Fleas, Flea Eggs, & Flea Control
Because dog fleas and cat fleas have a complex, 4 stage life cycle. Getting rid of fleas on your pet and in your home must address all stages of the flea life cycle from the flea eggs to the adult fleas in order to stop the problem of a flea infestation. Frequently vacuum your dog or cats bedding area and anywhere else they sleep such as chairs and sofas. Flea eggs are laid on your dog or cat and will frequently drop off in your home or anywhere your pet wonders. Other products can be used such as flea sprays or flea powders to treat the areas you think might have fleas. But remember that only treating your dog or cat will not break the fleas life cycle.
Flea Shampoo’s. Are they Effective against Adult Fleas ?
Using a quality flea shampoo is a good first line of attack on fleas and flea eggs for your pet if they have large numbers of fleas on their body. Cats are very difficult to shampoo as they hate water so wont thank you for soaking them. There are a number of flea shampoos which act like a mousse and don’t require any water which you may find much easier to use on your cat. It is important to remember that a flea shampoo is not intended for a lasting flea control. Many people are surprised when they start to see fleas again and it was a few days ago that you bathed your dog or cat. Shampoos are only effective for a few day or less. If there are fleas in other areas of your home or flea eggs then it wont be long before your pet starts to scratch again.
Groom your Pets Regularly to check for Fleas
Fleas love to live on animals that have long fur as this can make a nice home for flea eggs. If your cat or dog has long fur, it is recommended that you groom them on a regular basis. By keeping the fur regularly groomed, you are helping to create an environment that is not favourable to fleas. Of course, every breed will need regular grooming.
Cleaning your Pets Bed – Fleas love to hide here
If your pet has a bed that they spend a lot of time sleeping in, make sure you give this a good hot wash in soapy water to kill off all flea eggs and fleas living in the fabric. If you have a dryer then placing the bedding in the dryer and turn up the heat. This will ensure that you kill off any fleas or flea eggs that washing failed to get rid of. You can also get a flea spray, or flea powder to use on your pets bedding before placing it back down as this can help kill fleas if you miss any.
Flea Dips – Are they safe ?
A flea dips are very strong chemical rinses that rids your pet not only of fleas, ticks and any other nasty bugs. I personally would not not recommend dips unless totally necessary. Dips last approximately 1-2 weeks. There is a lot of chemical residue which is left on an pet! Flea dips are not safe for cats or small dog and should only be used on larger dogs but beware that dips can leave a nasty smell on your dog. Flea shampoos and dips are only effective for adult fleas and wont get rid of any flea eggs.
Another weapon against Fleas – The Flea Collar
Even with the best intentions in the world, it is very difficult to protect fully against the risk of your dog or cat catching fleas. When your dog or cats has fleas, it is likely that it will scratch more often as fleas cause skin irritation. Using a flea collar is another effective measure to help reduce your pet catching fleas. Flea collars work one of two ways – by emitting a toxic gas, and by being absorbed into your cat or dogs subcutaneous fat layer. The toxic gas emitted from the flea collar is only effective in the immediate area of the head and neck. Collars that use chemicals that are absorb into the skin of your pet can be much more effective. Remember flea collars are effective for adult fleas only and wont break the flea cycle.
Flea Eggs
- Flea Eggs
Flea eggs are very small – about 0.5mm long and can look white or sometimes transparent. Flea eggs are not the dark part you see on the dog or cats, and can be found in other parts of your home. Flea eggs do drop off from your pet so treating areas where your pets sleeps is advisable. Flea eggs can hatch in as little as 2 days or as late as 2 weeks when humidity is over 70% and temperatures are between 25°C & 32°C (80°F & 90°F) however flea eggs that are exposed to an environment that is 10°C (50°F) or less will usually die in less than 2 to 3 weeks
Fleas – Flea Fighting Tips Every Dog or Cat Owner Should Know
If you are unsure if your dog is a victim of fleas, simply purchase a flea comb from your nearest pet store and run it through your dog’s coat. Just one brush should help you detect whether or your dog has fleas. Sometimes a flea comb will pull up what looks like dirt and perhaps a possible a few flea eggs. If you take those particles of dirt and place them on a paper towel and then drop a little water on top. If it turns into a red colour, then you have discovered flea excrement!
There are many different ways to deal with fleas, you just need to find out what works best for you and your pet. Things to consider when fighting fleas is how large the infestation is, whether or not parts of your house are flea nesting areas (area where flea eggs are most likely), and how many pets you have in the house. My advice would be to talk directly with your local vet and give the all the information you can on your flea problem so that they can make some suggestions on the appropriate way for you to deal with your flea problem.
From personal experience this year has been the worse yeah for fleas. The is also the first year my 2 young cats have ventured outside the house and it wasn’t long before they started bring fleas back with them. I first noticed this when I started to get a few flea bites around my ankles. I immediately checked my 2 younger cats only to find they had picked up some fleas. Its doesn’t them take long before flea eggs are laid and you have fleas jumping around your home. I started off by using Frontline spot-on which is very effective against fleas. I then had to ensure that all the places my cats liked to sleep where cleaned and sprayed to kill and fleas and remove any flea eggs. When fleas invade it can be a time consuming task in making sure that you break the flea cycle and kill all the fleas.
Adult fleas are not only a problem for pets, they can also be a problem for us too. Fleas are not that fussy when it comes to getting a meal. While fleas don’t usually live on humans they have no problem feeding on us.
Just remember that fighting fleas and flea eggs is not just about killing the adult fleas or the flea eggs. Fleas are very resilient little pest and just a few fleas and lay thousands of flea eggs. This web site will hopefully provide you with some useful information in combating fleas and making your pets life and your life free from fleas.