If you’re a pet owner, you’re probably aware that fleas are a pretty common issue in both cats and dogs. Not only are they extremely annoying, but they can also cause plenty of health issues your pet would rather avoid.
Depending on your pet’s overall health conditions, flea bites might result in a wide range of conditions. Some dogs and cats might be allergic to flea saliva, which will result in skin problems that won’t go away so quickly. Actually, flea allergy dermatitis is among the most common causes of visits to veterinarians in dogs. Also, there are some diseases and bacterial infections that are spread via flea bites, such as tapeworms or the Bartonella bacteria responsible for cat scratch fever. Fleas can also suck so much blood that they make your cat anemic. Flea bites could also affect you or your family members.
Fleas can live in your carpets, furniture or rugs, and removing the infestation can sometimes take weeks or months. So, it is more than clear that, as a pet owner, you would want to do everything to keep your
home flea-free! We have to mention that in order to be completely pest free you need to prepare your home early in the spring. The fleas start attacking when the weather gets warm. Make sure you are ready to prevent these annoying pests from infesting your home before it is too late.
Let’s see the 10 best ways to prevent fleas from entering your home.
1. Trim Grass and Trees in Your Yard
If you have a yard or a garden, make sure they are not too inviting to fleas. Your grass, trees, and shrubs should be regularly trimmed and mowed. This will guarantee your outdoor area doesn’t look too appealing to fleas and ticks. They don’t do well in direct sunlight.
By trimming the grass, you’re not leaving a lot of shade for fleas to hide. Trimming trees and high shrubs will also reduce shade and discourage wild animals from crawling in your yard and bringing fleas with them.
Also, don’t leave your pet’s food bowls outside because feral pets and wildlife might visit your yard because of food and bring fleas with them.
2. Spray Your Yard
If you want to feel extra safe and make sure pests will have no chances of coming even near your home, then buy a good yard flea spray such as the Vet-Kem Yard Spray. You only need to spray the shady, dry areas. This is a great way of making sure that all fleas that might be on your shoes or clothes are destroyed before you enter your home. By doing so, your yard will be both kid-friendly and pet-friendly.
Spray treatment for lawns, trees, shrubs or flowers has proven to be a great way to eliminate pests and repel not only fleas and ticks, but mosquitoes, ants and many other insects too.
3. Provide Your Pet with Regular Flea and Tick Prevention
As a pet owner, you are probably aware that there are plenty of products to prevent fleas and ticks. Your veterinarian has probably talked to you about the best ways to prevent flea infestation in your pet.
For dogs, you might want to consider using an oral flea and tick product, especially if you have a long-haired dog. Many of these products also prevent heartworms and intestinal parasites.
4. Vacuum Your Home and Change Your Vacuum Bags Frequently
Your house doesn’t have to be dirty in order to have pests. Sometimes, with a simple walk in the park you might catch some fleas on your shoes. And as soon as you step on your carpet, there you go; infestation risk is there.
So, to make sure annoying insects are not living in your rugs, carpeting, cushions, and furniture, make sure to vacuum at least once a week. But fleas can also live inside your vacuum cleaner. That’s why changing your vacuum bags on a regular basis is essential when you are trying to protect your home from fleas and other biting insects. If you don’t change the bag, consider vacuuming up some flea powder or put a flea collar inside the bag.
5. Treat Infestations
This is often taken for granted, but when you already found fleas on your pet, you should make sure that there are no traces of pests left in your home. That means that you have to destroy fleas in all stages.
You’ll have to treat your entire home to decrease chances of fleas reproducing in your carpets or pillows. Treat the yard as described above and spray the carpets as described below. Clean and mop any floors that can get wet.
If the problem is too big or is taking too long to resolve, contact an “exterminator” that will save you and your family members finally from these annoying pests.
6. Make Sure Your Pet Is Getting Enough Baths
If your pet caught fleas, look into shampoos that are designed to remove fleas. But be aware that they will remove insecticides too, so use a flea control product on the pet that works from the inside.
One shampooing or spraying won’t solve the flea problem. You have to be persistent and continue using all the necessary tools to be sure your pet and your home are completely free from fleas. If there are eggs left somewhere, they will hatch and fleas will return. You will have to go through the entire process once again.
7. Use Carpet Spray
Carpet sprays are a great way to make sure those fleas never will not be able to live in your furniture, carpets and upholstery. Siphotrol Aerosol Area Treatment is one of the best ones, as it destroys fleas in all stages – eggs, larvae, and adult. It is an excellent tool to use for treating your home after a flea infestation.
8. Fog Your House
Foggers are another way to control flea infestations in your home. They are best for large, open spaces. Be aware that they don’t get under furniture or in closets, so you will have to supplement them with sprays for full coverage.
9. Wash Bedding in Hot Water
No matter if your dog or cat has fleas or not, make sure that they have clean bedding. You should wash your cat or dog’s bedding, just like you would wash your own bedding. This means washing in hot, soapy water that will kill all potential or remaining flea eggs and larvae. By doing this, you will make sure your dog is not crying in their crate in the middle of the night from all the biting, itching and scratching.
10. Use a Flea Comb
Although it might seem as minimal protection, a flea comb does a great job in removing fleas from your pet, and it helps you monitor for fleas. When you comb your pet, make sure you do it outside so that they don’t land anywhere in your home.
The best way of combing your pet is by keeping a cup of rubbing alcohol or soapy water beside you and dipping the comb inside to drown the potential fleas. Focus on the neck area and the base of the tail. Also, the tinier the teeth of the comb the better the pest control will be.
If we can help you with any of these prevention or treatment measures, please give us a call!