The first thing to know is that prevention is far easier than curing a flea problem. When the Vet, Veterinary Nurse or Receptionist suggest monthly flea treatment all year round, they are trying to help you avoid a very distressing problem.
Flea infestation can happen extremely quickly. Letting your pet’s monthly flea control laps, by even a week, can have disastrous effects. Each adult flea can lay up to 50 eggs per day. In optimum conditions a flea egg can develop into an adult flea within 2 weeks.
There are certain things that will encourage fleas to hatch. The presence of a host which causes vibration, humidity, an increase in carbon dioxide and heat. This is why people often report a massive outbreak of fleas on returning home from holiday or if they have recently moved into a new property.
There are 3 life stages of fleas before they become adult and able to breed. The egg, the larvae and the pupae. A household flea spray will kill the eggs, the larvae and the adult fleas but not the pupae. This life stage, the pupae, can lay dormant for at least 18 months and hatch out intermittently. It’s cocoon or shell, which is impenetrable, protects it from household flea sprays and keeps it safe.
If you and your pet are unfortunate and experience fleas, there are certain steps to follow to try to control the problem. Firstly, treat your pet with a flea treatment like Advocate. This product is a prescription only medication which means your dog or cat will have had to have been seen by a Vet in the previous 12 months. Next, you will need to treat your house with a household spray like Indorex.
To spray your house correctly and use the contents of the tin efficiently, follow these instructions. Firstly, spray down the tube of your vacuum cleaner and spray inside the chamber which the dust and dirt get sucked into. Next, vacuum your entire house, including the kitchen and bathroom. It doesn’t matter whether you have carpet or not. All rooms have to be vacuumed thoroughly. Furniture like beds, sofas and even fridges and freezers should be vacuumed under. When spraying each room, spray around the circumference of each room and then spray the surface of the floor, in straight lines about 2ft apart. This allows you to use the contents of the can to it’s maximum. The whole house should be done in one go, rather than room by room over a period of days. All people, animals and fish will have to leave the property for at least 1.5hrs while the spray works. The windows should be kept closed during this time. When you return to the property, be sure to open all windows to allow air to circulate and disperse the smell of the spray.
Vacuuming should be repeated daily to try to speed up control. It can be done multiple times a day if necessary. The pupae will continue to hatch out if not removed from the environment so vacuum, vacuum, vacuum.
Flea infestation can take months to get under control. Prevention is easier than cure. Most people who have been unfortunate enough to experience this terrible thing would happily pay 1.50GBP per week to avoid having to deal with the consequences of fleas.
If you are having difficulties, please call any of our surgeries for advice.