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How to Get Rid of Fleas. Kill fleas on your cat, dog and in your house (in 3 steps)
How do I get rid of fleas
in my home? Treating the flea problem.
For example, if you wash your cat or dog today with a flea rinse and you kill 30 fleas that are living on your pet, there are approximately 570 fleas developing in your house. (see the flea cycle chart) This is a Do It Yourself method for killing fleas,
there is no need to call in the pest exterminator. If
you have a flea problem or infestation then you must Fleas do not have to be a part of pet ownership. Years ago it was assumed that all cats and dogs had fleas but this is just not true today. Flea control has advanced so much that no pet should ever have to suffer one single flea again. Getting the initial control over fleas is not an easy five minute job but once you have control then maintenance will be easy. Don't get disheartened if it seems that you get a fresh flea infestation a week or two after using the following flea control method. It is explained to you in this article why this often happens. It has to do with with the flea pupae being impervious to insecticides. Let's get on with the job of getting rid of fleas in your house and on your cats or dogs. Battle Stations How do I break the flea life cycle? STEP 1 - Vacuum Your
vacuum cleaner is your number one weapon in the warYour first step is to vacuum vacuum vacuum! Vacuum your entire house paying particular attention to corners, dark crevices, under furniture, under beds, pet beds, rugs and especially around skirting boards. Put the nozzle attachment on your vacuum cleaner and thoroughly vacuum around all skirting boards and edges of fixtures.
The
vibrations from vacuuming also stimulates the fleas to emerge from their
cocoons and thus they will be exposed to the insecticide that will be used EGGS
LARVAE
PUPAE
After a while the larvae pupate. This means that they spin a cocoon around themselves and begin a change. In the cocoon they are changing into adult fleas. It is just like a caterpillar which spins a cocoon and then emerges as a butterfly. The more of the pupae you vacuum up
the better the outcome. The cocoon surrounding the developing flea is
water tight and impervious to insecticides. STEP 2 - Spray Insecticide
Spray all carpets, rugs, floors and places your pet sleeps with a flea surface spray, flea bomb or fogger that kills flea eggs, larvae and emerging adult fleas. Check the label of sprays for active ingredients. Use one that contains IGR. Make sure you get into every nook and cranny and pay special attention around skirting boards and under rugs and furniture.Most people will find insecticides in aerosol form easier to apply than liquids unless you have a pressure sprayer. What is IGR? Follow the instructions that come with the flea spray, flea bomb or fogger and remember to remove all fish, reptiles and other living creatures from the room. Read This - Very Important
Don't Forget about your Yard and Garden
Yes, you must also tackle your yard and garden. There is no need to purchase special yard spray as you can use the same spray that you sprayed your house with. Spray around where the pet sleeps, in crevices, gravel and sandy areas. If you live in a high set house you will need to spray under the house. Spray patios, verandahs, kennels and nooks and crannies. The majority of the yard which is in sunlight should be OK as the larvae tend to avoid bright places. You can also let off flea bombs or flea foggers under your house on a windless day. STEP 3 - Treat your pets How do I get rid of fleas on my cat or dog? Which flea products do I use on my pet? The older generation of flea control products (Flea powders, flea collars and dips) are now completely obsolete. The latest treatments are top-spots, which are much safer for both pets and humans. These are applied to the skin, usually between the shoulder blades and the chemicals disperse through the skin’s oils. Some of the top spot products available are Advantage, Frontline and Revolution. You may think that top spot treatments are expensive but I have found it false economy to use anything else. Most of the top spot products advise that you use them monthly but I have found that once you have broken the flea cycle in your home you will be able to use them less often. I rarely have the need to use them more than once or twice a year. Of course keep in mind that a visiting pet or a neighbour's cat in your yard can start the cycle all over again.
How can fleas harm my cat or dog? Two weeks later and the fleas are back!!! Expect to see a few new fleas emerging for up to two weeks. These will be the fleas that were in the pupal stage during treatment.
Continue vacuuming regularly after the initial treatment. You may have to repeat the treatment of house and pets again after a couple of weeks if you are still seeing large numbers of fleas, especially if the initial infestation was particularly heavy. Remember, you can get rid of fleas forever! Once you have treated your pets and house for fleas try not to let them come in contact with other animals that are infested. Politely ask visitors not to bring their pets to your house as one visit by a flea infested dog or cat can start the flea cycle all over again. For maintenance... Watch your cat or dog for tell tale scratching and re-apply the top spot if you see even a single flea. Don't delay as fleas multiply very quickly. Vacuum thoroughly any area your pet goes. Wash bedding and toys often.
Other Articles Get rid of dog and cat urine odors How to stop your cat scratching the furniture Pet Pee Problems - A series of articles covering many dog and cat urine issues
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Questions Answered and Topics
Addressed:
How to get rid of fleas
How to get rid of fleas in the yard
How to control fleas on your pets
How to break the flea cycle
How to kill fleas in the house
fleas on dogs
cat fleas
prevent fleas