How to Eradicate your Flea Problem
Complete Flea Treatment Plan
Since fleas have such an elaborate life cycle, it is very difficult to eradicate the problem once it becomes severe. It is important to implement a flea-action-plan that includes treating: the house, the pet, and the outdoors area around the house where the pet spends time.
Flea House Treatment
When it comes to the house, the best solution is probably to use boric acid, an odorless and non-staining powder. This product is effective at killing roaches, termites, fireants, palmetto bugs, ticks, bedbugs, fleas, boxelder bugs, carpet beetles, centipedes, crickets, earwigs, grasshoppers, millipedes, scorpions, slugs, water bugs, and other yucky bugs. The powder is to be sprinkled on all the carpets, and brushed in so it settles deep in the fibers. You can let the powder sit for about a week and then you can vacuum, which will remove dead fleas, eggs and everything. As a proactive measure, make sure you vacuum your house to pick up any flea eggs that might fall off your pets, and wash all bed sheets (as well as the dog’s bed) often.
Outdoors Flea Treatment
For outdoors treatment, a good product to use would be diatomaceous earth. You can use it to dust your yard or spray it, whichever one you prefer. Diatomaceous earth kills more than just fleas, so if you dislike having too much bugs crawling around, this could be a good solution for you. Be careful when handling Diatomaceous earth powder not to inhale it, as it can cause lung problems. Another way you can control the flea population in your yard is by introducing nematodes (microscopic worms) to the soil. There are sites online where you can purchase them. Nematodes control fleas by eating them in the larva and pupa stages in the soil thus breaking the flea life cycle.
Dog flea treatment
Last but not least, we will address the issue of how to keep your beloved pet flea free. There are many products on the market today to choose from, ranging from flea combs, collars, sprays, spot-on topical solutions to oral medications, shampoos and dips. Each product has its own advantages and disadvantage, and it’s up to you to decide which one fits your needs and budget best. Some of them kill only the adult fleas, and some products kill fleas at other life stages as well. Some products work only as they are applied to the dog, while others will continue to keep your pet flea free for a whole month. In my next article, I will discuss in more detail what your options are when it comes to flea prevention products. Come back to visit us in a few days for the next part of this article by bookmarking this page (press Ctl+D on your keyboard)
