Overcoming Eggs During Flea Control Battle is Best

Is there anything worse than finding fleas on your pets? If you're an experienced pet owner, you know that where there's a flea, there are two fleas. And where there are two fleas, there's an infestation. If you're lucky, you caught the fleas early, before they've dropped hundreds of eggs all over your carpets and furniture.

For Pets

Fortunately, there are a number of flea treatment products for pets available now that are both easy-to-use and effective. These include topical products, often called "spot-on" treatments, and oral products. Some products can be used on either dogs or cats, while others are not safe for use on cats.

These products are usually applied or administered monthly or every few months. The formulations used typically have lower toxicity than products like flea powders or shampoos. Most require a prescription from your veterinarian. Ask your veterinarian which product is right for your pet.

For Home

This is an important step. Remember, the flea eggs drop off your pet. Flea larvae don't feed on blood, they can find everything they need to live in your carpet. After you treat your pet with an approved flea control product, you need to get rid of the fleas in your carpet and on your furniture. Otherwise, the flea eggs will keep hatching, and you will be fighting a perpetual infestation of hungry fleas.

If you act as soon as you notice Fido scratching, you may only need a vacuum and a washing machine for this step. Mild flea infestations can often be managed with some persistent housework. Concentrate your efforts on the areas of your home where your pet spends the most time. Which door does your dog use to enter your home? Does your cat sleep on your bed, or on a favorite chair?

Think about where your pets spend their time. Then follow these steps:

• Wash pet bedding, blankets, linens, and throw rugs in hot water. Anything your pet has been on or near that can fit in the washing machine should be laundered. Use the hottest water possible.
• Vacuum carpets thoroughly. If possible, use a vacuum with a beater bar, as these do a better job of moving the carpet pile and getting to the flea eggs and larvae deep within the rug. Make sure you pick up any clutter – don't just vacuum around it! Also, move the furniture and vacuum underneath. Some people recommend putting a flea collar inside the vacuum bag to kill the fleas once you've collected them. I haven't found any studies that show this helps, but in my mind, it certainly won't hurt.
• Vacuum upholstered furniture. Even if you don't think your pets climb on your furniture, trust me, they are. There are probably flea eggs hidden in your couch cushions. Vacuum all the cushions, cracks, crevices, and seams carefully. Remove the cushions and vacuum underneath them, too.

For bad infestations, you may also need to do a little more cleaning and use an environmental flea treatment:

• Vacuum baseboards and trim, and other places where fleas may still be hiding. If you didn't catch the flea infestation early enough, or in a year when flea populations are higher than usual, you may need to be more thorough with your housekeeping chores. In addition to vacuuming carpets and upholstered furniture, use a crevice tool to remove fleas from under baseboard molding and kitchen cabinets. Look around the places where your pets eat, sleep, and play, and try to find the places where fleas may still be hiding.
• Apply a pesticide labeled for flea controls to infested carpets and furniture. The key is to use the right product – one that contains an insect growth regulator. For flea control, look for spray products that contain methoprene or pyriproxyfen. These products disrupt the flea life cycle, ending the fleas' ability to reproduce in your home.

Finally, be vigilant in looking for signs of fleas, and be persistent in treating for them. If you still find fleas after following the steps above, you may need to do another round of cleaning and vacuuming. Don't forget to reapply monthly topical flea treatments to your pets.

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