| Basic Flea Control
This page contains information on fleas, flea control, cat flea and flea bites.
Fleas have been around complicating our lives for a very long time. They are responsible for the spread of many blood-borne diseases including murine typhus, bubonic plague and typhoid. Tapeworms normally infest dogs and cats but may appear in children if parts of infested fleas are accidentally consumed.
Flea control can be very frustrating because of the long length of time a flea is developing from an egg to an adult. This time can be over 6 months and the flea pupae can live for up to two years without emerging from the pupae capsule. This will leave a new homeowner just moving into a pre-owned home that has no sign of fleas on the date moved into, and then one month later the fleas begin to emerge. What happened?
Flea Life Cycle
The flea pupae may have been dormant or late in developing, and then they hatched out due to temperature or vibration caused by the movement inside the house. Or, the pet died six months ago, and now there are fleas hopping all over the place! How about the fleas were just treated a week ago and now their back! It can be any one of a hundred scenarios based on the simple fact that fleas are protected while developing as pupae and this is the lengthiest portion of development. Absolutely nothing manmade can penetrate the pupae silk to kill the flea and it can remain inside the cocoon for many more months until a “suitable” time arrives for hatching. I know this sounds confusing; it took me a long time to get it straight in my mind as well.
It takes inspection and a thorough knowledge of flea development to successfully eradicate the simple flea. The best thing to do is to preventatively eliminate the possibility of them getting started. Once they are present, flea control is a four-part process for successful control.
Flea control is a 4-part procedure.
1. Any wild animals such as rodents, opossums, exotic pets, etc., which are nesting in or frequently visiting the structure must be prevented from entering the residence/structure and controlled with some type of trapping device or baits.
2. If the pet has fleas at the time of treatment, (you) the pet owner must arrange for the pet to be treated. Treatment is frequently best accomplished by a veterinarian, grooming parlor, or by the pet owner, but absolutely must be done on the same day of treatment and either before or while the premises are being treated.
3. Indoor control. The homeowner must accomplish the following just prior to the flea treatment: remove all items such as toys and pillows off the floor or carpet in order that a clear view of the surface to be treated is visible; remove all articles from under beds, on closet floors, and from under furniture; vacuum all upholstered furniture, floors, and carpeting, paying particular attention to the foot of the furniture on which the pet rests, under furniture, and wall-floor junctions. The vacuum bag must be immediately removed and put into a plastic bag, the top sealed, and then placed in an outside garbage receptacle or burned. Many of my customers place the vacuum cleaner bag inside a black plastic garbage bag and place it in the full sun for a couple of hours. This kills fleas, pupae and eggs completely. Thoroughly clean all areas frequented by cats, e.g. table tops, cat climbing poles, refrigerator tops, window sills, counters, etc. Cover aquariums with plastic, or a tight sealing cover and turn off the pumps prior to the treatment. Most spray chemicals very easily kill fish. Read all label instructions carefully before using. Be sure to remove all pets, including birds. Remember the use of parakeets to detect minute traces of methane gas in mines?
Application tip: On carpet, a gallon of spray will cover approximately 1500 SF of area. Use this figure to calculate how much you will need. Be sure to survey the area and have a plan to apply in all rooms prior to actual application.
The pest control operator's treatment consists of applying an appropriately labeled pesticide (I like Suspend SC @0.06% strength) and/or IGRegulator per label instructions with thoroughness being the key to success. It is recommended that an IGRegulator (insect growth regulator) be used on the initial treatment and reapplied as per label instructions every 3-6 months throughout the flea season. For problem situations, it is recommended that the IGR alone be applied prior to the beginning of the next flea season as a preventative measure. Regardless, after any carpet and/or floor treatment, do not allow humans or pets back into the house until the treatment has completely dried. I allow at least four hours on warm days for drying. This will prevent pesticide pickup and possible staining from dirt being brought in contact with the damp carpet. Also, be certain to ventilate the house upon re-entry. Since vacuuming has little effect on residual pesticide chemical deposits, my best advice is to vacuum several times during the first 7-10 days after treatment. This will help reduce the emerging fleas and the need for a possible retreatment. Caution: Some pesticide sprays (microencapsulated formulations especially) tend to stimulate fleas to emerge from their cocoon.
4. Outside control. As a minimum, spot treatment should be done. This consists of treating with a pesticide such as Suspend SC and light-stable IGR (IGRegulator is light stable), every place the animal rests, naps, or sleeps. These are typically cool areas such as next to the building's foundation, porch, etc., or under a bush or tree. Additionally, a band treatment is often helpful, especially if overall treatment is not going to be done. Band treatment is done with an appropriately labeled pesticide (Suspend SC) which is applied in a 6-10 foot band around the perimeter of the building. For dogs confined to a fenced-in yard, also treat the 3-4 feet adjacent to the fence on the side to which the dog has access. If the infestation is severe, overall yard treatment may be required and an appropriately labeled pesticide should be used. Wettable powder and microencapsulated formulations are particularly effective outdoors.
Note that if the pet is on Advantage, Proban, Prospot or similar product, use of these types of products should be discontinued one week before treatment and until one week after treatment.
Suspend SC
IGRegulator |
