By: Mike Service provider and James Robinson
Fleas are small, wingless bugs that feed on the blood of animals and folks. People spend about $9 billion a yr controlling fleas – one of many largest bills for pet homeowners. In Texas, most flea issues are attributable to the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis. This flea feeds on cats, canines and wildlife. Other forms of fleas, such because the canine flea, human flea, and rat flea, are much less frequent on pets and in houses. Thankfully, fleas needn’t be a major problem as a result of there are a lot of efficient therapies.
Reading: Can fleas live without a host
Table of Contents
Figuring out the Drawback
Grownup cat fleas are about 1/8 inch lengthy (1 to three mm). They’re brownish-black, flattened trying, and with out wings. Backward-pointing bristles assist fleas transfer by way of the hairs or feathers of host animals and make them harder to take away by grooming. The six legs, particularly the hind pair, are lengthy and tailored for leaping.
Flea larvae are lower than 1/4 inch lengthy (6 mm), legless, and soiled white in shade. The most certainly place to seek out larvae is in infested pet bedding.
Understanding Fleas
Throughout their life cycle fleas move by way of 4 stages-egg, larva, pupa and grownup. Though they’ll bounce, grownup fleas don’t often journey lengthy distances and not using a host. Fleas desire to attend and bounce onto a passing animal. As soon as aboard, they continue to be till they’re dislodged or groomed from the animal. With no host, grownup fleas reside just a few days to 2 weeks. On short-haired cats and canines fleas survive a mean of 8 days; they reside longer on long-haired animals.
The feminine flea begins laying eggs inside 2 days of her first blood meal. 4 to 9 days later she produces a mean of 27 eggs per day, consuming about 15 occasions her physique weight in blood day by day. A lot of this blood is excreted as partially digested feces. Flea feces are a high-quality, reddish-black mud seen in pet fur and bedding.
Flea larvae feed on grownup flea excrement. With out it, they can not survive, though in addition they might feed on natural matter akin to meals particles, lifeless pores and skin or feathers. Larvae develop in 5 to 11 days.
Fleas don’t survive nicely outdoor in sizzling, sunny lawns. Relative humidity lower than 50 % or soil temperature greater than 95 levels F kills flea larvae. Moist, shaded spots close to pet resting areas are the locations to seek out fleas. Indoors, flea larvae are often discovered beneath furnishings and in pet bedding.
The pupa is the transition stage between the larva and grownup. The pupa varieties inside a cocoon spun by the larva. After per week or two the pupa turns into an grownup. The grownup flea might stay within the cocoon for as much as 5 months, however when stimulated by a passing animal the grownup can emerge inside seconds. Lengthy-vacant houses or residences can “come alive” with such fleas when new inhabitants transfer in.
Animal and Human Well being
Fleas could be a supply of each irritation and illness. Canines and cats scratch continually when closely infested, leading to dirty and roughened coats and, typically, in nervous circumstances. Probably the most severe results happen when a pet develops an allergy to flea bites. As few as one or two bites may cause extreme itching and scratching in allergic pets.
Cat fleas don’t usually reside on people, however do chew individuals who deal with infested animals. Flea bites trigger small, crimson, itchy bumps, often on the ankles and decrease legs. Folks with allergic reactions to flea bites undergo from hives, rashes or generalized itching. Allergic reactions often seem 12 to 24 hours after a chew, and will final per week or extra.
Fleas which have consumed rodents might transmit illnesses, together with plague and murine typhus. For that reason, keep away from shut contact with wild rodents akin to squirrels, rats and prairie canines. Their fleas can chew you and will transmit illness. Cat fleas, nevertheless, don’t carry plague.
Management
An built-in flea management program contains good sanitation and therapy of the pet and surroundings. You possibly can remove fleas from your own home with correct therapy, however it might take time, particularly if the infestation is heavy.
Read more: Ingredients to make a dog cake
Sanitation. Change pet bedding frequently and vacuum totally. Vacuuming removes as much as 30 % of the larvae and as much as 60 % of flea eggs from a carpet, in addition to the larvae’s meals provide of dried blood.
Vacuum beneath furnishings, cushions, chairs, beds, and alongside partitions. Discard vacuum cleaner baggage not less than as soon as per week. Fleas can proceed to develop inside vacuum cleaner baggage and re-infest the home.
Treating Pets. Your pet’s first line of protection in opposition to fleas is a flea comb and an excellent tub. Cleaning soap acts as a mild insecticide and helps management mild infestations in your pet. Although time consuming, combing helps cut back the necessity for pesticides. Flea combs have high-quality enamel that take away grownup fleas from fur. Most canines and cats appear to get pleasure from this therapy; pay particular consideration to the face and neck, and the realm in entrance of the tail. Dip the comb often in soapy water or an alcohol resolution to kill fleas faraway from the pet.
Insect progress regulators, or IGRs, are a secure preventative therapy for fleas. These merchandise work by disrupting the traditional growth of flea eggs and larvae. When uncovered to IGRs, grownup fleas are unable to breed; eggs fail to hatch and larvae die earlier than they full their growth. As a result of most IGRs kill solely eggs and larvae, they don’t remove grownup fleas rapidly. For that reason, they’re often combined with a gentle insecticide.
Insect progress regulators can be found as sprays, spot-ons, tablets or meals components. One product designed for inner use is named Program® (energetic ingredient: lufenuron). Program® might be given as a capsule (for canines), meals additive (for cats), or injection (for cats). An identical product, Sentinel®, incorporates lufenuron plus a heartworm preventative. These merchandise can be found solely by way of veterinarians. They’re very efficient, notably for indoor pets.
Two different insect progress regulators for topical use are methoprene and pyriproxyfen. Methoprene is bought beneath a number of commerce names together with Precor® and vIGRen®. Methoprene and pyriproxyfen can be found at pet shops as dips, pet sprays, spot-ons and flea collars. Management requires 4 to six weeks.
For extreme flea issues, an IGR therapy is probably not fast sufficient. Use a product that kills grownup fleas, akin to imidacloprid (Benefit™) or fipronil (Frontline™). Each merchandise have low toxicity to mammals and pose little danger to pets or individuals. Benefit™ and Frontline™ present 1- and 3-month safety from fleas, respectively. Frontline™ additionally kills ticks for as much as 1 month after utility. Each Benefit™ and Frontline™ can be found from veterinarians as spray and spot-on therapies.
Spot-on therapies (pesticides utilized to a number of spots on the animal’s again) management grownup fleas successfully. Pure oils on the fur assist switch the pesticide to all components of the pet’s physique. With all merchandise, learn and observe label instructions rigorously. Merchandise designed to be used on grownup canines shouldn’t be used on puppies or cats, until specified on the label.
Botanical (plant-based) pesticides kill grownup and larval fleas and are comparatively low in toxicity. Botanical pesticides embody pyrethrum (or pyrethrins) and citrus oil extracts (limonene and linalool). Use botanical pesticides with care. Although often secure when utilized in response to label instructions, some pets (particularly sure cat breeds) are delicate to botanicals-especially citrus oil merchandise.
It’s typically claimed that garlic, Brewer’s yeast, cedar bedding and varied natural sachets management fleas, however there may be little scientific proof to help such claims. Risky oils in contemporary cedar chips are poisonous to fleas, however the impact lasts a really quick time. Checks have proven that Brewer’s yeast doesn’t defend pets from fleas.
Treating houses. The pet’s dwelling areas ought to be handled on the identical time that the pet is handled. This kills immature and newly rising fleas and prevents re-infestation of the pet.
A number of low-toxicity therapies can be found for indoor use. Citrus sprays containing limonene or linalool might be utilized to rugs, carpeting and pet bedding. These merchandise kill fleas on contact, however evaporate rapidly and depart little residual safety in opposition to rising fleas.
Boron-based merchandise, akin to disodium octaborate tetrahydrate, can be utilized on indoor carpeting and have little pores and skin (dermal) toxicity. Borates kill immature fleas by contaminating their meals provide. As a result of grownup fleas feed on contemporary blood solely, boron pesticides don’t management this life stage. Borate therapies are greatest utilized as shampoos to keep away from issues with dustiness, abrasion to carpets, and contamination of furnishings or meals preparation surfaces.
Also: How to get urine out of couch
The insect progress regulators methoprene and pyriproxyfen can be utilized indoors. Though methoprene is unstable in daylight, it’s an efficient indoor therapy. Pyriproxyfen sprays, accessible to pest management professionals beneath the commerce names Archer™ and Nylar™, might be utilized each indoors and outdoor. Pyriproxyfen controls each immature and grownup fleas. Indoors, deal with pet loafing and sleeping areas, and in and beneath close by furnishings. Open air, deal with solely flea breeding websites akin to bedding areas, the bottom beneath decks and shrubbery, and wherever pets spend a whole lot of time. Properly maintained lawns in sunny websites are unlikely to harbor many fleas. Appropriate client merchandise for indoor and outside therapies are listed in Desk 1.
Comply with-up. As a result of flea pupae are onerous to kill with pesticides, a further follow-up therapy is often wanted 7 to 10 days after the primary utility. When utilizing short-residual pesticides akin to pyrethrins, two or three follow-up sprays at 5- to 10-day intervals could also be required.
Organic and Mechanical Controls
Hearth ants and different predatory bugs eat flea larvae however they don’t management fleas utterly. A number of sorts of predatory nematodes (a sort of microscopic worm) are bought for outside flea management, however their effectiveness has not been nicely examined. Research counsel that nematodes work greatest in sandy soils. Irrigate with 1/4 to 1/2 inch of water earlier than and after utility. This prolongs nematode survival and helps them transfer by way of the soil looking for flea larvae.
A number of sorts of flea traps can be found from pest management corporations and pet shops. The simplest designs use a particular inexperienced mild that blinks sometimes to simulate the shadow of a passing host. Most entice fleas to a sticky card, the place they’re trapped. Place traps close to pet beds and loafing areas for greatest management. By themselves, traps are unlikely to resolve most flea issues; nevertheless, they could be a helpful a part of an built-in flea management program on your house.
Don’t wait till fleas get out of hand. Start your flea management program early for greatest outcomes. Begin a frequent and thorough sanitation program, frequently examine your pet for fleas, rigorously observe the label instructions of the insecticide product you select, and eliminate all pesticides safely. These steps will provide help to cut back the necessity for further pesticide therapies.
Security Concerns
It’s essential to put on the correct protecting garments when making use of pesticides. Lengthy pants, a long-sleeved shirt, socks and footwear are the minimal. Test the pesticide label for extra security necessities. When mixing liquid pesticides put on unlined, chemical resistant gloves. Permit pesticide sprays to dry totally earlier than letting individuals or pets right into a handled space.
By no means eliminate flea dips or different unused pesticides in storm sewers, bogs or sinks. This pollutes the surroundings and can lead to pricey clean-ups on your group. Leftover flea dip could also be poured onto a grassy space for organic degradation, or disposed of in another method as specified on the label.
Working with a Pest Management Firm
Typically it’s greatest to have skilled assist when coping with fleas. A pest management firm can deal with each indoor and outside areas.
- Earlier than having your own home professionally handled, vacuum carpets and clear toys and clothes from areas to be sprayed. Vacuuming helps straighten fibers and put together the carpet to obtain therapy. Plan to remain off handled carpets till sprays have totally dried, often not less than 2 hours.
- Ask the pest management operator to make use of the least poisonous supplies essential to do the job. Use insect progress regulators for long-term management.
Obtain a printer-friendly model of this publication: Controlling Fleas
View extra Gardening & Landscaping data »
Do you’ve got a query -or- must contact an professional?
Contact Your County Workplace
