Our dog Frisky loved summer. She’d spend hours lying in the yard under the Alder tree, playing between snoozes with the passel of kids that always seemed to be hanging around. But her favorite sport was chasing squirrels.

She’d hunker down behind the lilacs with one eye open, surveying the yard. Lulled into a false sense of security by her inactivity, the wily critters would creep down the Oak tree, pause, then head for the smorgasbord in my garden. Without warning, Frisky would bolt from behind the shrubs in full charge, a fuzzy white blur streaking across the yard. Leaping in huge bounds, the squirrels would run for their lives and scamper back up the tree. There they’d sit, high on a branch, raining scolding chatter down upon our faithful watchdog.

Frisky never caught a squirrel (fortunately), but she came close a couple of times. What she did catch were fleas. From the squirrels!

I didn’t even know that was possible until our vet assured me that it had been a particularly bad summer for fleas and that it was not unusual for dogs to catch them from squirrels. My bad luck because Frisky had the run of the house and slept with my daughter which meant (you guessed it) we had fleas in the house and on the kids!

“Although, fleas are often associated with household pets, these pests can certainly affect human beings,” said Cindy Mannes, vice president of public affairs for the National Pest Management Association. “Frequently, flea bites are itchy, unsightly and may cause allergic reactions in humans. With the recent increase in flea calls to pest control companies, it is important to protect your family from these potential health risks.”

Getting rid of fleas in a home filled with three kids, multiple dogs and cats and all the accumulated stuff that goes with them was an aggravating challenge. We must have cornered the market on flea shampoo and calamine lotion that summer.

Now, of course, we’re lucky to have flea collars and monthly drops to help prevent our pets from getting fleas and bringing them indoors. If you haven’t started treatments yet, I urge you do so without delay. Flea season is here and this summer promises to produce another bumper crop.

The problem with getting rid of fleas is that, like many insects, flea baths will only kill active adults. Treatments must be repeated at regular intervals to kill hatching eggs. If you miss a single flea, you’ll find them multiplying throughout your house all over again. If this happens to you, give the pest control experts at Stern Environmental Group a call.

“If you suspect a flea infestation in your home, be proactive in treating the problem and contact a licensed pest professional to rid your home of fleas and to prevent future infestations,” advises Mannes.

If you’ve been invaded by fleas, visit the Stern Environmental Group website for information on our expert pest control and pest management services. You’ll sleep well tonight when you get “Stern” with your pests.

Stay tuned! Next time we’ll talk about home measures you can take to combat a flea invasion.