Fleas Have Residents Scratching for Relief : Pests: The problem could last through November if warm weather persists, veterinarians and exterminators warn.

Ventura County exterminators are happy, but pet owners can expect to be feeling the bite for some time.

The flea season, which usually winds down in September, is expected to last through November this year if the weather stays warm, veterinarians and pest-control workers say.

“It’s been rather rampant,” said Randy Long, who owns the Camarillo office of Fleabusters, a national pest-control chain.

“I have mixed emotions when someone calls and says they have fleas. I’m sorry they have them, but it’s certainly good for my business.”

Long said he has about 10% to 15% more customers this flea season compared to last year. Flea season got an early start this year in April, he said, and he expects it to last as long as the warm weather does.

Lynne Moradzadeh, who had her Simi Valley house sprayed Wednesday, said her house is afflicted with fleas this year for the first time.

For four years, her family has owned a poodle that they keep inside. They never had flea problems.

Recently, however, they got a puppy that stays outside part of the time, and it has contaminated their house with fleas, she said.

“They don’t bother me, but my husband has been bitten to death,” Moradzadeh said. “He comes in, and they literally jump on him.”

Moradzadeh said she has been vacuuming her house daily--a recommended flea-removal tactic--and has taken both pets to a veterinarian for treatment.

“It’s a big pain,” she said. “You dip them in this, powder them with that, then bomb the house, then bomb your husband, then dip the animals again.”

In addition to vacuuming, which removes fleas and their eggs, veterinarians and pest-control experts recommend treating pets and spraying yards to keep the blood-sucking insects under control.

“You try to concentrate where the pets spend most of their time,” said Eddie Ramirez, an exterminator for Hydrex Pest Control in Camarillo.

Outfitted with a respirator mask, goggles, black rubber gloves and a spray can, Ramirez spent about an hour Wednesday spraying pesticides in Moradzadeh’s house and yard. He said he typically uses a gallon of chemicals for the average house.

Hydrex officials said they had to hire six more exterminators this year to keep up with demand.

“People don’t want to wait when they have fleas,” said James Grace, Hydrex’s general manager. “All sense of humor goes away when they have fleas.”

Experts blame the recent wet winters in Southern California for the explosion of fleas, which thrive in warm, wet conditions.

Veterinarian Thomas Bulgin, who runs a cat clinic in Ventura, said fleas are particularly noticeable in the county’s coastal areas.

“Here in Ventura, it’s always bad,” he said. “Fleas reproduce at 56 degrees to 96 degrees and 50% humidity. That’s Ventura County weather. And there’s so many wild cats in Ventura County, there’s a constant reservoir for them.”

Veterinarian William Shouse, who works at the Ojai Pet Hospital, said he has seen about 20% more pets with flea problems this year. Last week, a dog died from anemia brought on by fleas, he said.

“We never run out of fleas in Southern California,” Shouse said. “We never really have weather cold enough to kill them off. They just don’t reproduce as quickly in the winter.”

Shouse said that when battling fleas, pet owners should spray or treat their pet’s environment and not just the pet. After vacuuming, they should throw away the vacuum bag because fleas can go from egg to adult in just three weeks to five weeks.

Michelle Moore, assistant manager of a pet shop in Ventura, said she has noticed a 20% to 30% increase in customers looking for ways to fend off fleas.

She recommends combs, sprays and powders, depending on the pet. If sprays or powders are used, she cautions pet owners to treat the pet before its goes into the yard and again before it comes back into the house.

“You never really eliminate them,” she said. “You just control them.”