Oh the fleas. The dread of every pet owner. You see your beloved dog or cat scratching all the time, and you just wish you could ease their pain. You have the pet treated, but in the house, the fleas are jumping on your furniture, on your legs, and they seem to be everywhere! At times their even biting you! So, what about your pain and frustration?
Although fleas often start with an animal bringing them into your abode, they often make it their own residence. The most common flea is Ctenocephalides felis, the notorious cat flea. Although Ctenocephalides canis, commonly known as the dog flea, is also found; the cat flea is more common. The reason for this is the cat fleas ability to feed and live off a variety of hosts. So, just because that flea was on your dog, doesn't mean it's a dog flea. Fortunately, the identification of exact type of flea is not very important, as treatment is the same for both. To put it simply if the pet has fleas, they have fleas. It is just as important to remember, if the pet has fleas, your house has fleas!
The life cycle of fleas is what often makes them difficult to control. Most sufferers concentrate on the pet and on the adult fleas. What most don't realize is that for every 1 adult flea that is found, there are roughly 19 in a different stage of development nearby. Since the majority of the flea population are not adult fleas, something has to be done to control all life stages.
Once a flea is on it's host, it begins feeding off their blood. Almost immediately mating and egg production begin. Often within 24 hours, eggs are being produced at a rate of about 2 an hour. The eggs fall off, ending up on the ground. After less than a week of development, sometimes as short as 24 hours, the eggs hatch and become larvae. The larvae feed off undigested blood excreted by the feeding adults. The larvae are subject to certain environmental conditions, like temperature and humidity and seek out harborage that meet them (deep in carpets and pet bedding are ideal). After just over a week, the larvae spin a cocoon and pupate. This is where things get dicey, as they can remain in this state for long periods of time, even several months!! When they sense heat, carbon dioxide, and vibration from movement, they will emerge and look for a host. When they find one the cycle continues.
So as we can see control is not based on killing adults, but on addressing the entire population. To do this, a combination of formulations are required. Something to target adults and something to target the other stages of development. Using integrated pest management, it is always smart to start from the source. The pet needs to be treated. A veterinarian should be consulted on what products to use and how. Next, Vacuum, then vacuum again, when that's done vacuum again. I can't stress enough the importance of vacuuming. The eggs do not adhere to material, so vacuuming is the best way to remove them. This also helps remove the excretions from the adults that the larvae feed on. Then a product containing both an active ingredient targeting the adults and a growth regulator which targets the other stages. These can be applied in many different ways depending on the product and the applicator's discretion. Dusts are also excellent as they often work as desiccants, which the larvae are extremely susceptible to. When all this is completed, it's time to vacuum again, then again, then again.... At least 2 weeks of vacuuming one to two times a day is what we recommend.
Although fleas can seem like an impossible situation, there are solutions. If you need us, we are here for you.
