Fleas. Even thinking about them sends shivers down some people’s spines, even though they are such tiny creatures. And if you could ask them dogs and cats probably feel the same way too. But how much do you really know about fleas and the damage they can do?

Meetthe Flea – To the naked eye fleas – which are only between 1/12 and 1/6 of an inch in size – are little more than black blobs. If you were to see one under a microscope you would discover that they are not brown at all, but reddish brown in color. They have six legs, a pair of antenna but no wings. Fleas do not fly, they jump from place to place. And they jump high too, up to 8 inches, which is the equivalent of a human jumping as high as a New York City skyscraper! They live for around 100 days if left undisturbed any during that time the female flea can produce up to 500 offspring!

What Fleas Eat – The flea’s diet is not very varied, as all they ever want to eat is blood. Animal blood or human blood they are not picky, just so long as they can get enough of it to survive.

How Fleas Grow – Fleas begin life as flea eggs. After 10-18 days they transform into pupae and then hatch as hungry little larvae. “Baby” fleas don’t bite but it is not too long – about 3-5 days – before these babies become fully fledged blood sucking adults, ready to go looking for their first victims.

Fleas will happily suck any animal’s blood but they really do like domestic cats and dogs. And if they can find a pet without a flea collar they will quickly take up residence in that animal’s fur and will usually invite lots of their friends to join them too.

Flea Bites and Pets – In order to get at the blood they need fleas have to bite into a mammal’s skin and then suck blood into their bodies. Its not too hard to tell when your pet has fleas – they will scratch all the time and if you brush them specks of black “flea dust” will be left on the comb. The areas where the fleas have bitten them will be red and tiny holes are visible if you look carefully.

Getting rid of fleas from your pet itself will involve a trip to the vet or pet store to pick up a flea medication. These medications usually come in the form of drops to be applied to your pet’s skin. They kill eggs, larvae and adults but you may also want to give your pet a bath with a flea shampoo to get all the dead fleas out of their coat and to help soothe their irritated skin.

You should also get a general health check up for your pet as although flea bites in animals usually just cause discomfort they can lead to more serious conditions like tape worms and anemia that a vet needs to treat.

Flea Bites and Humans – Fleas will bite humans. As they are so small most people do not even know they have been bitten by a flea until they begin to itch and then spot those tell tale red marks. The bites itch because a flea’s saliva contains an irritating anti coagulant (the fleas do not like their blood supply clotting up until they are full) that is left behind once they depart. Some people can have a nasty allergic reaction to this while others barely feel it.

Its was fleas who were responsible for spreading the dreaded Bubonic Plague centuries ago. A person who gets too many flea bites today may still suffer from a compromised immune system making them more susceptible to flus and colds, even in the summer.

The key to stopping human fleas bites is getting rid of all the fleas. Not just from pets but from furniture and carpets as well. Fleas love a nice warm carpet to rest in after a meal and by lurking on the ground they can rest up and get ready to jump on the next warm blooded creature that comes their way. They also really like carpets because they are great, safe place to lay their eggs. In the flea world a nice living room carpet must be the equivalent of a ritzy hotel.

Getting the Fleas Out – After you have de-fleaed your pets and they are wearing a flea collar to help prevent re-infestation, it is time to clean house. Humans can’t wear flea collars so at this point you and your family probably look extra delicious to your invited guests.

The first step is wash as much “stuff” as you can. Linens, pillows, clothes, whatever can safely go in the washing machine.  Pet bedding should be thrown away.

After you are done washing the next best thing is to get your vacuum out. Serious vacuuming should help pull out all those eggs that are lurking in the carpet before they get a chance to hatch and start the cycle going all over again.

To be extra safe you may want to rent a carpet shampooing machine to really get everything clean and flea free again. If you were not able to wash them in the washing machine your draperies and cloth furniture covers should get the same treatment as your carpets as well.

The Last Resort - Getting all of the fleas out of your home is very hard and re-infestation is not uncommon. Just a few flea eggs can hatch and reproduce very quickly. If re infestation is a problem as a last resort a great many people will call in a professional pest extermination company who have all the extra tools needed to get rid of fleas who have just got too cozy in their homes. You can buy some flea control chemicals in the store yourself but DIY treatment can be risky as some of these chemicals can poison both pets and children, so leaving the job to a pro is really the best idea.

Unfortunately if you discover that your dog or cat has fallen victim to fleas that will mean that not only are you going to have to get rid of the fleas on them but also the fleas that are now hiding in your home as well. Doing so is not an easy process but you really do have to put in the work (and often the money) to get rid of fleas the right way as if you don’t the problem will just keep coming back.

Fleas in Your Home

Fleas live on the blood of warm blooded mammals and pet dogs and cats are one of their favorite targets. Unfortunately if your pet brings fleas into your home they get pretty fond of being there too. They spend all day jumping from pet to human, human to pet drinking all the blood they need to stay nicely fed. Then occasionally female fleas will leave their hosts for a while, find a nice spot on your carpet, your coach, your curtains or your bed linen and lay a couple of hundred eggs to ensure that after their 100 day lifespan is over their “family” lives on.

Contrary to what many people believe fleas do not fly and adult fleas do not live on fabrics. Fleas are fantastic jumpers though – if they were human they would win Olympic gold every time – as they can jump up to heights of 8 inches while they themselves are at most, ⅙ of an inch tall. When it comes to fleas in fabrics it is the eggs and the larvae that can be found there. The average living room carpet is a perfect flea nursery.

Getting Rid of Fleas on Your Pets First

The first step in the war on fleas in your home is ridding your cat or dog of them. These days there are a lot of good, safe and effective flea medications available that can help solve the problem very quickly. although you can buy these products in stores it is best to consult with your vet as not all of these medications are suitable for all pets. You should also get your pet a healthy pet check up because flea bites can cause things like tapeworms and anemia, issues that only your vet can treat.

Beginning the Attack on Fleas in Your Home

Rather than waste time looking for fleas in your home after you have discovered them on your pet the best course of action is to just assume they are there, because the chances are that they are, and lots of them. Adult fleas, larvae and eggs are all likely to be present.

When it comes to the best way of getting rid of fleas in your house the very first thing you need to do is throw out any soft pet bedding and do not buy a new bed for your cat or dog until your home is flea free. Next you need to wash everything that can be washed that sits out exposed in your home in the washing machine. That means sheets, blankets, drapes, tablecloths, even your children’s stuffed toys if they sit out on a bed or shelf.

Bring Out the Vacuum

You cannot throw your sofas or your carpets in the washing machine of course. That is where your vacuum comes in. Thoroughly vacuum everything you can and do not forget to empty the bag outside well away from your home. Put fleas in the garbage bin and they will jump right back out again and you will be right back to square one. Do not forget to vacuum off any drapes that cannot be washed as well, because do not forget that yes, they can jump that high.

Once you have vacuumed really well you may want to do a carpet shampoo as well but that will not necessarily kill any remaining fleas (although it might boil a few) so vigorous dry vacuuming is far more important.

When The Fleas Won’t Leave

Unfortunately sometimes all the washing and the vacuuming in the world does not solve a flea problem in a home and more drastic measures are called for. It is at this point that many homeowners turn to chemical flea killers.

There are lots of different chemical flea killers out there – everything from sprays to bombs. the problem is in the hands of an amateur these can be dangerous as not all of these chemicals are safe to use around pets or humans, especially children. if you feel that the flea problem in your home is severe enough to warrant chemical treatment calling in a pest control expert will be the safest and ultimately the most effective way to go.

Flea Control Home Remedies

Some people hate the thought of using any chemicals in their battle against fleas and turn to natural home remedies to get rid of fleas in their house. Growing amounts of medical research studies have linked pesticides of all kinds  to an increase in a number of serious human diseases including breast cancer. More work needs to be done to establish if there really is a link between pesticides and human disease but some people would rather be safe than sorry and look for “natural alternatives” to chemical flea killers.

In order to get rid of fleas the natural way some people say that a solution of lavender oil and water sprayed onto furniture and carpets kills of remaining flea eggs and larvae as effectively as chemicals. Other say that other solutions like diluted cedar oils help as well. There are also a growing number of “all natural” flea killing products on the market that claim to be as effective as their chemical counterparts at finally getting rid of all the fleas in your home for good. How effective these are is hard to tell as people have varied results but many people give natural flea treatments a try first, both when treating their homes and their pets.

Ask most pet owners what they worry about most in the warmer months of the year and fleas will be right there at the top of the list. But depending upon where you and your pet live fleas may not just be a summer problem. As long as it is fairly warm outside – 60 F or above – fleas can thrive, especially if it is a bit humid as well. So if you live in an area where it never gets too cold fleas can be a year round concern.

How Do Fleas Get Onto Dogs and Cats

Contrary to what some people mistakenly believe fleas do not fly, they do not have wings. They do however have six very powerful little legs and can jump very high. A flea is usually no bigger then ⅙ of an inch but they can jump up to 8 inches in the air. That is the insect equivalent of a human jumping over a skyscraper! They are also pretty good long jumpers as well.

Most dogs and cats come into contact with fleas outside. If you have both cats and dogs the cats may never go outside but they are not safe from fleas because those brought inside by their canine companions can easily make the “leap” to them as well.

Once they have found an animal host fleas are not keen to go anywhere as the pet is providing a constant source of food – blood – for them. If the animal is indoors they may hop off to lay their eggs on a nice warm carpet but they will go right back to their new animal “friend” once they get hungry again.

Fleas will also lay their eggs right on their host animal’s fur and newly hatched fleas can thrive there too, so when you are trying to get rid of fleas from your cat or dog you are in fact facing three different challenges.

How to Spot Fleas on Your Pet

Fleas are not big fans of bright light so they tend to hide on areas of a dog or cat’s body that are harder to spot. Some animals are prone to itchy dry skin anyway, so itching is not always a sign that fleas are present but it is worth investigating. You may be able to spot the brownish fleas scurrying across areas of your pets skin with your naked eye but that will not always be the case, especially if your pet has darker skin.

Another sign that fleas are present is flea dirt. Flea dirt is (yes this is gross) flea feces and you can check for it by running a damp paper towel all over your pet’s coat. However you find them though it is important that you begin a flea treatment program as soon as possible to stop the problem from getting worse.

Dogs and Cats and Flea Bites

For most dogs and cats flea bites are a painful and irritating annoyance that may cause them to scratch whole areas of their bodies until all the fur is gone. For a few animals though flea bites can be more of a problem than that, causing tapeworm and anemia. That is why even if you perform flea treatment at home you should still make an appointment for your pet at their veterinarian’s office, just to make sure that the flea bites have caused no serious harm.

Flea Treatment Options for Cats and Dogs

Flea shampoos and flea powders have been around for years but they have a very limited effectiveness and the treatment may need to be supplemented with one of the newer flea medications that are available today. These come in a couple of different forms: topical solutions like Frontline flea control or in pill form like Capstar flea control.

Many of these medicines act differently. Capstar flea control kills adult fleas and older larvae very quickly, in about 6 hours, but may not always get rid of all the eggs and the same is true for some topical medications. In this case a different medication may have to be used to kill the eggs before they hatch and the problem starts all over again.

Although you can buy these treatments in stores and online it is still best to ask your vet which medications they recommend for your particular pet. Some flea medications are not recommended for young animals or for those who are in their “senior years” so consulting your vet before giving animals like this any kind of flea treatment is important.

Preventing the Return of the Fleas

Once your pet is initially flea free you have to work a little to keep them that way. At this point dog flea control and cat flea control is very important. The first thing you have to ensure, for your own sake as much as your pets, is that their environment, your home, is flea free. This can be achieved with a lot of washing of fabrics, a lot of vacuuming and occasionally a chemical treatment like a pest fogger.

You can buy all kinds of chemicals in stores to get rid of fleas in the home but if you are going to try this yourself be very careful. Some of these chemicals are harmful to animals and to children. Often if the flea infestation in your home is still a problem after all the through cleaning is done calling in a professional pest exterminator is the safest move for everyone in the house. It may cost a little more but you will be making sure that you are not doing more harm than good in your attempts to solve your flea problems.

In terms of flea protection you should consult with your vet about using one of the various flea prevention treatments available today that are designed to be used throughout the warmer months to keep fleas away. A flea collar can be a good extra protection as well, especially if your pet spends a lot of time outside.

Getting rid of fleas, whether you are trying to get them off your pet or get them out of your home is by no means easy, even in this day and age. Fleas are tiny but they are also very stubborn and once they get a comfy place to live they will not give up without a fight. To help them achieve their goals they are not only pretty tough little insects but they also reproduce at a very rapid rate. The average female flea has a lifespan of about one hundred days but in that time she can produce five hundred or more offspring.

Common Misconceptions About Fleas

There are some common misconceptions about fleas that can make getting rid of them effectively harder. The first of those is that fleas can fly and that if they were around you would see them in the air.

The fact is that fleas cannot fly because they do not have wings. What they can do however is jump, and jump really well, Michael Jordan style really well in fact. And that is how they get around as adult fleas, leaping from host to host to get their fill of nice warm mammal blood, occasionally stopping off to lay a few eggs if they are a female flea. So unless you look very carefully you may not see fleas at all, even if they are all over the house.

Another misconception about fleas is that if you can kill off all the adult fleas your problems are solved. That again, is far from the truth. A flea infestation is a three way problem – adult fleas, larvae getting ready to hatch and flea eggs. And the flea eggs and larvae are really hard to spot because if they are not living on your pet’s coat then they are burrowed away in your carpet, or on all kinds of fabrics in your home.

Getting Rid of Fleas from Your Cat or Dog

Once you have determined that your poor pet has fallen victim to fleas then it is important that you come up with a plan of action quickly to prevent the problem from becoming even worse. Possibly the very best way to deal with fleas on your dog or cat is to go and see your vet. There are several treatments he or she might recommend. these include:

1. Shampoos and Dips – Flea shampoos and dips are a great first step if your pet has a lot of visible fleas (usually on their tummies and in the creases of their legs) Giving your pet a good flea bath before he or she heads to the vet is a good idea. Cats are going to be far harder to bathe than most dogs but the struggle will be worth it as the shampoo will get rid of a lot of the adult fleas and provide some immediate relief from all that itching.
2. Spot on Treatments – Spot on treatments are now a vets preferred method of getting rid of adult fleas. These are liquid drops that are applied to your pet’s shoulder blades several times and the protection they offer lasts for about a month. the only problem is that not all of these treatments address the problem of flea eggs and larvae, some of which may still be alive even after a few flea baths and a spot on treatment.
3. Flea Control Pills – Flea control pills work on killing eggs and larvae. many vets use them in conjunction with a spot on treatment to try to ensure that the problem is completely solved.
4. Flea Collars – Flea collars are really a preventive measure for after the fleas are gone. they work by emitting a toxic substance that repels adult fleas. Flea collars are not usually suitable for young puppies and kittens though.

Getting Rid of Fleas from Your Home

Most pets get re-infested with fleas because the homes they live in are filled with fleas still. In addition fleas like blood, and they like human blood every bit as much as they like that of your dog or cat. Therefore getting rids of fleas in your home is crucial. Here are some of the most commonly used methods:

Wash and Vacuum – This is the first step you need to take before you think about more drastic chemical solutions to your flea problem. Every exposed thing in your home that can be washed in the washing machine should be, up to and including your kids stuffed toys. All soft pet bedding however should be thrown away.

Anything that cannot be washed (carpets, drapes, soft furnishings) should be vacuumed very well. And do not empty the contents of your vacuum into the bin in your home as not all of the fleas It has scooped up will be dead and they will just jump right back out again.

Over the Counters Flea Sprays, Flea Powders and Flea Bombs – Head to your local hardware store and you will find all kinds of sprays and powders that are designed to kill adult fleas, larvae and eggs. These are for use after the wash and vacuum day, alone they cannot get the job done.

If you are going to use these things yourself you need to exercise a lot of caution. To use a flea bomb for instance requires a totally unoccupied house as it releases pesticides slowly. you also need to be very careful with sprays and powders as some of them are toxic to both pets and children.

Calling in a Professional – If you do not want to take the risk of dealing with flea control chemicals yourself then calling in a professional exterminator is the next step. Because there are a lot of concerns about the effects of traditional pesticides on both the environment and people’s health many pest control companies have devised safer solutions to treat your home with that are not available in stores. Calling in the pros is more expensive – you can expect to pay about $150-$200 for a three bedroom house to be treated – but in the case of a severe flea infestation it may be the only logical choice.