Get Rid of Those Darn Fleas

Prevention is Key
The best method in the fight against fleas is preventing an infestation in the first place. Since they thrive in heat and humidity, be sure to check your pet frequently during the hotter months as well as in the fall or autumn. Another critical preventative measure is keeping your yard trimmed and free of weeds and to keep the foliage pruned as much as possible. It's also wise to wash the pet's bedding in very hot, soapy water on a weekly basis as this is the most likely site for flea eggs and larvae.

Keep an Eye on Your Pet
It should go without saying that it's necessary to watch your pet for commons signs and symptoms of a flea infestation. Keep an eye out for excessive biting and scratching, particularly around the tail and lower back areas. Watch for raw patches of skin where your dog or cat may have been scratching at fleas for some time. Another bit of evidence is "flea debris," specks of dried blood that are black in color.

Ask for a Professional
Consult with your pet's veterinarian for their thoughts on flea control. They can recommend a few treatment options for you to decide which would be best for your particular situation.

Flea Collars and Powders
If you have caught the problem relatively early, it may be possible to eliminate fleas by simply using flea collars and powders. There are several brands and types to choose from, and many contain a special comb with fine teeth that is designed to remove fleas from fur.

Flea Baths
It's helpful to bathe your pet frequently using a specially formulated soap or treatment. It's necessary to take into consideration the type of fur or coat your pet has when bathing. This is particularly true for dogs as some breeds have essential oils that shouldn't be washed away with soap and water more than once or twice a year. If bathing in a flea bath isn't an option for your pet, consult your vet for other alternatives.

Monthly Medication
There are pills available for your pet to take on a monthly basis that will prevent fleas from reproducing, but they do not kill the ones that have already reached adulthood. There are also multi-purpose medications and products available that are designed to prevent fleas from reproducing as well as controlling heartworm, hookworms, whipworms and roundworms.

An Unconventional Method
This simple home remedy is touted by many as a sure cure for a house infested with fleas. At nighttime, simply fill a few bowls of plain water and place them underneath a flame.

If your dog or cat has fleas, you want the little insects out of your house fast. But getting rid of fleas means more than just treating your pet. You're going to have to work on cleaning your whole house to rid your home of fleas. Otherwise, fleas will hide in carpets and bedding or on your sofa and in all the places your pet likes to frequent. The life cycles of fleas can make it very hard to get rid of them unless you are very careful to remove them from your carpets. When eggs hidden in cloth fibers hatch they leap back on to your pet and the cycle starts all over again.

Your carpets and floor rugs will have to be washed. If you can toss them in your washing machine, go for it. Use soapy water, as the soap will kill the fleas. If your carpets are too big, vacuum them thoroughly and dispose of the vacuum bag properly by wrapping it in a plastic bag before throwing it away.

Have a carpet cleaner come in to wash your flooring. Steam cleaning will rid your carpet of eggs and larvae hiding in the fibers. Pest control professionals and some carpet cleaner experts can also treat your carpets for you. For those who can't afford steam cleaning or professional carpet cleaners, wash your carpets with insecticidal soap.

However, once an infestation has been brought under control by these methods, you can keep it under control simply by regular vacuum. Up to fifty percent of flea eggs can be eliminated with one vacuum. Dr Michael Drydon, Professor of Veterinary Parasitology at Kansas University conducted experiments on nylon carpets which showed that vacuuming controls fleas as well as permethrin at the pupal stage. Permethrin is a commonly used synthetic pesticide and therefore introduces a health risk into your home. In peak flea season, Dr Drydon recommends vacuuming very second day, paying particular attention to areas your pets frequent and remembering to clean underneath sofas and chairs. The vacuum bag should be removed at least weekly and thrown into an outdoor trash bin.

Even if you prefer to use a chemical solution to your flea problem, you will still need to clean the carpet. However, as a final touch to rid your carpets of fleas, you can spray your flooring with a flea-killing solution, paying special attention to the places your pet loves the most. You can pick up a few bottles of spray at most stores or your veterinarian. It is probably unnecessary though, and if you have little children (or even big children) who crawl, roll, lie or sit on your

All dog owners are familiar with the problems caused by pesky fleas. Fleas are very small wingless insects, brownish red in color, and have sharp mouths by which they obtain blood from their canine hosts. Flea bites usually cause your dog to scratch at affected areas and some dogs are more sensitive than others and can have allergic reactions to flea bites. In general, fleas do not transmit diseases from dogs to humans, but the potential for this exists and they can and do bite humans as well as dogs and cats. Fleas and flea larvae live in warm climates and will live until the ground freezes in cooler climates. They can live on in your home well past this time also.
Today, there are much safer products available. Most of these products are only available through your veterinarian. One of the most popular treatments for fleas is Frontline Plus by Merial. It is topically applied to the skin of your dog on the back of the neck. According to Merial, Frontline Plus kills 98-100% of adult fleas within 24 hour and will also kill eggs and larvae to prevent fleas from recurring. Frontline Plus is waterproof for up to 30 days and is safe to use on puppies as young as 8 weeks of age.

Another popular flea treatment is Sentinel by Novartis. Sentinel is a monthly pill that also prevents heartworms. Sentinel kills adult fleas, eggs, and larvae. Novartis also makes the flea control products Program and Capstar. Program is a flavored tablet that is given monthly, and while it does not kill adult fleas, it does interrupt the flea life cycle by preventing the development of flea eggs. Program is safe to use in dogs and puppies four weeks of age and older. Capstar is a pill that is given to kill adult fleas. It can be given as often as once per day. According to Novartis, Capstar will begin killing adult fleas within 30 minutes. One pill should kill all adult fleas. Capstar is safe for dogs and puppies four weeks of age and older.

Remember that it is much easier to prevent fleas than to treat them once your dog has them. As with all medications, follow the advice of your veterinarian. If you need more information about fleas and flea prevention, visit Kill Fleas Now

However, it isn't necessary to soak your household with chemicals and toxic products to get rid of fleas. Chemical products are marketed by advertisers who want you to believe you must use their product to be flea-free. They are not going to tell you that there are safer, family-friendly ways to remove fleas from your pet and home that don't place your family's health at risk. It's up to us to become a bit wiser and to realize that the way we think about these things is largely the result of clever marketing over time.

You can avoid insecticidal or chemical treatment soaps and sprays and still rid your pet and home of fleas. They aren't necessary for flea removal. After all, what did people do before this chemical age? Regular soap is perfect for killing fleas, so you can wash your pet once or twice with pet shampoo to rid it of the pests. The soap suds act with the water to drown the fleas, others will be washed off by the flow of the water and if outside will often drown in the puddles created. When your pet is dry, comb it well with a flea comb to remove eggs.

To prevent re-infestation, you will need to get them out of your home before your pet comes back in. If your throw rugs and blankets are small enough, toss them in the washing machine and wash with laundry detergent in hot water. If your washing machine is too small, most bath tubs will be large enough to completely cover them with soapy water and drown the fleas. Any fabric item that your pet likes to rest on also needs to be washed thoroughly. If your pet enjoys sleeping on a pile of your clothing (cat owners will understand this), those shirts and pants will need to be washed as well.

Carpets can crawl with fleas which love to hide in the tiny fibers. It is therefore essential to completely clean your carpet to remove all fleas. Vacuum first. Vacuuming can remove fifty percent of the fleas on a single pass. After you vacuum, your carpeting can be washed with soapy water, but soak it well. A token scrub with a soapy rag isn't going to be enough to kill fleas or eggs. A steam-cleaning job by a professional is probably the best way to go to clean carpets and rid them of fleas.

Once you have thoroughly cleaned your carpets and rid your home of fleas, it is necessary to vacuum often and wash your pet regularly in soapy water using a flea comb afterwards, in order to prevent re-infestation. This care, however, will be worth it to you in time and trouble and of course, family and pet health.