Flea Control
Flea Problems?
We all dread that time when we discover that our pets are carrying around uninvited passengers, visitors that can embed themselves into our rugs, drapes, carpeting, bedding – even our furniture.
You can bet that by the time you’ve seen one flea, there are most likely thousands of larvae and eggs in your home and backyard!
What do you do to rid yourself of this pestilence, both for your family and your pet? The key is to understand that you’ll never get rid of the fleas by just treating your dog or cat, but that you have to treat the entire environment in which fleas gestate. A complete flea control program contains the following factors:
* getting rid of fleas on your pets
* prevent flea larvae from hatching
* killing fleas from the indoor areas
* killing fleas from the outdoor areas
Flea Eradication – Outdoors
You have to get at the larvae where they originate, and that’s in your yard. Take the following steps:
- use an outdoor spray and target areas where your pets tend to spend most of their time, such as patios, kennels, and under porches.
- disturb any organic areas where fleas tend to habituate: straw, grass clippings and mulch piles should be raked away and not allowed to fester.
Expect to treat your yard area at least once every two weeks, or else the effectiveness of the spray will be severely negated.
Flea Eradication – Indoors
You must systemically rid your house of all traces of fleas, including both the adults and larvae from developing. This can be accomplished by doing the following:
- Wash your pet’s bedding every week, and also treat it with a product that includes an insect growth regulator and an adulticide.
- Use either foggers or carpet powders that include an adulticide and an insect growth regulator. Sprays may be particularly effective due to their ability to reach areas that carpet powders and foggers are poorly designed for; under furniture, cracks and mouldings and other hard – to – reach areas are just some examples.
- Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum. And by vacuuming completely, we’re talking about everywhere – below furniture and drapes, high – traffic areas and just about anywhere else that you can think of. You need to vacuum at least once a week at minimum, and even more often in places where your pets tend to sleep. You must discard your vacuum bag each time you vacuum, and also seal it in a plastic bag and throw it out ASAP. This is important, since most estimates give regular and thorough vacuuming the ability to get rid of up to 60% of the existing flea egg and larvae in your home.
- Don’t forget to treat any areas where you pet tends to hang out - the garage, cages, pet travel carriers and your auto are likely locations.
Please note: choose all flea control products with care, especially around children with asthma, other pets such as fish and birds, etc.
Rid your Pet of Fleas – permanently
Here’s the final step in the process. There are a myriad selection of effective products, and all have different delivery applications:
- Products taken Orally – usually these are monthly tablets for dogs and cats that prevent the flea eggs from hatching, but you still have to get rid of the adults that are lingering in your home and outdoor areas.
- Flea Sprays – make sure the product you choose contains both an adulticide and a growth regulator.
- Collars – Usually prevents both fleas and ticks, but if you don’t get the fit just right they won’t be effective. It has to be fairly snug, but not too snug, of course - if you can get two fingers under the collar you’ve done the job correctly. Keep in mind that a collar’s effectiveness is usually limited for a predetermined time, unless your pet swims often or gets wet in another manner – which means you should replace it immediately.
- Flea Combs – most pets like to be brushed or combed anyway, so you both get to enjoy this task. You need a comb that has narrow teeth in order to be effective, and remember to dump the fleas you remove in detergent in order to kill them.
- Dips – while they can be quite effective, care must be taken to insure your pet’s safety. Because you must fully immerse your pet in the rinse, using cotton balls in their ears and applying eye ointments for protection are paramount.
Keeping your pets free of fleas not only helps their lives, it also helps you and your family by a similar measure. Flea control is a critical factor in dog health and cat health, and the sooner you take the steps necessary, the easier it will become to keep the fleas from coming back.
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Tags: cat health, dog health