Getting Rid of Fleas

The best thing you can do for fleas in your home is vacuuming. Vacuum your carpets and floors as much as possible, every day if you can, but at least three days a week. You can also buy some chemical sprays and foggers if you have a bad infestation.

If you do this, make sure you buy a product that contains both an insecticide, such as pyrethrin, as well as an insect growth regulator (IGR) such as methoprene. This ensures that the spray will kill both adult fleas, as well as eggs, larva and pupae.

The key to this simple program is to continue to treat both your home and pet long past the time the fleas seem to be gone. If your pet stops scratching, still treat them with Frontline. If your home seems fine, don't stop the frequent vacuuming. Fleas can be quite tenacious and hide out as eggs and larva, only to surprise you with a new infestation just when you think you're in the clear.

While a serious flea infestation can be both horrific and difficult to eradicate, with careful attention to the above steps, you can achieve success even in the most dire circumstances.

If, however, you follow the plan of treating both your home and your pet, vacuuming daily, treating problem areas with an IGR containing spray, and treating your pet regularly with drops such as Frontline, and you still can't get rid of the fleas, it may be time to consider a professional pest control service.

These are easy to find and generally offer free consultations and even money-back guarantees in the event they aren't successful. Before you incur this additional expense and hassle, do follow the steps detailed above. Many people fail in their flea control program because they give up and quit too soon, allowing the fleas to re-infest their homes and pets.

flea drops

As we've seen, effective flea control requires that you treat your home as well as your pet. Flea eggs and larva aren't present on your pet, but in the carpet in your home, in bedding, and outside where your pet frequents. There's no point in killing the fleas on your pet if they're just going to be reinfested from eggs and larva in your home.

Treat your pet

There are many products these days that provide effective flea control for your pets. The easiest, and most effective, are the long-term oral and topical treatments, such as Program, Frontline, and Advantage. They're easy to apply, and generally provide long-lasting protection from fleas, often for up to a month per application.

These products are the most popular and effective way to treat to treat your pet for fleas. They're simple to apply, don't require messy sprays or powders, and work for up to one month. Regular applications of these flea control products will prevent re-infestation, once you've rid your pet and home of fleas.

These topical treatments are far more effective than traditional sprays and powders. They're also less toxic, and more localized to the pet being treated, as opposed to sprays which result in a toxic cloud being released into the air, in addition to on your pet.