How to Get Rid of Fleas Once and For All
Fleas are tiny bugs that are giant pests. Do these five things to get rid of them completely.
Key takeaways:
Fleas are parasitic insects that feed off animals.
They carry germs and can cause disease and illness.
The lifecycle of a flea is complex and has many stages that make infestations hard to eradicate.
Flea pupa can lay dormant for months before they find a host.
Fleas are tiny parasites whose favorite meal is your pup. They are a painful nuisance that can quickly infest an entire household – often before you realize they’re a problem. Dogs that are allergic to flea bites experience intense scratching, hair loss, hotspots, and inflamed, flaky skin. Flea bites can also cause anemia and tapeworms.
Fleas would much rather snack on animals than people, but they’ll make an exception if you’re the only one around – and that’s not a great situation. They can transmit disease-causing germs when they feed on their hosts or if their infected feces are scratched into an open sore, for example.
Do fleas have you and your pup scratching your heads about how to stop an infestation? Read on to discover the five most important steps in the fight against fleas.
Learn the lifecycle of the flea
You have likely heard that old quote “know thy enemy,” and it’s never truer than when you’re dealing with fleas. Flea treatments are designed to work during specific stages of life, so it’s important to familiarize yourself with the cycle. These blood-sucking vermin have four major life stages:
Egg
Larva
Pupa
Adult
Adult fleas live on animals to dine on their blood and lay eggs. They won’t leave their hosts unless it is infested. A single female can lay as many as 2,000 eggs, most of which fall from the animal’s coat into the ground, carpet, or furniture in the surrounding environment. They hatch into a larva for several weeks before forming a sticky cocoon in the pupa stage, where they wait for a warm host to attach to. Then the cycle begins again. Pupa can lay dormant for weeks or months while they wait for a host.
Treating and preventing flea infestations
The best protection from flea infestation is prevention. Flea preventatives, such as collars, topical applicants, and pills, work by killing the fleas that come in contact with your pup. This tactic effectively stops them in their tracks before they ever reach your home.
Not every flea preventative is suitable for every animal, though. Here are some things to keep in mind:
Collars and other preventatives contain chemicals that repel and kill fleas and ticks.
An oversized collar with more chemicals can be harmful to small dogs and young puppies.
If fleas have already made themselves at home on your pup, you’ll have to take more aggressive action.
Using preventative measures at this point will still help, but you might need more.
You could also need to treat your dog with prescription shampoos or pills to knock out the infestation.
Talk with your vet about which flea preventative is safest for your dog.
De-flea your home
Getting your pup flea-free is just the first step in the bug battle. The next and most difficult is to rid your home of the tiny pests. Remember you will have to fight through their lifecycle’s repetitive hatching and growing before you get them all.
Follow these steps to rid your home of a flea infestation:
Wash your dog toys and bed in hot soapy water.
Wash anything in the home on which your pup likes to rest, including sheets, blankets, rugs, pillows, bathmats, and cushions in hot, soapy water.
Vacuum everything, including hardwood, tile, and vinyl floors, curtains, upholstery, and car interiors. It’s crucial to dispose of the bag outside immediately after finishing.
Fog the whole house with an environmental fogger that kills fleas in all stages of life. Another option is to call an exterminator.
Repeat these steps as many times as needed until the infestation is gone. It can take a few weeks to a year to completely rid your home of fleas depending on the extent of it.
Treat your yard
Keeping grass cut short makes your yard less appealing to pests like fleas, ticks, and chiggers. It is also a good idea to ensure there are no holes in your fences, so you keep away wild animals that carry fleas – like raccoons and rabbits. Once an infestation is underway, treat the yard with nontoxic pellets or sprays to kill fleas and other pests.
Follow up
A flea’s complex life cycle makes them challenging to exterminate. They are resistant to control products at specific life stages, too, so not every treatment works when it’s used. Following up with at least two additional treatments five to ten days after the initial one is necessary to eradicate fleas in all stages.
Regular baths and proper hygiene are essential for your pup during this time. Spotting a reinfestation early is critical. It’s also vital to continue regular vacuuming and laundering of all dog-related materials. This gives you a chance to eliminate larva and pupa before they attach to a host and lay eggs.
Fighting fleas isn’t a battle to the death, but it can definitely feel like it. The key is persistence. Keep up the fight through all four stages of a flea’s life, and you’ll be the victor.
Let Scenthound help in the fight against fleas
Scenthound cares about giving your dog the longest, healthiest life possible. We provide a convenient, affordable solution to the routine care that every dog needs. And we always keep an eye out for fleas and help pet parents stop them in their tracks.
Contact Scenthound today and snuggle up to a clean, healthy pup.