The Known Facts About fleas

Things to know about fleas.

Fleas are tiny little bugs that really prove to be a big pain.
Not just animals suffer from this, humans do as well.
Fleas can be quite a problem to rid from your houses.

These are a few facts about fleas to consider.

Blood is necessary for fleas to continue living and gives them the ability to reduce.

Over 140,000 fleas can come from a single female through three months of reproducing.

Both humans and animals can contract diseases from fleas.

A lot of itching and discomfort can come from a flea bite. Allergies may be stirred up from this as well. Capable of leaping over 70 times their own height fleas can travel great distances. There are two stages within their life cycle that fleas are protected from pesticides.

• The egg
• the pupa

Cycle of a Flea's Life

Ranging between a few weeks to a couple of years, the life cycle of a flea can take a while. During the egg and pupa stages the flea is protected from pesticides.

Stage 1, Egg: The eggs are laid directly on the animal, they can fall off into your home.

Stage 2, Larva: This worm like form enjoy getting into your bedding as well as carpet. It looks for moist areas away from the sunlight. This larva can survive off dried blood, loose hairs, and old skin.

Stage 3, Pupa: In this stage they take a cocoon form which is well protected for around a year.

Stage 4, Adult: Upon hatching the adult looks for blood. The adult form is capable of surviving for many months without having to eat.

However, the issue is the fact that you don't even need pets to get fleas in your home. Without pets for the fleas to suck blood from they go after humans. They can travel through the use of your clothing to reach new areas.
Flea bites on humans is common.

They can be transplanted from other infested lawns as well. All of these facts about fleas are good to keep in mind. Through the knowledge of how fleas live you can know just what to do in order to remove them.

Can You Count On Flea Collars

Can you count on flea collars and do they work?
Flea collars are less expensive than other flea eradication methods but do they work?
That depends on several conditions and the type and brand of flea collar you use. Riding your pet of fleas is a never-ending job but one that has to be kept up with.

Fleas collars can cause more problems than the fleas.  They can irritate the cat’s neck, your cat can be allergic to the chemical use in flea collars, and it’s possible for cats to get tangled in trees and shrubs, all due to their flea collars.  Some flea collars have a quick release and others have elastic built in to the straps.

There are studies that prove the chemicals such as methoprene or pyriproxyfen, and insect development inhibitors (IDIs) such as lufenuron work at killing flea eggs and prevent fleas from reproducing.  These chemicals work on preventing the larvae from turning into adults and most brands say they are nontoxic to pets and people.

The growth inhibitors released by the flea collar are spread through the coat of your pet.  Sometimes you may have to use a spot-on product if your flea infestation is heavy.  The flea collars that contain methoprene are effective for 4 to 6 months and depending on the size of your cat, sometimes up to a year.

Using a flea collar for your cat might not be possible because they will have a reaction to the chemical used.  That reaction may be worse than the fleabites.  In that case, there are natural herbal flea collars that will work.  Back in the olden days, they used the herb pennyroyal and eucalyptus to keep insects away from homes and animals.

A more modern solution is Skin So Soft from Avon.  After bathing your pet, use Skin So Soft on their coat to help keep fleas and other insects away from them.  A natural flea collar is a safe alternative rather than a chemically treaded collar.

Flea collars – do they work?  You will have to try them on your pet to see unless you want to take them to the vet and have an allergy test done.  That can be very expensive.  A better way to see if a flea collar works on your pet is to try it for a couple of days and see if they have a reaction then go from there.  

Using flea collars is one more step to knowing how to kill fleas

Flea Bites

Ever had a flea bite? If so, then you know how painful they can be. The problem with a flea bite is they don’t really start itching until later on and usually when you’re sleeping, then they just seem to go crazy. Fleas are a parasite and feed off blood. The problem is, when they bite you there is usually some blood left over from the last warm blooded host. So now you can be getting something else’s blood on you.

Fleas like many parasites carry diseases, because they can jump a good length, they can move from host to host, and if that host travels any distance at all then the flea can also travel that far. The best remedy for flea bites is to simply eliminate them as soon as you know you have a flea infestation.

Many people confuse a fire ant bite with a flea bite. The fire ant bite will be red and soon have a puss head to it. A flea bite is usually red and runs in a line with a few more bites and will last up to about two weeks.

Some people have a allergic reaction to flea bites, if you are one of those that do and you get bit, be sure and keep a watch on the bite and your health. If necessary get professional medical care. To see pictures of flea bites go here. To get some relief from a bite and help to keep the itching down try using Calahist lotion

As I mentioned earlier the best remedy is elimination, when you first see or feel a flea bite then take action and get rid of the fleas or learn how to kill
fleas

The Cat Flea

The cat flea is the most common flea found in and around the home. The cat flea finds almost everything with warm blood a tasty food source. The reason this flea is called the cat flea because the cat is the host for the flea. But dogs are also the main host for this flea. The cat flea can live on almost any animal, they feed on almost any warm blooded mammal even humans. Now I don’t think they can sustain life on humans.

If you've never noticed, fleas only travel one way, they are skinny and move in a forward motion and they are very quick. Fleas have a tendency to hide in those areas you would not think of looking. But they are good at hiding until they need a blood feast to reproduce.

Once the flea has their meal source and lays eggs, the eggs will eventually roll off the host and on to the areas surrounding where the host mostly hangs out. The eggs will hatch into larvae that fee d on the fecal material of the adult flea, and then soon they will go into the pupa stage by spinning a cocoon. By the way, this is the hardest of all stages to kill the flea. Once the flea has evolved from the pupa stage the it will lay dormant until a host comes along to be its next meal ticket.

The flea will probably not be a health problem unless the infestation goes unchecked or unless your pet has some kind of allergic reaction to the bites. Then it is time to take action by getting rid of the fleas.

The cat flea is one of the biggest problems around so make sure you check your dogs, cats or animals periodically to make sure there is not a flea problems.

Flea Control

To get a good integrated flea control program you must includes good sanitation and treatment of the pet and environment. You can eliminate fleas from your home or building with proper treatment, but it may take time and perseverance, especially if the infestation is heavy.
 Sanitation.
To be successful you need to vacuum thoroughly and change pet bedding regularly. Vacuuming removes up to 30 percent of the larvae and up to 60 percent of flea eggs from a carpet depending on your vacuum cleaner, as well as the larvae’s food supply of dried blood.
If you really want success with flea control be thorough when vacuuming, you need to vacuum under furniture, cushions, chairs, beds, and along walls. Get rid of vacuum cleaner bags at least once a week, better yet get rid of bags when your through vacuuming. Fleas can continue to develop inside vacuum cleaner bags and re-infest the house.
Treating your Pets.
A flea comb and a good bath is your pet’s first line of defense for flea control. Soap acts as a gentle insecticide and helps control light infestations on your pet. Though time consuming, combing helps reduce the need for insecticides. Flea combs have fine teeth that remove adult fleas from fur. Most dogs and cats seem to enjoy this treatment; pay particular attention to the face and neck, and the area in front of the tail. Dip the comb frequently in soapy water or an alcohol solution to kill fleas removed from the pet.
    Insect growth regulators, or IGRs, are a safe preventative treatment for fleas. These products work by disrupting the normal development of flea eggs and larvae. When exposed to IGRs, adult fleas are unable to reproduce; eggs fail to hatch and larvae die before they complete their development. Because most IGRs kill only eggs and larvae, they do not eliminate adult fleas quickly. For this reason, they are usually mixed with a mild insecticide.
    Insect growth regulators are available as sprays, spot-ons, pills or food additives. One product designed for internal use is called Program^® (active ingredient: lufenuron). Program^® can be given as a pill (for dogs), food additive (for cats), or injection (for cats). A similar product, Sentinel^®, contains lufenuron plus a heart-worm preventative. These products are available only through veterinarians. They are very effective for flea control, particularly for indoor pets.
    Two other insect growth regulators for topical use are methoprene and pyriproxyfen. Methoprene is sold under several trade names including Precor^® and vIGRen^®. Methoprene and pyriproxyfen are available at pet stores as dips, pet sprays, spot-ons and flea collars. Control requires 4 to 6 weeks.
    For severe flea problems and better flea control, an IGR treatment may not be quick enough. Use a product that kills adult fleas, such as imidacloprid (Advantage^TM) or fipronil (Frontline^TM). Both products have low toxicity to mammals and pose little risk to pets or people. Advantage^TM and Frontline^TM provide 1- and 3-month protection from fleas, respectively. Frontline^TM also kills ticks for up to 1 month after application. Both Advantage^TM and Frontline^TM are available from veterinarians as spray and spot-on treatments.
    Spot-on treatments (pesticides applied to one or more spots on the animal’s back) control adult fleas effectively. Natural oils on the fur help transfer the pesticide to all parts of the pet’s body. Before you apply any products, read and follow label directions carefully. Puppies and cats are different from adult dogs and the products designed for them are different, unless specified on the label.
    Botanical (plant-based) insecticides kill adult and larval fleas and are relatively low in toxicity. Botanical insecticides include pyrethrum (or pyrethrins) and citrus oil extracts (limonene and linalool). Use botanical insecticides with care. Though usually safe when applied according to label directions, some pets (especially certain cat breeds) are sensitive to botanicals-especially citrus oil products.
    It is sometimes claimed that garlic, Brewer’s yeast, cedar bedding and various herbal sachets control fleas, but there is little scientific evidence to support such claims. Volatile oils in fresh cedar chips are toxic to fleas, but the effect lasts a very short time. Tests have shown that Brewer’s yeast does not protect pets from fleas.
 One of the reasons the profession exterminator is successful with flea control is the application and the follow up. With out follow up you might as well not even bother.
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How To Get Rid Of fleas

Below is some questions I ran into on How to get rid of fleas

Question:

My house is infested with fleas! I have never had fleas before I moved into this house. I bought flea collars for the dogs and flea spray made especially for cats, and some spray for the carpet, but what else can I do? I need all the help I can get! Thanks.

Answers by various people about how to get rid of fleas:

If you don't want to use frontline or that other chemical they have (can't think of the name right now) you might try setting off a bug bomb (get everyone including pets, out of the house first), give dogs baths (with flea shampoo),then start feeding them small amounts of garlic, and that ought to solve the problem.

When my house was infested (many years ago) I got some bombs, spray, and shampoo from the vet. I bombed the house and the inside of my car because the dog was in there a lot. Worked great, and I have been using frontline type flea control ever since. Only have to go through it once to learn...what a royal pain! The vacuum is your friend right now too. Get every nook and cranny.

Flea collars are a scam. Get the between the shoulder flea drops and put on the pets or animals and start vacuuming every day for a month, and that should get rid of the problem.

All the above answers are very good to some degree when it comes knowing how to get rid fleas; the one thing that is missing is the follow up. You must repeat the process in 2-3 weeks to be successful. You really only need to vacuum a couple of times, more important is to get the bag out of cleaner or dump contents outside in a plastic bag and throw into garbage. Fleas will escape out of a vacuum cleaner.
Remember this if you cannot get rid of the problem please call a professional exterminator, so that the animals will not be miserable.

Good luck to you!

How to Kill Fleas Vacuuming

When I started out in the pest business 30 years ago I never dreamed I would be writing an article on how to kill fleas, but here I sit doing just that. I just read an article about vacuuming and how important it is in getting rid of fleas. That is one of the first things I learned as a pest control person was the importance of vacuuming for fleas.

Above image is flea bites

Remember when you vacuum, throw out the bag. When I say throw out the bag, I mean place it in a plastic bag tie up the top and get it out of the house. If you leave a bag in the vacuum cleaner the fleas that may live through all the turmoil, and some will, will find their way back out.

Vacuum the carpet, the furniture, the hard floors, and especially the place where the pets spend most of their time.

I do believe the Ohio State University insect specialist who says that the they believed that the damaging effects of the brushes, fans, and powerful air currents in vacuum cleaners combined can kill the fleas.

I am just not sure how many it will kill. After all these years my experience is that it won't get all of them. I know one thing it certainly won't kill the ones on your pet or in the places you can't get with a vacuum. I have said it time and again, you just can't do one thing and get rid of fleas. If you have read any of my post, you will learn I am a firm believer in a combination of treatments.

Treat the pet
Treat the inside of structure
Treat the yard
That is the only sure fire way I know of, I will always say if your not sure you can do these things, call a professional, there are many out there.

1.Orkin
2.Terminex
3.Truly Nolen
4.Nozel Nolen

I have named a few of the larger pest companies, but there are many local company's who will do you a good job.
If you do decide to do your own flea service then check your local Do It Yourself company's.
Remember always read the label, and do not deviate from it. The label does take predominance over anything else you do in learning how to kill fleas.

John

How To Kill Fleas-Plague 2

In our search on how to kill fleas, I thought these articles would be very interesting.

In Sharonville, Ohio. Hundreds of people are looking for a new home after their apartment building was condemned because of an insect problem

Most all the residents agree with health inspectors that most of the apartments at Harmony Grove are infested with Cockroaches Bedbugs, Lice and fleas

The good thing about this problem, is that some of the local churches have stepped in to help out with temporary shelter.

Another incident concerning fleas.

In the Grand Canyon area, a 37 year old wild life biologist died of pneumonic plague on November 2.

He was performing a postmortem examination of a dead mountain lion, the wildlife biologist complained of flu-like symptoms, he was treated and let go by a local doctor.

A plague is an infectious disease of animals and humans caused by a bacterium according to the "Centers For Infectious Disease" also known as the black death.
Infected fleas are the main avenue of infections, the reason is fleas bite both humans and animals.

The reason I am supplying this information is, because I believe, like many other type of disease and problems they can be prevented.
I know the main subject is how to kill fleas, but prevention is also a key element. And can save a lot of heart ache. here are some preventive methods tips.

Do not pick up or touch dead animals.
Eliminate the source of foods for wild animals, and rodents.
Wood piles are big breeding places for rodents.
Don't leave animal or pet foods out overnight.
Rodent proof your home.
Treat pets and home on a regular bases for flea control.

Once I had a customer call me and said he had rodents, but could not figure out where and how they were surviving. I went out to the customers home. Figuring on spending some time there, I know rats, mice and even squirrels (member of the rat family) are creatures of habit.
The first thing I noticed was a wood pile and a dog house close to each other. So I decided to watch.

Wasn't long, the home owner came out and fed the dog, the dog as pets do when they eat, let food drop over sides of bowl. Anyway, the dog finished he retreated to dog house.
All of a sudden, a rat ran our of wood pile and grabbed a piece of dog food, and ran back into wood pile, then another until all the rats were fed.

Seems like the rats had found a good food source, and weren't going to let it go. The answer: the home owner moved the dog house , cleaned up wood pile, treated area for fleas, and the rodents left.
Sometimes that is all it takes.
I told that story to say this, Fleas like warm bloodied body's to feed on, get rid of the warm bloodied body's, The fleas may leave also, and can you imagine how many fleas could have been transfered to different parts of neighborhood, just by that one rat problem.

John Shelton

How To Kill Fleas -plagues

In all my messages about how to kill Fleas. I try to post most of the positive side of things.
I am not sure there are to many positive sides to having fleas, having to learn how to kill fleas is important, especially if you have a lot of pets, or one pet for that matter.
Being flea free is a good thing, but as we go along in our daily lives, I think it is important to know about different dangers that parasites like fleas can cause. It doesn't matter if you use a professional pest company, or do it your self, what matters is that you are able to get rid of the flea problem, using flea collars,dips, or something like advantage will certainly help in the control of fleas. here below is article I thought worth mentioning in your quest in how to get rid of fleas.

Metro: County warning residents of plague | plague, area, disease - Gazette.com

Health authorities began knocking on hundreds of doors in a westside neighborhood Thursday to warn residents about plague.

The response came after a dead tree squirrel recently discovered on a resident’s property tested positive for the disease on Wednesday. Plague is a bacterial disease found among rodents that is transmitted by infected fleas to pets and humans.

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