Flea Infestation Prevention Advice and Measures
January 14th, 2011 adminIf you have a pet inside your home, there are chances you will have to deal with a flea infestation at least once. Saying that this is not a pleasant experience is an understatement. Fleas can be really resilient and very annoying.
I am sure that everyone has seen a flea at one point or another. These small and pesky insects feed on the blood of animals and humans. Usually, they get inside a home carried by an animal, but that’s not necessarily a given. They can also enter your home by other means as well. The best thing that you can do, especially if you own a pet, is to prevent flea infestation altogether.
The prevention of a flea infestation should be a continuous process in your pet’s life cycle. The first thing that you should do is look for a waterproof flea treatment (most of these treatments require just a monthly application). You need to make sure that the products you are using are safe both for you and your pet’s health. For example, there are collars that kill fleas available. Our recommendation is that you don’t use them, because they can release unhealthy vapors. Just exterminating fleas once they show up or continuously spending money in order to solve the problem is not a solution. Caution measures should be taken at all times. You should know everything about the life cycle of fleas and how they reproduce in order to prevent their appearance altogether. Now let’s get to some of the most important aspects that you need to consider.
Proper sanitation inside and around your home
Regularly cleaning your home might sound like a no brainer, but it’s an incredibly important aspect in preventing a flea infestation. Vacuuming regularly cleans very important elements from the flea’s life cycle. For example, fleas use dirt or any type of debris with the purpose of camouflaging themselves, or to protect the pupae. Needless to say, cleaning your home often, with an emphasis on the places where your pet sleeps, eat and plays, greatly reduces the chance of fleas appearing.
But cleaning indoors might not always be enough. If you leave in a house, cleaning the outside areas is equally important as well. There are many animals that can visit your property or even live on it. All these animals can bring fleas with them and infest the area. What you can do in order to prevent this is to keep your grass mowed at all times. Also, make sure there is no litter on your property, of any kind. Taking these measures will eliminate fleas’ hiding spots and will reduce their chance of appearing.
Stray or wild animals and your own pets
Who’s to say that the pets you own can be the only source of fleas? Stray cats or dogs that cross your property, or any wild animals for that matter, can all be sources of fleas. Besides stray dogs or cats, you might need to remove animals like: coyotes, foxes, raccoons, skunks, squirrels, etc. They can all live inside your attic or shed for example. They should be dealt with using humane methods, like box traps, and then re-released into to wild.
Of course, your own pet should be thoroughly cleaned regularly, this is obvious. Choose a shampoo that is best both for your pet health-wise and is efficient. For example, dogs or cats that are allowed to go outside the home should be treated with products like Advantage or Frontline.
Flea prevention products and remedies
Either you want to eliminate fleas or prevent their appearance, there are many products available on the market today. For example, a very popular option for outside flea prevention is using Talstar Granules in combination with Nylar IGR. The process is a simple one, and a single application can keep your lawn clean for up to 3 months. Here are the 3 steps:
Step 1: Talstar Granules need to be broadcast over your lawn. Their purpose is to control insects without the use of active ingredients in high amounts;
Step 2: Irrigate the area where Talstar Granules have been broadcast;
Step 3: Apply Nylar, using a sprayer. Nylan IGR has the purpose of preventing flea eggs and larvae to develop into adults.
But flea prevention products are not limited to pesticides. If the are you live in is notorious for having flea problems, you can start the prevention procedures as early as March. You can do this by applying a product that kills flea larvae and eggs each time you vacuum your home. These are the products that are , generally speaking, much safer than pesticides, and prevent fleas from ever becoming adults because they are attacked in their most vulnerable stages of life: when they are in their eggs or when they are larvae.