Flea Fun Facts: 

 

• There are over 2000 varieties of fleas.
• In America there are over 200 different types of fleas.  200!!! 
• Fleas tend to prefer warm, somewhat humid weather:  75-95 degrees with 60-85% humidity.
• The domestic pet flea is Ctenocephalides felis.
• Fleas are capable of jumping from 14 to 16 inches.
• Female fleas can lay up to 50 eggs a day.
• That means in approximately 9 months a female can cause up to a trillion descendents!! 
• Fleas spread disease and tapeworms.
• Fleas have been know to transmit a number of diseases to man, most important in history was the plague.

Why Get Rid of Fleas?

 Besides the threat of anemia connected with a flea infestation on young puppies and kittens, there is also the risk of spreading tapeworms. Cat fleas are one of the primary sources for the common dog tapeworm. Dog tapeworms can be transferred to dogs, cats, and humans, but the flea must either be swallowed or a secondary infected tapeworm host eaten such as common house mice. Often times getting rid of tapeworms means getting rid of fleas first!

How can you tell if your pet has fleas?

Besides the obvious appearance of a flea, fleas leave behind a trail of evidence that is easy to find and easy to detect. This trail of evidence is flea feces sometimes referred to as “flea dirt”.  Flea dirt will appear as small specks to small grains of black debris that falls off your pet with you ruffle or comb their hair.  If you take this ‘flea dirt’ and apply a small drop of water it should turn red. Walla, you’ve found your evidence. This is because flea feces are composed of dried blood, the remains of fleas “feeding” off of your pet.  

Well my pet has fleas so now what do I do? 

In order to combat a flea infestation you must first understand the Flea lifecycle. The flea life cycle consists of four stages: the egg, the larva, the pupa, and the adult.

1.) Eggs are generally deposited either on your pet, in your pet’s bedding, or in cracks and crevices of floors. Because eggs are not firmly attached to your pet they usually fall off. It takes about a week for flea eggs to hatch into immature fleas called larvae.  2.) Flea larvae are very different from adult fleas. They are wormlike, lack legs, and do not feed on fresh blood, but live on organic matter, including dried particles of blood and excrement voided by the adult fleas. It takes about 12 days before the larvae are fully grown and make their transition into the pupal stage which then changes into the adult flea. This is the most vulnerable stage of development.  3.) The pupa stage is much like the butterfly cocoon stage. This cocoon is extremely resilient to environmental forces.  This is when the flea larvae transmute into an adult flea.  4.) Once the adult flea emerges if will begin to feed more than once a day on fresh animal blood. Fleas may live as long as a year and in some cases, even longer.

Common Methods to Combat Fleas

 Treating your Pet

·         Flea Collars: Generally not recommended. Why flea collars don’t work? Fleas like to live where it is dart and warm, preferably on the underside of your pet. Flea collars only protect the neck and head and can be dangerous if your dog were to chew on it.

·         Topical Treatments:  Available through your veterinarian office.  Common medications brands include Frontline(R) and Advantage(R) brands.  Carefully read package instructions for your dog and cat’s size and weight.  Check package ingredients for effective chemicals listed. Your veterinarian will be able to recommend a brand best suited for your situation.  *It is strongly recommended to avoid OTC (over the counter) topical and oral flea medications due to the high risk of adverse and potentially fatal reaction.

·         Oral medications: Available through your veterinarian’s office.  These products are noted for preventing larvae from reaching the reproductive stage, thus rendering an end to the life cycle. Again your veterinarian will be able to recommend a brand best suited for your situation.  *It is strongly recommended to avoid OTC (over the counter) topical and oral flea medications due to the high risk of adverse and potentially fatal reaction.

·         Flea Shampoo/Bathing/Dips:  Bathing your pet is obviously the quickest way to remove fleas and flea eggs from your pet’s hair coat. Beware though if your pet is suffering from flea allergy induced dermatitis flea shampoos maybe to harsh and you may need to substitute with a gentler shampoo to prevent further irritation.

Bathing your Pet:  Flea shampoos only help to remove the fleas from your pet’s hair not your house.  You must also remember to treat your home along with your pet.  To begin scrub thoroughly.  Take your time. When bathing your dog or cat follow these simple rules to get the most out of your scrubbing.  Start at your pets head and work down.  Fleas will instinctively move to higher ground.  If you start at the head you have better control of the pests and are more able to keep tabs on how well you have eradicated the fleas.  Continue by working your way from the head towards the back and the chest.  You can use a flea comb as you scrub.  But make sure to pull the hair in the opposite direction and work your fingers down to the bottom of the coat.  This will help you see if any are hidden in his coat and loosen the possible eggs that lay underneath.  Continue working in this fashion to the tip of the tail.  Don't stop there.  Go back to the head and check for survivors, if you find a few, start from the head and do it ALL again. 

·        Flea combs:  Flea combs will only remove 10-60% of the fleas on your pet. While flea combs work great at getting fleas off your pet they do not remove fleas from the environment, fleas simply jump to the carpeting or furniture or onto the grass to be picked up again later on.

·        Powders: Flea powders are convenient to use but they should be monitored. This type of treatment can cause dry skin on your pet.  Some dogs are prone to dry skin and a powder may cause more harm than good.  Powders have been replaced over the years with more sophisticated and effective methods.  For cat owners remember anything you put on your cat they will ingest as they clean themselves!

 Treating the House

You MUST treat your home along with your pet. Many items are available on the market today.  You should try to use a combination which includes an adulticide along with an insect growth inhibitor. An adulticide does just as its name implies. It kills off the adult through poisoning.  The inhibitor interrupts the developmental stages of the cycle rendering the pest unable to reproduce.

• Foggers These are the "bombs" you find at your local veterinarian.  These are somewhat effective as they usually do not reach all areas since they are commonly set off in the center of a room. You generally will need to use a boundary spray to treat areas such as under the bed, in closets, under furniture, etc.  Foggers also require you and your pets to leave your home during fogging. House plants should be covered and aquariums as well and turned off during treatment time.
• Sprays:  Best for in-home use.  These can be directly sprayed onto areas you know are a problem.  They can be deliberately sprayed under furniture and beneath couch pillows, on pet beds, into floor cracks, behind curtains, etc.  Read package directions carefully.  Remember to keep pets and humans off sprayed areas until dry.
• Powders/Dusting:  Some flea powders can be sprinkled into your carpets or pet bedding. Powders help fight the development of pupae into adults, thus rendering an end to the life cycle of flea. Follow package directions carefully.  Ask your veterinarian which brands they recommend. *Diatomaceous earth can be used to both kill fleas and prevent recurrent infestations. Diatomaceous earth in powder form is a natural micro-abrasive dust that actually scratches the exoskeleton/outer cuticles of the flea, which results in the dehydration and eventual death of the flea. In fact, once this dust is worked into the coat of your pet, you may notice fleas stumbling out from beneath the fur and dying right there in front of you. Diatomaceous earth is an amazingly safe and effective flea control dust that can be purchased cheaply from almost any gardening supply store. It may also be used to dust your pet's bedding to kill fleas and prevent fleas from taking refuge there again It works well in yards and dog runs as it is safe and effective.
• Collect bedding, rugs and throws and wash them in hot soapy water. Soapy water kills the eggs, larvae, pupae and adults. Be careful not to spill eggs or larvae when picking them up.
• Vacuum everything! Upholstered furniture, carpets, cracks in the floor, bare floors, and use the attachments to get in the corners, behind doors, and anywhere else that dust collects. This will pick up most of the eggs, but larvae will latch onto carpet fibers and stick around. After vacuuming, immediately remove the vacuum bag and seal it in a plastic bag. The remaining larvae can be dealt with by having the carpets professionally steam-cleaned (the steam will kill every stage of flea except eggs). Make sure you warn the cleaners about the fleas and remove infested animals. Alternatively, you can shampoo the carpet with insecticidal carpet shampoo or have a pest control professional apply an infrared heat treatment to the carpet, which kills all stages of flea!