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Step 1: Treat The Indoor Environment
Step 2: Treat The Outdoor Environment
Step 3: Treat The Pet
Step 4: Prevention
Did you know that over one billion dollars is spent every year by pet owners trying to get
rid of fleas? Flea bite dermatitis is the number one allergic skin disorder in cats and
accounts for over 35% of all veterinary work in the United States! Also, fleas are not
just a Spring and Summertime problem. In the Fall and Winter the flea problem moves
indoors and can still cause itching, scratching and skin disease in your pets.
Remember, a flea problem is an environment problem. For every adult flea you see, you have
literally thousands of immature stages of the flea's life cycle in your carpet, furniture,
cracks and crevasses. Traditional flea control measures, and even many of the tried and
true "old wives tales", concentrate on killing the adult flea and have no effect
on the many other life stages.
If you only concentrate your flea control methods on killing the adults, you will NEVER
get rid of fleas. For every adult you kill, there are hundreds of eggs, larvae, pupae and
pre-adults waiting for the chance to be the next in line.
You must understand the stages of the flea's life cycle and the timing and environmental
factors that affect this life cycle as well as the products that control each level of
this life cycle before you can effectively control fleas.
It helps if you can do these things yourself because even a professional pest control
operator, who may have properly applied chemical in your pet's environment, cannot be
there to treat your house every time a new flea hops in. You are there, to constantly
stand vigil against these pervasive pests and that's the way you get a handle on the flea
problem. It's not that hard, it just takes a little knowledge, a few trips to the pet
store or animal clinic and persistence.
It takes just a quick look at the flea's life cycle to see why control must be on several
levels. The four stages of a flea's life cycle are: Egg, Larvae, Pupae, Adult.
It may be easier to think of this life cycle as a pyramid with one adult flea at the top
of the pyramid, ten to twenty pupae on the next level, fifty to sixty larvae one step
below, and finally hundreds of eggs at the base.
It's easy to see why killing adult fleas only is not flea control.
VACUUM:
The battle begins with a very thorough vacuuming. Use the crack and crevice tool and get
in all the corners. Even vacuum hardwood and tile floors. Be sure to immediately throw the
vacuum bag away. It will contain thousands of flea eggs, larvae and pupae that may hatch
and reinfest your home. (Some people have recommended putting a piece of leftover flea
collar in the vacuum bag. I do not recommend this as the air rushing out the exhaust will
contain too much chemical and some sensitive people and pets can become ill.)
FOG:
Next cover your aquarium, turn your air conditioner off, ceiling fans off, turn couch
pillows up on end, take the bird and the cat to Grandma's, send Rover to the neighbor's
and you and the kids go see a movie! Be sure to buy enough foggers for your size of home.
Usually there will be some information on the side label of the fogger that will help you
determine how many you need. If you have any question, ask your veterinarian! You do not
want to underdo it!
Point the fogger away from you and set it off. Carefully set the fogger on the floor in
the middle of the room and get out. One by one set them off and exit the room.
You may want to spot-treat a few areas where the fog can't reach, where your pet sleeps or
other heavy pet activity areas. For this purpose, you can find "premise sprays"
that are like foggers but allow you to point the fogger can down and spot-treat areas.
Many foggers contain only an adulticide (agent that kills adult fleas). This means they
will only kill adult fleas. Immature pre-adults, larvae, pupae and eggs are not affected.
Look for foggers that also contain an IGR, Insect Growth Regulator. This non-toxic
compound works at the larvae level and prevents development of one stage to another. It is
safe and has a residual effect. The IGR will prevent developing immature stages of fleas
in your carpet for up to 210 days! However, adult fleas can develop from dormant
pre-adults or they can catch a piggy-back ride into your house on you or your pets and
reinfest your home a few weeks later.
Therefore, you do not have to re-apply the IGR containing foggers each time you fog. I
suggest you apply the IGR's twice a year (Spring and Fall). In between times, when you are
seeing adult fleas, simply use an adulticide-only fogger.
Some people report a worse flea problem after using the IGR foggers. This is due to
something called population dynamics. Somehow a population of fleas "knows" its
been hit hard. All the young fleas (called pre-adults) that have been dormant will
"sense" this and suddenly emerge. (they were not affected by the adulticide or
the IGR). When they emerge they are hungry and their only goal in life is to get a blood
meal (from you or your pet) and then begin reproducing. Don't worry about this. It only
occurs in severe infestation problems, and if it happens, simply re-fog your house with
adulticide-only foggers about 2 weeks from the first fogging.
CARPET POWDERS:
Carpet powders for fleas consist of sodium borate, a naturally mined compound that is safe
and effective in killing flea larvae. The larvae try to eat this compound when present in
the carpet, and it dries them up killing them in the process. No more larvae, no more
adult fleas. These carpet powders are effective for up to one year and if properly
processed and approved, won't hurt carpet fibers, kids and pets.
I use the IGR foggers all through the house and the carpet powder in the high pet traffic
areas. You will find these in pet stores and they are not expensive. Some contain
fragrances and even d-Limonene extract for killing adult fleas. Read the label carefully
and ask your sales associate any questions you may have. I believe carpet powders are
definitely worth a spot in the overall flea killing regime.
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MOW AND EDGE
Mow and edge the yard very well. Fleas and ticks love tall grass. It is the perfect
breeding grounds and serves as a constant source of re-infestation for your environment.
SPRAY
Once you have a neat yard, use a yard and kennel type spray and follow the label
directions exactly! Some sprays require you to wet the lawn first, then apply the
chemical, then wet the lawn again. Others need to be applied with a special applicator on
a special setting. Today, pet stores carry products that have a sprayer attached to the
product so all you have to do is attach the hose and spray, no mixing and no percentages
to worry about. These chemicals are safe but many of them are still toxic chemicals, so
read carefully and don't use the product in any other way. Dursban® is still the chemical
of choice, although that changes from time to time. Your veterinarian will know the
chemical your area has the best luck with.
When you're through, wash out your equipment very well, wash your hands and change your
clothes if they have become wet in the process. Keep your pets off the lawn for about 24
hours or at least until it has dried. Take care in how you dispose of the leftover bottles
and cartons. You do not want pets or kids getting into these containers.
Until late this summer we did not have an IGR for outdoor use. Sunlight typically broke
these delicate chemicals down rapidly. However, Vet Kem, a division of the Sandoz Company,
has just introduced a new Microencapsulated Insect Growth Regulator called Siphotrol®
Biorational Yard Spray Concentrate. This new product, when applied to the shaded areas of
your yard, affects the larvae and pupae in the yard in the same way IGR's work in your
home. It stops the life cycle at this critical phase for effective flea control. This
product has a 8 week residual and has no effect on pets, kids or plants. Currently only
available through veterinarians. For more information call 1-800-950-8385.
NEMATODES are a new, environmentally friendly way to kill fleas in your yard. They
are microscopic 'bugs' that are sprayed through a sprayer onto your yard. They immediately
begin to seek out flea larvae and infect them, killing them in the process. They then
reproduce inside the flea larvae and begin the quest once again for finding all the flea
larvae and killing them. Once all flea larvae have been infected and destroyed, they
bio-degrade and die off themselves. This kills flea larvae without chemicals! They last
for about 6 weeks, three times longer than ordinary toxic chemicals, and pets and children
can play in the yard immediately after they have been applied.
You will find these nematodes in pet stores under the brand name Bio Flea Halt!®. They
cost about $20.00 and that is enough to do a typical back yard. This is the newest thing
in outdoor flea control and I highly recommend it. For more information call
1-800-234-2269.
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There are literally hundreds of products with which to bathe, dip, powder, spray, comb and
brush fleas away. Some work better than others. It is impossible for me to recommend the
exact product for your situation. I can, however, recommend you buy carefully. Purchase
well recognized brands and only products designed for your animal (cat or dog). Again, the
best place for advice on this is your pet's doctor or a knowledgeable pet store employee.
Cats are special because of their extra sensitivity to flea chemicals. Some cats have a
dermatological reaction to normal flea chemicals. Others, like the Persian, cannot
tolerate some chemicals and can have a serious, even life threatening reaction, to flea
sprays and dips.
Consequently, you must make sure the chemicals you use on your cat say on the label that
they are approved for use in cats. The same for your dog. Use chemicals sparingly at first
to prevent a reaction that you cannot reverse later on. As you find chemicals that are
effective in getting rid of fleas, and that your pet can tolerate, then you'll feel safe
about using them in the future, and if needed, in higher concentrations.
BATH AND DIP:
Begin with a good bath. Most cats HATE a bath, but if you have a flea problem, you're
going to have to convince the cat to tolerate this indignity every month or so during flea
season. Dogs are not usually a problem, but probably won't like it much. Do your best to
make a bath positive and fun and quick!
Use a mild pet shampoo that contains some flea killing or repelling ingredients. Such
common and safe ingredients are Pyrethrums, and d-Limonene. In the case of a mild flea
infestation, this may be all that is needed. With kittens and puppies this is all I
recommend.
In the case of moderate or severe infestations, you will now need to dip your pet. Again
using a dip designed for specifically for your pet. Sponge the dilute chemical on the wet
pet. Let the chemical stand on them for just a few minutes, then gently pat dry with a
towel. Let the pet air dry the rest of the way. Unlike dipping dogs, you do want to get
excess chemical off the cat. This is because they will head off to a corner and groom
their wet, chemical soaked fur. Therefore, get most of it off before you let them air dry.
FLEA COLLARS:
I do recommend flea collars! Get one approved for your pet. Open the package and let it
air out for several days before putting it on. This allows the initial high concentration
of chemical to dissipate a little.
Many people think flea collars don't work. In my opinion, they have been given a bad rap
because too many people buy a flea collar ONLY, put it on the pet and expect to never see
a flea again. You can see from our discussion of the flea's life cycle that this will not
work! Flea collars are well designed, researched and tested. They are effective WHEN used
as a part of this overall flea control program. Please include it in your arsenal!
Some special flea collars now contain IGR compounds which is a real plus. Flea eggs that
contact the collar will be unable to hatch and in this way you are treating the
environment by decreasing the viable flea egg count in your carpet.
Even though some flea collars claim to be effective for 6 or more months, I've found they
begin to loose effectiveness long before that. If your flea problem is a bad one, put a
new collar on every 3 to 4 months.
ON-PET SPRAYS:
Use sprays on your pet on an as needed basis. For example, when you see a flea and it is
between bath times, give your pet a few sprays of a mild pet spray. Some pet sprays now
contain Precor® the insect growth regulator. These work by coating the flea eggs which
are laid on the cat with the IGR. This kills the egg and therefore stops the life cycle of
the flea at the very beginning. IGR's are non-toxic and are very safe. This is why I
especially recommend them for cats.
Don't overdo spraying and don't rely on spray alone, just as you should not rely on flea
collars alone. Do not soak your pet with these sprays. Remember a few years back when
Hartz Mountain released Blockade®? The reason they voluntarily pulled the product after
several dogs and cats died was not because the product was dangerous. It was because
people were literally soaking their pets in the stuff! Hartz simply re-released the
product the next season with a string attached instruction booklet cautioning users on its
proper application. To my knowledge, there have been no more reports of problems.
After you have done a good job of killing adult fleas and have applied the IGR's in your
home, have mowed and sprayed your yard, and have bathed and dipped your pet, you need to
undertake a few preventive steps. You can dust a dogs bed with flea powder, but I don't
recommend this with cats. This powder will find it's way into your cat's system and may
cause him to cough or vomit excessively after you've done this. Instead, use a premise
spray containing IGR's around your kitty's favorite sleeping places, to concentrate safe
amounts of chemical in the spot.
Prevention can also involve the use of Sodium Borate compounds in the carpet. These
naturally occurring chemicals are safe for children and pets and last in your carpet for
almost a year! They are dusted on, brushed in and do not leave a residue. They work at the
larval stage, much like the IGR's and I recommend their use for people sensitive to
chemicals or for those not wanting to use any toxic chemicals in the house.
OTHER TRICKS:
One of the organic gardening tricks to control fleas does have merit. Diatomaceous earth,
or DE, is mother nature's insecticide. It is microscopic razor-like particles that, when
an insect comes in contact with it, cause their protective waxy coating to be damaged
which causes the insect to dehydrates and die. It is approved by the USDA as an ingredient
in animal feeds for insect control and is very safe as long as you take cautions not to
breath it in.
Do not put DE on your pet! Buy the kind of DE used in organic gardening (rather than the
type used in swimming pool filters) and apply it as a dust all over your yard about once
every couple of weeks.
One day while driving along I was listening to a famous organic gardening expert on talk
radio give some glowing testimonies about DE. He said you must be careful not to over-do
it in a broadcast application because it can actually knock out all your friendly insects.
Good point! Also when DE is wet it has no effect because, again, those little razor edges
aren't going to have their effect of cutting the waxy coating all insects have. However,
when it dries out, it becomes effective again. Therefore if you were using DE on a fire
ant mound, for example, you would not want to water it in.
In summary, this is the most concise, complete and no-nonsense approach to flea control
you'll find. If you have further questions, as your veterinarian or knowledgeable pet
store operator for advice and product recommendations. And don't forget, in the Fall and
Winter fleas move indoors so don't let your guard down! GET HOPPING!
The Virtual Veterinary Clinic
Copyright 1996 St. Francis
Productions, Inc.
7/15/96