, could become a refuge for stray fleas. Even if one flea remains in your attic, it can multiply into thousands within a few short months. This is one of the most likely causes for fleas in this area of the home.
Treating Fleas in the Attic
Many people use their attics to store household items or mementos that are not in use. If your attic is especially crowded, treating the area for fleas may be difficult. Any containers or boxes should be opened and emptied before treating. For the most thorough results, set off a flea fogger that has both an adulticide, to kill mature fleas, and an insect growth regulator, which prevents flea eggs from hatching. Once it is safe to enter the attic, which will vary on the type of fogger you use, treat any soft material or corners that you may not have reached with a spray treatment for the most thorough results. If you do not feel you are up to the task, a reputable exterminator is often a good option.
Avoiding a Spreading Infestation
Any portion of your home that is infested with fleas, including your attic, requires that you treat the entire premise. Once you’ve killed off the fleas in your attic, it is important to take care of the rest of your home, including the basement if you have one, to make sure stray fleas do not make their way downstairs. You should typically do this at the same time you treat the attic. If you are not already giving your pet a flea treatment, make a visit to your veterinarian for a prescription; making sure fleas do not infest your pet is one of the best ways to protect your home.