A home with pets is a fantastic home. However, when fleas find their way on your pet, everything turns disastrous when they bite your pet. Controlling fleas is not a walk in the park. Do it today, and tomorrow you will see your pet scrub itself everywhere. That’s how annoying a flea can become.
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How Does a Flea Infestation Start?
Before we get into the details of how these irritating insects can be contained, lets first understand its life cycle and why it’s difficult to stop them. All this will help you know the correct stage of spraying to eliminate them. The lifespan of a flea is between 18-21 days, and this requires a temperature of 26 to 31 degrees with some humidity.
For a female flea to lay eggs, it has to have a meal of blood. Once the eggs are laid, they follow a series of three other stages that include; eggs hatching into larvae, the larvae then from the pupae and the pupae then turn to adults. When fleas get out of their cocoon, they race to find a meal of blood as they can’t survive without it.
This means that any presence of a four-legged animal makes the flea using its strong hind legs hop and stick to the pet. They will remain on your pet throughout their lifespan.
Did you know that your indoor pet can get fleas too? Well, when you walk in your garden, fleas can jump on you and get into your house, and that’s how your overprotected pet will get fleas. When an animal like a raccoon hosts itself in your compound, the high chances are that your pets will be at the risk of getting infected. So, fleas have numerous ways of getting into your home and feeding on your pets.
This explains how complicated it is doing away with fleas. Before you start any process of eliminating the fleas, find out their source as it will give you insight on where to start your elimination process. When you remove the source, then the breeding will stop, and the fleas won’t multiply.
Read more,best flea bombs for house & yard
Pic: Safari Pet Products Dog Comb
How to get rid of fleas on your pet
Pets are the most affected when it comes to a flea infestation. Fleas hide in the fur, and that’s how they thrive and multiply. Getting to know if your pet is infested is easy as you will see it scratching itself everywhere. Other times, you might see your pet turn restless and always making turns on the ground. When you notice the above signs, it’s high time you do a manual check to confirm your worst fears.
Note that fleas hop whenever they see the light and when you try to locate them from your furry pet, they will always jump for their life. So, start by finding the fleas. We have various ways of dealing with fleas on your pet. We will focus on ways that will get you a lasting solution to the flea problem.
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- First, get a flea comb. These combs flush and capture the pests out. The little pest sticks in the comb’s teeth for you to dispose of them. Identify the spots where the fleas are and run the comb through the fur. Most of the affected areas are the head, ears, tail, and legs. The fleas can be deposited in a liquid dish soap mixed with water.
- You need to wash your pets beddings with hot water regularly. Afterward, dry them under high temperatures. These will ensure the lifecycle of the flea is disrupted before it matures up. If you decide to use chemicals when cleaning the beddings, ensure the chemicals are pet-friendly.
- How often do you wash your pet? Well, washing your pet for cleanliness is tremendous, and cleaning it to eliminate fleas is excellent. Grab a flea shampoo after consultations to get the best on the market. In most cases, shampoos that contain pyrethrin are the best. You can use it to wash your pet and see the outcome.
- Other safe methods are the use of natural remedies such as a mixture of lemon and rosemary leaves where you sock the pet in the solution and also use it to spay the pets resting place.
- Lastly, get some advice from the vet as they have the most updated and excellent ways of eliminating the pests. All these ways will keep you and the pet at peace.
Pic: Arava Natural Medicated Dog Shampoo – Antibacterial Antifungal Anti Yeast Anti Itch Dog Shampoo
How to prepare your yard to get rid of fleas
When you notice fleas on your pets, high chances are that the fleas are in your yard. Other living things, including squirrels in your yard, could be the source of these fleas. Preparing your yard towards getting rid of these fleas isn’t an easy task.
You will have to do it correctly so that you can see the results quickly. We have various options on how you can manage your yard effectively. These ways will help you keep safe your indoor pets.
- First of all, mow the lawn and trim all the bushes that house these fleas. In most cases, fleas prefer to stay in dark areas during their lifecycle; they can stay at a particular stage for some time until a perfect host shows up. Therefore, your yard could be acting as a waiting bay, and once your dog or cat goes out for a walk, it’s now vulnerable. If you make the hiding areas fewer, the more it becomes difficult for them to survive.
- Do away with dead leaves and twigs from your compound as the fleas easily hop and hide in the leaves waiting for their potential host. A flea hates the light and picking dead leaves exposes them hence a great way to prepare the yard as you get rid of the fleas.
- Rosemary, lemongrass, peppermint, and sage plants have natural oils, and they have been successfully used to eliminate fleas and other insects. The scent is strong and irritating to the flea. They won’t last in your yard.
- Lastly, use nematodes as a natural method of preventing fleas. With nematodes, the flea larva is eaten and digested. The nematodes are preferred since they are safe and work fast.
Pic: GreenWorks Corded Electric Lawn Mower
How to prepare your home to get rid of fleas
Did you know that 5% of the fleas you come across are only on your pets? Well, the rest hide in your couches, beddings, carpets, and rags in your house. That’s why many people who spray their pets will find it hard to get rid of them if the home isn’t taken care of first as a source of the fleas.
When a flea goes through the life cycle, its best places are the beddings, and carpets as they wait for their host. You have to make it a top priority when eliminating the fleas from your home. We have various ways of preventing this infestation.
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- First, treat your pet. You can use natural or artificial methods. Natural methods are preferred as they are less irritating and hence safe for your pet. Most of the synthetic techniques, such as the use of pesticide or tablets, require guidance from a vet on the dosage and risks.
- Kill the fleas in your home with methods like fogging, sweeping the floors, spraying and lighting the dark places. When you use upholstery, ensure you take the right carpet spray. Fogging lasts for seven months and this is an ideal time to keep the fleas away by eliminating all the flea life stages. For you to eradicate the fleas, you are advised to do the spraying several times.
Thoroughly clean your home. This is a better way to eliminate the stages of flea development. You can mop the house, vacuum clean the floor or sweep. When cleaning, remember to use the right chemicals that won’t affect your pets.
Pic: Chem-Dry Carpet Stain Extinguisher
How to prevent flea bites
Most people who reach this stage have had experience with fleas. If you are yet to be bitten, then it’s an excellent time to learn the various proven ways of preventing the flea bites. They are just irritating!
We have various suggestions on how you can keep everything at peace, including your pets and family from the bites.
- First, keep the pets away from the fleas, which are rampant. These fleas might be coming from the neighborhood, and this needs preventive measures such as spraying the garden.
- Flea bites are itchy and irritating. You will notice them when small itchy rashes show up on your body. For the pets, they will keep on scratching on walls in expressing the itchy bites. We have over-the-counter medication that you can visit a doctor and apply to your skin.
- You can also use a home remedy such as a flea collar with essential oil. You tie it around your pet’s neck, and the fleas will get trapped.
- Lastly, clean and spray your house, and the fleas won’t get access to the host, and this will be an excellent preventive measure as far as fleas are concerned.
Pic: BLACK+DECKER High Performance Cordless Hedge Trimmer
Conclusion
Fleas are irritating. This is evident when you have visitors and your favorite pet starts scratching themselves in your house. Manufacturers have artificial ways of eliminating the fleas as discussed in the article. We proposed the natural methods which are safer for both the pets and the humans in your house.
Before you try out any pesticide, consult a vet for guidelines. Fleas may take a long time to eliminate them entirely, but when the treatment is done continuously and consistently, then results show.
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