Do your pets share your bed with you? If you have noticed them scratching more than usual, chances are they have fleas. Those pesky little critters get everywhere and are difficult to get rid of if you don’t deal with the signs straight away!
One flea can lay around 40 eggs per day. The eggs look transparent so are extremely difficult to spot. The common signs of flea presence are those little black specks on your pet called flea dirt. Its flea poo.
If your pets share your bed with you, you will find flea dirt on your bedding and that ain’t cool. If you have light colored linen its easier to see, but if you linen and bedding are dark then you won’t be able to pick up on how much flea dirt your pets are dropping onto your bedding – let alone the eggs.
If you have carpeted bedrooms, this becomes a serious issue as they can spread everywhere including under your bed and directly around bedside tables and other furniture where the vacuum cleaner doesn’t easily get to.
Now that we have grossed you out, how can you stop this problem? It’s going to take some effort, as the flea has 4 stages to its life cycle. And each treatment targets a specific part of the cycle. Using an ointment like Capstar will target the live fleas but not the eggs.
The other problem is that your pet licks itself clean and chances of licking and ingesting eggs are very strong.
This leads to a worm infestation in the gut. Now you not only have fleas to deal with, but your pet also has worms too! A good product for this is Broadline. It deals with fleas and worms and is a topical ointment.
If your flea problem is moderate to severe it is recommended to wait 4 months then apply the ointment again to your pet.
We suggest washing your pets (if they will permit it) with a flea based shampoo first before applying the ointment between their ears at the back of the head.
Getting rid of the fleas and eggs in your bedding and floors
Simply wash your pet’s bedding as well as your own in a hot cycle in the washing machine and throw it in your tumble dryer for good measure. As for the flooring, There are a variety of products you can buy. Be sure to find an IGR (insect growth regulator).
For homemade remedies, the use of baking soda, salt and vinegar seem to work very well.
Mix half and half with the baking soda and salt, and add perhaps a teaspoon of vinegar to the water in a spray bottle. Mix well. Now spray everywhere! Once done, wait 24 hours and give your home a good vacuum. Remember to shift furniture around as well as get under your bed.
Repeat this process again, making sure to thoroughly cover your floor area including couches and other surfaces your pets may lie on. Again wait 24 hours and vacuum your home.
This should significantly reduce if not stop the cycle of the flea. Dealing with fleas without dealing with the eggs will end up being an ongoing problem for you and your pets.