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Why must I vacuum so much to remove Cat Fleas?
1. Indoor control. Vacuuming is the singularly most important thing that can be done to take control of a bad flea situation. (For that matter any flea infestation you are battling!) The homeowner must do the following just prior to the flea treatment:
- Remove all items such as papers, magazines, toys and pillows off the floor or carpet
- 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. Move vacuum over carpet or floor slowly and at the same rate so as to not miss any pos2sible flea pupae while moving the vacuum back and forth.
- When through with the room, or more than one room (if the vacuum will not sit unused for over two or three minutes.) The vacuum bag must be immediately removed and put into a plastic garbage bag, the top sealed, and then placed in an outside garbage receptacle or burned. I don't purposely sound like a dictator, but you do wan t to get rid of these fleas? Don't you?
- Thoroughly clean all areas frequented by cats, e.g. table tops, refrigerator tops, window sills, counters, in the seams between the insert cushions of your chairs or couches, etc.
- Cover any aquariums and turn off the pumps prior to the treatment. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY A MUST!!!
- Be sure to remove all pets, including birds. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY A MUST!!! (Remember miners using parakeets as warnings against carbon monoxide gas in the coal mines? Well birds are ultra sensitive to any form of volatile material!
- Vacuum anywhere the cat walks or the dog walks, runs or sleeps. When fleas lay eggs (about 2.5 hours after a blood meal) she lays from 5 to 20 eggs four to 6 times per year each time she lays 28-40 eggs up to several times per year depending on the temperature and humidity. All soft furnishings should be treated. All nooks and crannies should be included, such as gaps between floorboards and skirting boards. Vacuuming before treatment is advised as this stimulates un-hatched adults to emerge from cocoons.
4. Exterior control. Minimally, spot treatment should be done. This consists of treating with an appropriately labeled pesticide (Talstar Granules) and light-stable IG Regulator, every place the animal rests, naps, or sleeps which are typically cool areas such as next to the building's foundation, porch, etc., or under a bush or tree. 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 (Conquer WP) and microencapsulated formulations are particularly effective outdoors.
We recommend these products:
- Suspend SC
- IG Regulator
- Talstar Granules (last the longest)
- Deltamethrin
- Conquor WP
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