12 Strategies for Effective Flea Control
A Comprehensive Guide to Keeping Your Pets and Home Pest-Free
Dealing with fleas can make your pet’s and your own life miserable.
To prevent and eliminate these common pet pests, you need strategic flea control measures.
By understanding the flea life cycle and attacking each stage aggressively, you can win the battle against fleas in areas your pet likes to sleep and rest.
Utilising these tips from our expert pest controllers ensures your furry companions remain happy, healthy and flea-free long term.
1. Vacuum Constantly
Vacuuming carpets, hard floors, pet beds, and furniture on a daily basis can suck up a good amount of flea eggs and larvae. Make sure to discard the vacuum cleaner contents immediately afterward in a sealed garbage bag to prevent fleas from escaping back into your house. Vacuuming vigilantly is one of the most effective ways to control flea infestations inside your home.
2. Wash All Pet Bedding Weekly
Fleas love to lay their eggs in warm, cozy spaces – exactly what pet beds provide. Launder pet blankets and bedding once a week in hot water to kill flea eggs and larvae hiding deep within the fibers. After washing, promptly transfer to the dryer and dry thoroughly on high heat for best results. Vacuum pet resting spots right after removing dirty bedding.
3. Use Veterinarian-Recommended Flea Medications
Topical monthly flea and tick prevention treatments for cats and dogs from your vet work extremely well to break the flea cycle. Brands like Frontline Plus, Advantage II, NexGard, Bravecto, and Revolution kill fleas and prevent future infestations. Use flea medications year-round, even during colder months when fleas are less active outside. Consistent use is key for long term flea protection.
4. Put Flea Collars on All Your Pets
In addition to spot-on treatments and oral flea pills from your veterinarian, adding flea and tick collars further enhances your pet’s protection. Collars like the Seresto 8-month collar for dogs and cats repels and kill fleas and ticks with just one application. The convenience of a collar plus another product creates a knock-down effect on fleas trying to infest your fur babies.
5. Regularly Clean and Treat Your Home
To kill flea eggs and larvae living in your carpeting, vacuum and then spray carpets with an IGR (Insect Growth Regulator) treatment like Precor. IGRs stop the flea life cycle by preventing eggs, larvae and pupae from reaching maturity and reproducing. Treat upholstered furniture by vacuuming every crevice then using a flea spray for fabrics. On hard floors, thoroughly mop then apply a pet-safe spray. Treat your entire home at the same time every 2 weeks until fleas are gone. Maintain prevention by treating once per month. Apply pet flea treatments to kill the biting adult female fleas along with vacuuming and washing away eggs from your home.
6. Bathe and Groom Dogs and Cats Frequently
Bathing your pets with a flea shampoo kills fleas rapidly through contact. Lather animals neck to tail paying special attention to the underside and apply shampoo for 5-10 minutes before rinsing clean. Bathing dogs or cats every 10-14 days removes many fleas and keeps numbers down. Use a flea comb during baths to fully saturate and remove fleas from the coat. Pets will hate frequent baths, but rest assured it helps.
7. Shake Flea Powder Into Carpets and Furniture
Flea powders containing boric acid or diatomaceous earth shake deep into carpeting fibers and furniture crevices to kill fleas on contact. The microfine powder dries out fleas’ protective outer layer causing death by dehydration. Apply liberally under furniture edges, in pet beds and anywhere fleas lurk. Let sit for a few hours before vacuuming up remnants. Reapply once per week while combating heavy populations.
8. Use Natural Flea Repellents on Pets
Natural substances like lemon juice, apple cider vinegar or essential oils rubbed into your pet’s coat deter fleas without chemicals. For lightweight oils safe on cats and dogs, mix 5 drops each of rosemary, peppermint, thyme, cedarwood and lemon oils with water in a spray bottle. Spritz onto fur avoiding eyes. The strong scent repels fleas plus oils kill larvae and eggs on contact. Reapply this safe natural flea spray weekly or after baths.
9. Keep Your Lawn Mowed Short
Long grass and weeds make the perfect flea habitat outdoors. Maintain your lawn at a length of 3 inches or less to avoid this. Also trim back bushes and clear dense undergrowth where small animals that could host fleas may live. Removing prime female flea environments in your yard forces them to find another place to nest and breed. Less hiding spots equals less fleas that can jump on your pets.
10. Treat Your Yard
Applying an outdoor insecticide or pesticide spray designed for yards and gardens like Ortho Home Defense around the perimeter of your home creates an added line of defense to keep fleas out of your house. Treat under porches, along foundations and anywhere pets spend time outside. Reapply these powerful formulas every 3 months for lasting control of flea infestations originating from your own backyard.
11. Stay Vigilant in Your Car
Don’t let your car become a flea-infested spot – take your pooch on rides with blankets in their usual spots and vacuum your car’s interior regularly. Wash removable car seat covers often and use a handheld vacuum on floor mats and carpeted areas weekly. Spray pet-safe flea spray on upholstery if you spot fleas and allow time to dry completely. Consistent cleaning prevents your car from becoming the next flea breeding ground.
12. Be Patient
Eliminating a major flea infestation takes diligence and time, especially with extreme cases. It can take 4-6 weeks to fully clear your home of flea eggs, larvae and adults with consistent vacuumming, washing, treating, grooming and pet medication. Stick to your guns even if you don’t see immediate improvement – stopping flea medication early or skipping other steps allows populations to rebound. Consistency is vital so be patient and persevere.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I tell if my pet has fleas?
Look for signs of flea infestation like flea dirt (feces), hair loss, excessive scratching and seeing live fleas or eggs in your cat or dog’s pet hair.
What happens when a flea bites a human?
Some people have mild allergic reactions to flea saliva causing red, swollen bites. Scratching can lead to secondary infections. Human flea bites are rare though.
How does soapy water kill fleas?
Washing pet bedding in hot, soapy water drowns adult fleas and larva while removing eggs stuck to fabric fibers.
Should I give my pet oral or topical flea treatment?
Veterinarians recommend using both oral and topical flea medications together for best protection. Layer treatments for a knock-down effect on pet fleas.
Conclusion
Controlling flea infestations takes diligence but is possible.
Be prepared to vacuum constantly to remove eggs and flea larva from your home.
Treat pets year-round with veterinarian-recommended products that kill pests by interrupting flea life stages.
Eliminate places inside and outside that these blood-feeding insects like to breed.
With consistent washing, treating, grooming, vacuuming and pet medication, you can successfully rid your home of frustrating flea pest issues.
