Flea control in Harat Al Baharah, Jeddah

Targeted, not broadcast

Product goes into cracks and runways, never sprayed across open surfaces.
Told before we start

What we will use, where it goes, and what to cover or move before we arrive.
A follow-up visit

We return after the first treatment, because what survives it does not show on the day.
Homes and businesses

Apartments and villas, and kitchens and stores that need a record of each visit.

Why they keep coming back in Harat Al Baharah

Sea humidity is very high in Thuwal throughout the year, and salt laden air keeps walls and timber damp constantly. Fleas breed far faster in very humid conditions. The method is set out in full on the full Flea control page.

The first reason

Old closely packed buildings

Harat Al Baharah consists of mud and stone buildings set so close together there are almost no gaps between walls. The extremely close packing creates easy highways for fleas to move between the house and the neighbour's. Treatment focuses on tiny gaps and cracks in party walls.

The second reason

Very high sea humidity year round

Thuwal sits on the coast and sea humidity is high all year. Salt laden air and moisture keep walls, timber and carpets damp constantly. This humidity provides perfect conditions for fleas to breed very rapidly.

The third reason

Building decay and weak foundations

Old buildings in Harat Al Baharah have been exposed to sea humidity for decades, creating many gaps and cracks in walls and footings. Fleas easily hide in these deep voids.

Landmarks of Harat Al Baharah

The old Thuwal Harbour on the shore and Thuwal Corniche are the main reference points. We approach the house via the narrow lanes from the Thuwal Corniche and locate it relative to the harbour.

Thuwal Harbour
Thuwal Corniche
Al Shati Mosque
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology

Before treatment

The resting places map the infestation

Harat Al Baharah sits in Thuwal, a fishing settlement on the Red Sea coast with low rise homes close to the old Thuwal Harbour and the corniche maintained by Saudi Aramco.

The base of the carpet

The carpet base in Harat Al Baharah is always damp from sea moisture wicking through the floor and through walls affected by salt air.

Where the animal sleeps

A pet in a coastal quarter sleeps in the driest place available, but humidity everywhere makes any sleeping place damp.

Flea dirt

Flea dirt accumulates in the pile of damp carpets and cushions that hold both moisture and warmth.

Furniture edges and upholstery

The edges of furniture and upholstery in a coastal quarter continuously absorb moisture from the air and from adjacent walls.

Joints in a hard floor

Floor joints in a coastal quarter are permanently damp, and sea salt has seeped into them over many years.

Damp shade outdoors

Damp shade outside the building in the corners and gaps between the closely packed buildings holds high humidity throughout the year.

How we work

1
Inspect and confirm

We confirm it is fleas rather than another biting insect, and fix the animal's sleeping points, its routes and the shaded ground outside. Where there is no animal in the house, we look for the host they came from.
2
Treat the floors and soft furnishings

A residual with an insect growth regulator, worked into the carpet base, the floor and wall junction and the edges under furniture. The regulator stops a larva becoming an adult, which is what breaks the cycle.
3
The host and the shade outside

We treat the shaded ground and the outdoor lying spots, and we agree with you that the animal's veterinary treatment happens on the same day, because any host left out of the job re-seeds the floor.
4
Vacuuming, then the follow-up visit

Repeated vacuuming vibrates the floor and draws the pupae out onto a treated surface. We come back about two weeks later to take the emerged generation before it lays.

What flea control includes

Confirmation before anything is applied

Telling a flea bite from the alternatives, and fixing the resting places and the centre of the infestation.
Carpet base and floor line treatment

A residual and a growth regulator worked down into the pile and under furniture edges, not laid across the visible surface.
Shade and damp outdoors

The shaded patches by entrances and around drains and taps, the only ground outside where larvae survive.
The source when there is no pet

Stray cats sheltering under an outside stair, or rodents in the voids, each handled on a different footing.
The vacuum schedule and aftercare

When to vacuum, how to empty the machine, and why the carpet is not steam cleaned afterwards. Ventilation time we give you on the call, because it changes with the product and the space.
A follow-up timed to emergence

A date about two weeks on, timed to the pupae leaving the cocoons, and re-treatment of any room where fresh bites are still starting.

What is different about Thuwal Sub-Municipality

Thuwal sub municipality is a small fishing town on the Red Sea coast at the far northern edge of Jeddah governorate. Its old quarters are closely packed popular and mud built houses on narrow streets, with newer low rise concrete homes from the town's development programme beside them. Sea humidity stays high all year, the fishing harbour and the corniche form its seafront, water arrives by tanker so household tanks are everywhere, and the town sits on Wadi Thuwal, ringed by open ground and by the irrigated green campus of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.

Questions about this district

Does sea humidity make fleas breed faster?

Yes, greatly. High humidity provides ideal conditions for fleas. Their life cycle is faster in warm humid conditions. House treatment needs follow up visits closer together than in dry areas.

How do fleas move between such closely packed houses?

Buildings are set extremely close and gaps between walls are tiny. Fleas crawl through very small gaps and cracks. Treatment of the gaps between your house and your neighbour's is essential.

Does moisture seep through the seaward facing walls?

Yes. Walls facing the sea absorb salt laden moisture. This moisture penetrates the walls and makes the interior damp. Treatment focuses on external walls and damp voids.

Does the carpet stay permanently damp in a fishing quarter?

Yes. Carpets absorb moisture from the air and from the floor. Even if they look dry, they retain internal dampness. This keeps fleas alive longer beneath the carpet.

How many follow up visits do I need in a damp coastal quarter?

Coastal damp quarters need follow up visits sooner than dry areas. You may need a second visit after two weeks rather than three.

Should I clean the carpet with salt water or fresh water after treatment?

Use fresh water only. Salt water may affect the residual pesticide. Wait two days before heavy cleaning, then use fresh cool water only.

How much does flea control in Harat Al Baharah cost?

It is set after the inspection, because the price follows the type of infestation, the size of the space, how far it has spread and the number of visits it needs. Send a photo and a description on WhatsApp and we will give you an estimate before we reach Harat Al Baharah.