Flea Control

A flea problem is an environmental problem, not a dog problem. For every adult flea you see, there are literally thousands of immature stages of the flea's life cycle in your carpet, furniture, cracks and crevices. Traditional flea-control measures concentrated on killing the adult flea and have no effect on the many other life stages.

If you only concentrate your flea-control methods on killing the adults, you will NEVER get rid of fleas. For every adult you kill, there are hundreds of eggs, larvae, pupae and preadults waiting for the chance to be the next in line. You should understand the stages of the flea's life cycle and the timing and environmental factors that effect this life cycle, as well as the products that control each level of this life cycle, before you can effectively control fleas.

The life cycles of all fleas are basically the same. They consist of six stages - egg, 3 larval stages, pupa and adult (male or female). The general cycle is illustrated here using the specific life cycle of Ctenocephalides, which contains the two species (C. canis and C. felis) of importance in dogs and cats.

Adults are the only flea stages spending most of their time on a host. They leave the host occasionally and usually only when one host makes contact with another.

All other flea stages - eggs, larvae and pupae - are found in the immediate environment of the host. In dogs and cats this would primarily include places in the home and kennel used for resting and sleeping.

Therefore by far the greatest majority of fleas are found concentrated in the host's environment as eggs, larvae, pupae and newly emergent adults and only a small proportion of the total flea population is found on a host as feeding, reproducing adults plus newly laid eggs and hatched larvae that have not dropped off. It takes just a quick look at the flea's life cycle to see why control must be on several levels. A female flea can lay hundreds of eggs and these will become adults in less than 3 weeks.

TREATING THE INDOOR ENVIRONMENT

Vacuum The battle begins with a very thorough vacuuming. Use the crack and crevice tool and get in all the corners. Even vacuum hardwood and tile floors. Be sure to immediately throw the vacuum bag away. It will contain thousands of flea eggs, larvae and pupae that may hatch and reinfest your home.

Fog Next cover your aquarium, turn your air conditioner off, ceiling fans off, couch pillows up on end, take the bird and the cat to Grandma's, send Rover to the neighbor's and you and the kids go see a movie. Be sure to buy enough foggers for your size of home. Usually there will some information on the side label of the fogger that will help you determine how many you need. If you have any questions, ask your veterinarian, because you do not want to underdo that.

Point the fogger away from you and set it off. Carefully set the fogger on the floor in the middle of the room and get out. One by one set them off and exit the room. Most foggers contain only an adulticide (agent that kills adult fleas). Immature preadults, larvae, pupae and eggs are not affected. Some of the newer foggers also contain an IGR or insect growth regulator. This non-toxic compound works at the larvae level and prevents development of one stage to another. Some people report a worse flea problem after sing the IGR foggers. Don't worry about this. It only occurs in severe infestation problems, and if it happens, simply refog your house with adulticide-only foggers in about 2 weeks.

STEP 2: TREATING THE OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENT

Mow and Edge Mow and edge the yard very well. Fleas and ticks love tall grass. It is the perfect breeding ground and serves as a constant source of reinfestation for your environment.

Spray Once you have a neat yard, use a yard- and kennel-type spray and follow the label directions exactly. Some sprays require you to wet the lawn first, then apply the chemical, then wet the lawn again. Other need to be applied with a special applicator on a special setting. These chemicals are safe, but many of them are still toxic chemicals, so read carefully and don't use the product in any other way.

STEP 3: TREATING THE DOG
There are literally hundreds of products with which to bathe, dip, powder, spray, comb and brush fleas away. Some work better than others. Purchase well-recognized brands and only products designed for your type of pet.

Bathe & Dip Begin with a good bath. Use a mild pet shampoo that contains some flea-killing or repelling ingredients. Such common and safe ingredients are pyrethrums and d-Limonene. In the case of a mild flea infestation, this may be all that is needed. In the case of moderate or severe infestations, you will now need to dip your pet. Flea Collars The next day or two, place a flea collar on the pet. Yes, flea collars are very effective when used as a part of this overall flea-control program. Some special flea collars now contain IGR compounds, and this is a real plus. Flea eggs that contact the collar will be unable to hatch.

On-Pet Sprays Use sprays on your pet on an as-needed basis. For example, when you see a flea and it is between bath time, give your pet a few sprays of a mild on-pet spray. Give your dog a few squirts of the spray before you head out for a walk or to the park. Don't overdo this spraying and don't rely on the spray alone, just as you should not rely on flea collars alone. Also, do not soak your dog with these sprays.

STEP 4: PREVENTION

After you have done a good job killing adult fleas and have applied the IGRs in your home, have mowed and sprayed your yard and have bathed and dipped your dog, you need to undertake a few preventive steps.

Dusting your pet's sleeping area with a good flea powder is a good idea. The use of the on-pet sprays before a walk in the park is good prevention, and the use of insect growth regulators (IGRs) is an advanced way to prevent a problem with fleas in the future.

Prevention also involves the use the sodium borate compounds in the carpet. These naturally occurring chemicals are safe for children and pets and last in your carpet for almost a year. They are dusted on, brushed in and do not leave a residue. They work at the larval stage, much like the IGRs.

The flea is the single most common cause of skin and coat problems in dogs. There are 11,000 kinds of fleas which can transmit specific disease like tapeworm and heartworm or smaller parasites onto your dog. The common tapeworm, for example, requires the flea as an intermidiate host for completion of its life cycle.

Go Pets America recommends seeking the advice of your local veterinarian for the most appropriate vaccination program and for the diagnosis and treatment of your pet's health problems. For vaccination requirements please contact your state and local licensing authorities.