How do I get rid of fleas
in my home? Treating the flea problem.
Do you have a flea problem? Are there fleas in your
carpet, fleas in your yard, fleas on your pets, fleas in your bed?
Getting rid of fleas on your cat or dog alone does not tackle
the overall flea problem. During the flea cycle only about 5% of fleas are
actually living on your dog or cat. The other 95% of fleas (in one stage
or another) are living in
your house or yard. That is why it is so important to kill the fleas in your house and on your cat
or dog at the same time.
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,
that means that there are
still 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
DECLARE WAR and KILL ALL FLEAS IN YOUR HOUSE AND
YARD AND ON YOUR PETS
Once you have decided to declare this war
and kill the fleas in your house, you need to set aside a couple of hours to enter into the battle
zone.
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.
You can win this war.
How do I break the flea life cycle?
It is important to treat all of your pets and your house on the same day.
It is pointless to treat your house and not your pet, it is also pointless
to treat you pet and not your house. This is the only way you will get total
flea control.
STEP 1 - Vacuum
Your
vacuum cleaner is your number one weapon in the war
Your 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 baseboards (also called skirting boards). Put the nozzle attachment on your vacuum cleaner
and thoroughly vacuum around all baseboards 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
Listed below is what you are vacuuming up even
though you can't see them:
EGGS
Fleas
that are living on your cat or dog lay eggs.
The eggs drop off your pet and land on your carpet or floor.
LARVAE
The
eggs hatch and become larvae.
These little worm like creature have hair like bristles that enable them
to move around. They avoid the light and move to crevices, corners, under
furniture, in cracks between floor boards and along baseboards.
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 similar to 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.
When you have finished vacuuming dispose of the contents of your vacuum
cleaner completely.
STEP 2 - Spray Insecticide
Flea Treatment For your House & Yard
The products shown here are for illustration purposes only
When choosing an insecticide read the label. Look for the ingredient
IGR (Insect Growth Regulator)
IGR is the most important part of
the whole flea control process
Spray all carpets, rugs,
floors, soft furnishings
and places your pet sleeps with an aerosol, 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 spray into every nook and cranny and pay special attention
around baseboards and under rugs and furniture. Spray under beds and under couches etc.
Developing fleas avoid the light and make their way to dark areas.
It is difficult to suggest flea control products worldwide as
insecticide laws vary from country to country. Below are a few
suggestions of products that contain IGR.
Precor 2000 Plus (US & Canada)
Hartz 4 in 1 Flea Fogger (US & Canada)
IG Regulator (US & Canada)
Buy online or on ebay or check your pet store for availability.
Mortein Flea Bomb (Australia) Can be bought in most supermarkets.
Vacuuming is very
important pre insecticide spraying but not post spraying. Do not vacuum
for at least two weeks after spraying.
What is IGR?
IGR is short for Insect Growth Regulator. IGR is Birth
Control for Fleas. This protein works on the
developing flea eggs and larvae and stops fleas from developing to maturity
so they cannot lay eggs.
Flea bombs and flea foggers containing IGR are very
effective at killing fleas but the insecticide does not always reach
under beds, furniture and rugs. Flea bombs and foggers are designed to
be let off in the middle of a room. Be sure to move what furniture you
can so as to enable the spray to penetrate carpets and flooring beneath.
It is possible to use a flea bomb or fogger as you would a regular hand
held aerosol, just don't click the button into the lock position.
Precor 2000 Plus is a hand held flea fogger. It has
both a knockdown agent and a long lasting insect growth regulator. The
fog can be directed under furniture and appliances.
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. This
treatment may kill them.
After spraying the insecticide try not to vacuum for about two weeks as the IGR component will have a residual effect.
Read This - Very Important
It
is important to note that while the fleas are in the pupae stage (in their
cocoons) they are not affected by insecticides. The cocoons are watertight
and protect the developing flea. This is why you may think you have killed
all the fleas and larvae in your home but two weeks later a new flea
infestation can occur as new fleas emerge from these cocoons.
Don't Forget about your Yard and
Garden
Do fleas live in the yard?
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.
Next wash all of your pets bedding and soft toys. Shake them well and hang
them in the sunlight to dry
Home Remedy to kill fleas?
You may not like using insecticides
and chemicals around your house but
a home remedy to kill fleas will not work. You will have to use an
insecticide and more importantly you should use an insecticide containing
IGR.
Once you have broken the flea life cycle you will not
have to spray on a regular basis. Once the fleas have gone you can put
the insecticides away for ever.
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 disperse through the skin’s oils. Some of the top spot products
available are Advantage, Frontline and Revolution.
Revolution also prevents heartworm, ear mites and
hookworm. Advantix and Frontline Plus also prevent ticks.
Tablets for Killing Fleas on Dogs
Comfortis Chewable Tablets for
Dogs are a meat flavored tablet that rapidly kills fleas on dogs
and then goes on to prevent flea infestations for a further
month. Comfortis starts to kill fleas within 30 minutes of
administration and will kill 100% of fleas on a dog within 4
hours. The tablets are FDA approved.
You may think that top spot treatments are expensive but it can be false economy to use anything else. Most of the top spot
products advise that you use them monthly but once you
have broken the flea cycle in your home you will be able to use them
less often. Of course keep in mind that a visiting pet or a neighbor's cat
in your yard can start the cycle all over again.
How can fleas harm my cat or dog?
Fleas feed on your pet's blood and make
your cat uncomfortable A heavy infestation can cause it to become anaemic
and unwell. Flea infestations have been known to kill kittens. Some
individual animals are allergic to flea saliva and this causes the pet
abject misery with constant scratching and self mutilation. The most common allergy dermatitis in cats and dogs
is a flea allergy. Read more on
Flea Allergy Dermatitis. Fleas also spread tapeworm from one animal to
another.
I would advise that you have
a chat to your vet or vet nurse about which flea product is most suitable
for your pet.
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. (The developing fleas in their cocoons)
Remember
that while the fleas are in the pupae stage (in their cocoons) they are
not affected by insecticides. The cocoons are watertight and protect the
developing flea. This is why you may think you have killed all the fleas
and larvae in your home but a week or two later you are still seeing adult
fleas.
Continue vacuuming regularly, but do not vacuum for two
weeks 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.
The flea population of any given
area comprises of 50% eggs 35% larvae 10% pupae and only 5% biting
adults.
Fleas lay their eggs after a blood feed on the animal but these flea eggs
quickly drop off on to the carpet, floor, bedding and outside areas. In
fact anywhere your pet goes becomes a battle zone.
The life cycle of the flea depends on temperature, humidity and
source of food. The life cycle of the flea from egg to adulthood can
vary from two weeks to eight months.
An adult female flea can lay up to 600 eggs in its life time.
Eggs can hatch anywhere between two days and two weeks.
After the eggs hatch they become larvae. These are
little worm like insects that get deep into carpet fibres, in cracks
between floor boards, under beds, furniture and rugs and around
skirting boards. They also thrive in sand and gravel. They feed on
dead skin cells, organic material and the blood rich faeces of adult
fleas. Although they don’t have legs they can move around and make
their way to corners and crevices
The little worm like larvae develop over a period of one to three
weeks going through four moulting stages then spin themselves a
silken cocoon, just like a caterpillar. This is called the pupae
stage. They can remain in their cocoons for several months but will
hatch if conditions are right. Vibrations can trigger them to hatch
and this is the reason why you can be suddenly covered by fleas
after a house has been left unoccupied for a long period of time.
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
Your
vacuum cleaner is your number one weapon in the war
Fleas
that are living on your cat or dog lay eggs.
The eggs drop off your pet and land on your carpet or floor.
The
eggs hatch and become larvae.
These little worm like creature have hair like bristles that enable them
to move around. They avoid the light and move to crevices, corners, under
furniture, in cracks between floor boards and along baseboards.
Do fleas live in the yard?
