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Treating Fleas-Tips to get Rid of these Pesky Parasites

Fleas and Climate:

The area where you live makes a big difference in how bad a flea problem in pets can be. Hot, humid climates attract more insects than colder ones, and fleas are no exception. Fleas don't like cold weather. They are far worse in the summer months. Here are some tips on how to get rid of fleas.

Treat the Environment:

Fleas can live in the carpet, the sofa, and everywhere else and they don't like to leave! But there are three things that really help.

1. Vacuum often. Vacuuming the rug with or without some kind of carpet flea powder will help get rid of fleas on the carpet area. Also sprinkling Borax around before you vacuum will help.

2. Shampoo the carpet. This really helps if a lot of fleas have made their home your home. Fleas don't like water and this also gets rid of the ones that are hatching.

3. Wash the bedding, pillows, any blankets your pet sleeps on often. Your best battle shot against fleasthey hate to get wet! This will get rid of existing fleas on the bedding, but you may not get them all the first time so you might have to do it more than once.

Treat the Pets:

Most over the counter remedies such as flea collars not only don't work, they can make a pet really sick. Even the so-called natural remedies can be harmful to pets. Spot-on treatments purchased over the counter are usually not very effective, either.

There are three new treatments that really work. These are sold at pet stores, on the Internet, or at the veterinarian's office. Since these work by controlling the flea cycle and preventing new fleas, they are safer for pets than other treatments. They cost roughly around 30 to 40 dollars for three treatments. This can get very expensive if you have more than one cat, but they are the only products that are effective in preventing new fleas as well as killing old ones, and are well worth the money in the long run.

1. FrontlineA once a month spot-on treatment.

2. Program-A once a month treatment that is sold as a spot on. You can also get a kind that you can mix in canned cat food. This is very good for long-haired cats when the spot-on treatment is hard to administer.

3. Revolution-This treatment used to be available only by prescription, but can now be purchased online. It is the best one if you live in a wooded area as it also kills and prevents ear mites.

Places to buy spot on treatments:

Pet Shed

Pet Smart

What if none of this works? Then you have to call pest control and have the house professionally treated. But it usually doesn't come to that. If you treat the pets and clean the sofa, bedding and carpet regularly, the fleas should leave.

Additional Maintenance Tips:

If you don't have a big flea problem or have gotten rid of an infestation, there are things you can do to keep them under control. Make sure the cats are treated regularly with the spot-on treatment. Maintain a well-vacuumed house and continue routinely washing pet's bedding.

Flea Combs:

Get a flea comb for your cat and comb its fur regularly. The cat loves the attention, and this will loosen any fleas. This is especially helpful for long-haired cats. If you put a white paper underneath the cat when you brush, you can check for fleas and "flea dander". If you see black spots then that means you need to take additional steps.

Fleas Traps:

While these aren't really helpful in catching lots of fleas, sticky paper and a night light can be a good way to see if you still have fleas lurking in your carpet. You can buy sticky paper at the hardware store. Place it close to a nightlight. the fleas will be attracted by the light and get stuck to the paper. If you see a lot of them it's time to treat again.

Learn more about this author, Vickie Britton.
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