Fleas are common parasites for both dogs and cats and can also feed on humans. It is important to understand that when you are finding fleas on your pet, you have fleas in your home and probably in your yard as well.
The Flea Life Cycle
Adult fleas lay eggs which hatch into larvae before becoming a pupae and then eventually hatching into an adult. The adult flea is likely what you are seeing on your dog or cat. Most of the other stages of the flea life cycle live in the environment, including your carpet, upholstery, draperies, bedding, and even the cracks in your hardwood floors. Your yard is also likely to be infested with fleas if your pet spends time outside.
Getting rid of fleas means not only killing the adult flea but breaking the life cycle of the flea so that the eggs, larvae and pupae cannot hatch into more adults.
It can take anywhere from 3-8 months for a flea egg to develop into an adult flea, depending on the temperature and humidity. That means that the adult fleas you see on your pet today began life 3 months ago or longer and may have matured in your home or yard.
Fleas can cause disease and discomfort for your dog or cat and can transmit other illnesses to them as well.
Recognizing Fleas
Seeing adult fleas is the easiest way to recognize a flea infestation. However, this is not always possible, especially with cats who groom constantly.
- You can look for flea dirt on your pet. Identify flea dirt by using a flea comb on your pet and collecting the dirt on a white paper towel towel. Place a drop or two of water on the towel and the flea dirt will turn to blood, pictured below.
- You can also watch for tapeworm segments. Unless your pet hunts, tapeworms are evidence of a flea infestation. Tapeworm segments are pictured below.
How to Kill Fleas
Getting rid of fleas starts with using a monthly flea preventive, such as Frontline Plus®, Revolution®, Promeris®, or Advantage Multi®. These flea remedies work very well to prevent flea infestations, but will not rid an already invested home of fleas overnight. Breaking the flea cycle and getting rid of all of the fleas will take weeks, sometimes months if an infestation is severe. Treat all animals in the household with these products.
Other products which can be used to help break the cycle are Sentinel® or Program®. These products make the adult flea sterile so no viable eggs are laid. However, they do not kill adult fleas. Using these products may decrease the time necessary to completely rid your home of fleas, but they will not work well alone.
Other suggested remedies in your home which may help are:
- Vaccuum all surfaces, including carpets, rugs, hardwoods, drapery, and upholstery. Remove the vacuum bag from your home afterward.
- Wash all bedding and blankets.
- Use borate powder (FleaBusters®) sprinkled into carpets, rugs, hardwoods, etc. This is quite dusty and messy.
Treating your yard may involve:
- Using insecticidal sprays, especially under low-hanging shrubbery and plants. Many of these are not environmentally friendly and they may also be dangerous for pets and children. Read and follow labels carefully if you elect to use these sprays.
- A more environmentally friendly approach to yard flea control is the use of nematodes, which are worms which consume the fleas.
Once you have your flea infestation under control, continued use of a flea preventive remedy monthly will prevent further infestations.
Join the Conversation