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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
