How To Effectively Control Fleas

Bug bugs, those who suck the blood of insects that make pets' living miserable and itchy humans out of mind, are impossible to control unless you understand the life cycle and weaknesses of every stage of life. Most pet owners do not understand fleas as evidenced by the most frequently asked questions:

"How can I get rid of fleas once and for all?"

"Do I use pills, dips, shampoos, powders, topical drops, or blends?"

"How can I get a bug out of my house?"

"I have fleas in my car, how can I get rid of them?"

"Why do I have to take care of my carpet, the bug is on the dog, right?"

"Why is my yard full of bugs? I don't have a pet?"

The answer: no single method or insecticide will completely eradicate or control the flea. Did you get it? No single method will control fleas effectively because of their complex and diverse life cycle. Effective preparation at one stage of the cycle does not work at another level. Therefore, in order to successfully control fleas, understanding the various stages of life becomes paramount.

Collectively, all species of lice are categorized under the order name Siphonaptera. The cat radish, Ctenocephalides felix, is the most commonly found louse in the United States and is the cat, dog, human, and other mammal and bird host. Did you get it? Lice can be found in mammals and other birds. This explains how a non-pet home that has a home and yard can be a flea.

Bugs thrive in warm, humid and climatic environments, and Southeast Texas, especially the Gulf Coast, is better suited for fleas development than most other areas of the United States. The main source of food for lice is the blood of the host animal. 95% of the time, lice used to host mammals. However, lice can also eat bird species (about 5%).

Why is it itching? Lice, like other skin parasites, contain softening substances, or "digest" the host's skin for easier penetration and nutrition. Bug saliva is annoying and allergic - the cause of all the itching, scratching, and other symptoms seen with Flea Allergic Dermatitis, or FAD.

Lice have four major stages in the life cycle: eggs, larvae, puppies, and adults. The total collection of fleas can vary from a few weeks to several months, depending on the environment. The population of ticks comprises about 50% of eggs, 30% of larvae, 15% pupae, and only 5% of people bite. This means that most fleas are removed from animals that make the environment the most logical target instead of the host animal.

NOTE: Adult radish is a very flat section. There are feathers like wool on the body and leg of fleas to help navigate them through pet hair. Lice have 3 pairs of hind legs, the hindmost pair designed to jump. This radish is best known for its jumping ability.

Adult carrots prefer to live on animals and their diet consists of the blood of animals courtesy of the host animal. Females are very proliferative and lay eggs and white eggs. She can store up to 50 eggs a day, 1,500-1,600 eggs for several months.

Lice cannot reproduce without eating blood, but they can last for a year without feeding if they do not emerge from the cocoon.

EGG: Eggs are not sticky (like some parasites), and they usually fall from animals to carpets, pet beds, floorboards, or on the ground. Remember, a dog carrying only 10 adult females can distribute 15,000 to 16,000 eggs in your home for a few short weeks.

The point in time when hatching eggs hatch - anywhere from two days to weeks, depending on the environment. Larvae emerge from the egg using chitin teeth, the hard spine at the top of the head disappears when the lice mature.

Lice eggs are not easily exposed to routine flea treatment programs.

LARVA (plural = larva): The larval stage is actually composed of three stages of development. Larvae are about 1/4 "(6.35 mm) long, and semi-transparent white. They are often mistaken for flying snakes. They have small hairs around their bodies and are actively moving. adult lice (mostly dried blood) and other organic debris found on your carpet, bed, soil, and even your pet.

Depending on the amount of food present and the environment, the larval stage lasts for 5 to 18 days (longer in some cases) and the larvae rotate around the cocoon and the children.

PUPA (plural = pupae): Pupa is the last stage before the lice mature. Adult radishes can appear in the cocoon as early as 3 to 5 days, or they can stay in the cocoon for a year or more, waiting for the right time to appear. Stimuli such as warm ambient temperatures, high humidity, even vibrations and carbon dioxide emitted from a potentially host host will cause the fleas to emerge from the cocoon faster. And, when he emerged from the cocoon, he only had one thing on his mind - eating blood.

This brings us back to the starting point, adult lice.

The whole life cycle is very variable, as evidenced by the variability in each stage of life. As mentioned above, the cycle can be two weeks or two years. That's why it's so important to stay alert. Although flea problems are considered to be controlled, they may not!

Flea Control Program

Realizing that throughout the lifespan, fleas are only on dogs or cats 5% of the time and outside 95%, it only makes sense to focus on control programs in the same percentage. Invest 5% of your time and money to control lice on your pet and 95% to avoid the environment of eggs, larvae and pupae. Here's what we recommend:

Regardless of whether or not you have a flea problem, use it once a month for the kind treatment for each of your pets. This should be extended throughout the year - every 12 months if you seriously want to get rid of your flea problem or prevent it from happening.

If you already have flea problems:

a. Treat your home with bugs containing a growth regulator (IGR) and then apply for 7 and 14 days later for a total of 3 treatments. Severe oppression may require more treatment.

b. Vacuum your floor every day for 21 days.

c. Apply boric acid powder to your carpet and floor once a week for 3 weeks. Leave the powder in place for 2 hours and then vacuum.

d. Wash your pet bed using a good detergent. Continue this step every week, more often if necessary.

e. Treat your site with agricultural limestone products. If possible, add some earth diatoms into the mix. Water carefully.

f. If using a wide spectrum of insecticide sprayers, treat your site daily for 5 days and then follow up with a single application 7 and 14 days later. If you use granular type, use it once a week for 4 weeks. Pay special attention to outdoor sleeping areas.

If you're pro-active trying to prevent bugs:

a. Apply boric acid powder to your carpet and floor once a month. Leave the powder in place for 2 hours and then vacuum.

b. Treat your lawn with agricultural limestone and earth diatomacea in the spring and again in the fall.

c. Apply a wide spectrum of insecticides once a month from March to October.

Please note - we do not recommend drops, shampoos, or powders. Although this method is quite effective in killing adult lice, they do nothing to eliminate attacks of eggs, larvae, or pupae. Topical spray containing growth regulators is more effective, but again they target only 5% of the flea life cycle. Each of these preparations has its place in the overall scheme of flea control and it may be best to consult your local veterinarian, pest control photographer, or your Feed Store Livestock Provider for further suggestions.

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