Our website was created to help bring the best information related to dog flea control solutions. 

DOG FLEA CONTROL

Adult fleas feed on the living blood of mammals and their young nourish on dried blood that has been defecated by the adults.

Fleas live on their host, but eggs can be left both on the host and in the host’s bedding. The eggs that are left on the host will fall off and accumulate in beds, clothes, carpets, cars, and anyplace that the host visits.

These eggs usually hatch in 1-2 weeks, after which the fleas appear as larvae that can live in carpets and bedding for up to 200 days before transforming into legless pupae.
 
If conditions are still not quite right, the pupae can sit |inactive for over a year before transforming into an adult! This means that many generations of flea eggs can accumulate and lead to a mass-infestation!

The first step after infestation is to clean all that has come into contact with the infested persons or animals in order to eliminate as many eggs and larvae as possible.

Environmental extermination

1. Quarantine infested pets.

2. Collect bedding, rugs and throws and wash them in soapy water. Soapy water kills the eggs, larvae, pupae and adults. Be careful not to spill eggs or larvae when picking them up.

3. Vacuum everything, upholstered furniture, carpets, cracks in the floor, bare floors, and use the attachments to get in the corners, behind doors, and anywhere else that dust collects. This will pick up most of the eggs, but larvae will latch onto carpet fibers and stick around.

4. The left over larvae can be dealt with by having the carpets steam-cleaned, the steam will kill every stage of flea except eggs. Alternatively, you can shampoo the carpet with insecticidal carpet shampoo or have a pest control professional apply an infrared heat treatment to the carpet, which kills all stages of flea.

5. If your pet spends much time outside, drench his usual resting areas with lots of soap and water to drown any fleas that may be waiting for his return.

Removing fleas from people

1. Bathe one to two times daily with soap. Insecticidal shampoos are available but are not necessary.

2. Comb daily with a special flea comb designed to drag fleas out of hiding and dispose of any rousted fleas in soapy water. Record daily the number of fleas removed so you can identify any population increase before it becomes a problem.

Removing fleas from pets

Please be very careful when applying flea treatments to yourself and your pets. Flea treatments meant for dogs and the environment can easily KILL cats.

1. Wash your pet with soapy water. Insecticidal cat and dog flea shampoos are available but not necessary.

2. Comb your pet daily with a special flea comb that is designed to extract fleas and dispose of any you find in soapy water. It is a good idea to record the number of fleas you comb out every day to keep a handle on the population numbers.

The flea control and elimination routine

Now when you have exterminated the majority of the fleas, you must follow up with a strict routine in order to kill off the remaining stragglers and ensure that they remain under control. You must be more efficient at killing the remaining few then they are at reproducing.
 
Flea control habits

1. Restrict pets to areas that are easily cleaned. No basements, bedrooms, garages, cars, etc.

2. Vacuum daily since the previously applied steam cleaning can trigger any remaining eggs to hatch. Remember to seal up or dispose of vacuum bags immediately after use.

3. Provide bedding for your pet that is easily removed and cleaned. Lay towels anywhere your pets like to lounge, and wash them all every week until the fleas are gone, and every two weeks after that. Be careful when picking them up as you can spill flea eggs and larvae/pupae.

4. Comb your pets daily with a special flea comb and record the number of fleas you find in the first 5-10 strokes so you can identify any surges in the population. Flick any fleas that are removed into soapy water to kill them and if a population spike occurs, bathe the pet.

There are a some important flea control products you should look into. The main ones are Frontline, Advantage, Program, and Revolution. There are a variety of other products, and even some cheap, natural ways to try to get rid of fleas. Because of the health risks involved with your pet having fleas, it's really better to use home remedies for fleas as a backup, and not as a primary way of getting rid of fleas.