How to Deal with a Flea Infestation

How to Deal with a Flea Infestation.

by Laureetta Williams

If your dog is always scratching and losing patches of hair, you are most likely dealing with fleas. And if fleas are on your pet, the chance is they are in your home, too. Measures need to be taken, as fleas are some the most annoying pests to deal with. They can affect you and your pet’s health and wellbeing. 

Fortunately, there are simple steps that you can take to deal with a domestic flea infestation. Here’s what Tailandfure.com has to share: 

Treat your pet 

Of course, the first place you need to start from is the source. Most flea infestations stem from your pets. Don’t underestimate this step. There would be no point in treating the entire home if your pet is going to keep bringing fleas in. 

Bath

Start by giving your pet a good bath. That won’t free you of the fleas completely but many of them will fall into the water and drown. After the bath, use a flea comb to pick your pet’s hair. Pay extra attention to the neck and tail of your pet since there are the favorite areas of the fleas. Any fleas you comb you need to drop into hot soapy water to kill them. 

Treatment

The next step is to continue treating your dog with oral or topical medications. Consult with your vet, which would be better for your pet and its condition. If topical treatments are needed, it would be best to have your pet’s hair shaved shorter prior to the treatments. Also, make sure you’re using the correct dosage and type of medication. Always consult a vet first. 

Bedding

As well as taking care of your pet, you need to also take care of dog beds and cloth items. Thus you’ll reduce the number of flea eggs and larvae. The temperature of the water needs to be at least 60 degrees Celsius and still, it’s not guaranteed to kill all the fleas. The dry cycle, however, will kill the eggs and the remaining fleas. Once that’s done, keep the clean items in garbage bags for at least 12 hours after your house has been treated to prevent fleas from crawling again onto the clean items. 

Prevention 

To prevent re-infestation consider keeping your pet indoors for about 30 days, comments professional pest exterminator If it’s absolutely necessary that it goes out, try keeping it away from long grasses or sandy patches. Also, continue treating him with а flea preventative on a regular basis.  

Treat yourself 

After you’ve treated your pet and its blood is not a flea’s snack anymore they’ll deter to the next best thing – you. To prevent flea bites, apply mosquito repellent containing DEET to your ankles, socks and the cuffs of your pants every day. DEET, or N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide is the most common active ingredient in insect repellent. It provides protection against mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, and many other insects. In 30 days, if you don’t see fleas jumping around anymore, you can stop using the DEET. Otherwise, continue to apply it until you deal with the flea infestation. You could combine natural repellents and other supportive remedies to better the treatment as well.

 

Treat your home

Fleas feed on your pets but they actually live in your carpets, bedding and other convenient surfaces and they jump onto animals just to feed. 

Clear the house

Start by removing the pets from the house. And not just dogs and cats, any other animals should also be removed. Aquarium tanks and bird cages need to be covered, as well as food and water bowls. It’s also a good idea for the entire family to leave the house. 

Vacuum the carpets

Vacuum thoroughly all carpets, rugs and upholstery. Use a flea collar and put it in the vacuum bag. As you vacuum, you will suck up fleas, larvae and eggs, but you won’t kill them. That is why it is important to throw the vacuum bag in an exterior garbage container as far away from your house as possible. 

Mop

Once you’re done with the vacuuming, it’s time to mop the floors. You can use undiluted apple cider vinegar, as it will cause the fleas to emerge from their hiding places and be more exposed to what comes next. 

Flea control spray

Before you start, make sure the product you buy kills flea eggs, as well as fleas. You need to look for such ones that contain Fenoxycarb, Pyriproxyfen and Methoprene. Also, make sure that you have enough to cover the whole infected area. For best results, consult a pest control professional. 

Read the instructions and follow them closely. Be careful not to breathe in the spray. Carefully spray your carpets, furniture, baseboards, as well as, door edges, corners, cracks and underneath furniture.  

Consider treating your house one room at a time and stay out of it for at least a few hours. Keep your pets and family away from the places you spray. 

Spray again 

A large number of the fleas in your house may still be in cocoons, or in the pupal stage. Insecticides can’t kill them during those phases. That is why it is important to spray the house a second time about two weeks after the first treatment. Thus, you’ll kill the remaining fleas that were in cocoons the first time and deal with the fleas infestation successfully. 

Staying flea-free

To handle and get rid of fleas can be a blood-thrirsty fight spreading over a period longer than any of us would stand but like it or not, success comes down to persistence and hard effort.