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Successful flea
control has two aspects. Fleas must be controlled on
your pet, and fleas must be controlled in your pet's
environment. Cats and dogs share the same fleas so flea control must be practiced with to both in order to be effective.
Diagnosis of Flea Infestation
When a pet is heavily infested
with fleas, it is easy to find them. If the numbers are small,
it is best to quickly turn your pet over and look on its belly.
If you do not find them there, look on the back just in front
of the tail. Be sure to part the hair and look at the level of
the skin. When the numbers are very small, look for "flea
dirt." Flea dirt is digested blood left behind by the fleas.
Flea dirt is actually fecal matter from the flea. Finding flea
dirt is a sure indication that fleas are present or have been
present recently.
Flea dirt looks like pepper. It
varies from tiny black dots to tubular structures about 1/32" (1/2
rom) long. If you are not sure it is flea dirt, put the suspected
material on a light colored table top or counter top. Add one
or two drops of water, and wait about 30 seconds. If it is flea
dirt, the water will turn reddish brown as the blood residue
goes into solution. Another trick is to put some of the material
on a white paper towel and then wet the paper towel with water.
A red stain will become apparent if you gently wipe the material
across the surface of the paper towel.
Many people find tiny drops of
blood in a pet's bedding or where the pet sleeps. This is usually
flea dirt that was moistened, then dried. It leaves a reddish
stain on the bedding material and is another sign that fleas
are present.
Life Cycle of the Flea
To appreciate the complex issue
of flea control, you must understand something about the flea's
life cycle.
Although you are only able to
see the adult flea, there are actually 4 stages of the life cycle.
The adult flea constitutes only about 5% of the entire flea population
if you take into account all four stages of the life cycle. Flea
eggs are pearly white and about 1/32" (1/2 rom) in length.
They are too small to see without magnification. Fleas lay their
eggs on the pet, but the eggs do not stick to the pet's hair.
Instead, they fall off into the pet's environment. The eggs make
up 50% of the flea population. They hatch into larvae in 1 to
10 days, depending on temperature and humidity. High humidity
and temperature favor rapid hatching.
Flea larvae are slender and about
1/8-1/4" (2 to 5 rom) in length. They feed on organic debris
found in their environment and on adult flea feces, which is
essential for successful development. They avoid direct sunlight
and actively move deep into carpet fibers or under organic debris
(grass, branches, leaves, or soil.) They live for 5 to 11 days before becoming pupae.
Moisture is essential for their
survival; flea larvae are killed by drying. Therefore, it is
unlikely that they survive outdoors in shade-free areas. Outdoor
larval development occurs only where the ground is shaded and
moist and where flea-infested pets spend a significant amount
of time. This allows flea feces to be deposited in the environment.
In an indoor environment, larvae survive best in the protected
environment of carpet or in cracks between hardwood floors. They
also thrive in humid climates.
Following complete development,
the mature larvae produce a silk-like cocoon in which the next
step of development, the pupa, resides. The cocoon is sticky,
so it quickly becomes coated with debris from the environment.
This serves to camouflage it. In warm, humid conditions, pupae
become adult fleas in 5-10 days. However, the adults do not emerge
from the cocoon unless stimulated by physical pressure, carbon
dioxide, or heat.
Pre-emerged adult fleas can survive
up to 140 days within the cocoon. During this time, they are
resistant to insecticides applied to their environment. Because
of this, adult fleas may continue to emerge into the environment
for up to 3 weeks following insecticide application.
When the adult flea emerges from
its cocoon, it immediately seeks a host because it must have
a blood meal within a few days to survive. It is attracted to
people and pets by body heat, movement, and exhaled carbon dioxide.
It seeks light, which means that it migrates to the surface of
the carpet so that it can encounter a passing host. Following
the first blood meal, female fleas begin egg production within
36 to 48 hours. Egg production can continue for as long as 100
days, which means that a single flea can produce thousands of
eggs.
This entire life cycle (adult
flea ->egg larvae -> pupa-> adult) can
be completed in 14-21 days with the proper temperature and humidity
conditions. This adds to the problem of flea control.
If untreated, the female flea will continue to take blood for
several weeks. During that time, she will consume about 15
times her body weight in blood. Although the male fleas do
not take as much blood, they, too, contribute to significant
blood loss. This can lead to the pet having an insufficient
number of red blood cells, which is known as anemia. In young
or debilitated pets, the anemia may be severe enough to cause
death.
Contrary to popular belief, most
pets have rather limited itching due to flea bites. However, many
pets become allergic to the saliva in the flea's mouth. When
these pets are bitten, intense itching occurs, causing the pet
to scratch and chew on its skin.
Flea Control
Never use products that, are labeled only for dogs, on cats.
Successful flea control must rid
the pet of fleas and it must rid the pet's environment of fleas.
In fact, environmental control as important as treatment of the
pet. If your pet remains primarily indoors and you do not have
other pets that come in from the outside, environmental control
is relatively easy, especially with the advent of the new topical
products (see below). However, the pet that goes outdoors frequently
or stays outdoors presents a somewhat greater challenge and a
few fleas may occasionally be seen indoors.
Many of the older insecticides
(which have been the mainstay of flea control for years) have
limited effectiveness against fleas because they are only effective
for a few hours after application on the pet. Also, these are
primarily geared to kill adult fleas. Flea powders, sprays, and
shampoos will kill the fleas present on your pet at the time
of application. However, most of these products have little or
no residual effects, so the fleas that return to your pet from
his environment are not affected. Thus, your pet may be covered
with fleas within a day after having a flea bath or being sprayed or powdered.
However, there are some newer,
more effective topical sprays that can be a valuable part of the overall
treatment plan. They kill adult fleas rapidly and are safe enough
to use daily, if necessary. Flea sprays containing insect growth
regulators are helpful in managing the overall problem because
they help to break the flea life cycle. Some of the newer sprays
with growth regulators are not recommended for daily use; once
weekly application is recommended. Always read the label when
first using any new product on a pet. In general, flea sprays,
collars, powders and dips have become less popular since the
introduction of the newer products.
Newer Products
Four relatively new products have
come onto the market in the last couple of years. The "flea
pill" is an oral medication that is given to the pet once
a month. This product, Program, does not kill adult
fleas but is helpful in breaking the life cycle of the flea.
When the female flea produces eggs, they are essentially "sterile" eggs
and do not hatch. In effect, this product acts like a birth control
product for the flea. Three new topical treatments are applied
to the nape of the neck. They are Advantage, Frontline Top Spot,
and Revolution'. All are safe and very effective.
Environmental Control
The newer topical products do
not require the aggressive environmental control that is necessary
if only dips, sprays, or collars are used. This is one reason
that they have become so popular with pet owners. Many people
try the newest products for 1-2 weeks to see if they are adequate.
Please consult with us about the requirements for your specific
situation.
When environmental flea control is indicated, it must be directed
at your house and your yard.
House
Even though fleas may be in your house,
most people never see them. Fleas greatly prefer cats
and pets to people; they only infest humans when there
has not been a cat or pet in the house for several days.
(There are exceptions to this.) A professional exterminator
may be called. to treat your house or you may use a house
fogger or a long-lasting spray. These foggers and sprays
are very effective for adult fleas, but they will not
kill adults that are still in their cocoon. You should
purchase a fogger or a spray that kills the adult fleas
and inhibits development of the eggs and larvae. In climates
with extended warm temperatures and high humidity, it may
be necessary to treat two or three times with a 30-day
residual product before all stages of the fleas are removed
from the house. The second treatment is most effective
if it is done 2 weeks after the first.
There is at least one company
that will treat your carpet with a flea-killing powder. The
powder is non-toxic to people. It is worked deeply into the carpet
to prevent it from being removed by vacuuming. This treatment
has proven very successful, even in the face of heavy flea infestations.
However, the treatment does not address fleas in your yard.
The same chemical, a form of boric acid, is also available for
application by the homeowner. However, the self-application kits
do not offer the year guarantee.
Yard
Yard control may also be done
by professional exterminator or with various insecticides you
may use yourself. Be sure that any insecticide that you use
has a 30-day residual. This keeps you from having to spray every
week. In climates with extended warm temperatures and high
humidity, it will often be necessary to treat monthly during
the warm months of the year. You should use a 30-day residual
product each time. Ask us to help you choose
the most effective product for your situation.
Re-emergence of Fleas
If you recall, pre-emerged adult fleas can survive up to
140 days within the cocoon. This is significant when your
pets are gone from home for extended periods of time. During
the time that the house is quiet and empty, preemerged
adults remain in their cocoon. Even if the house was treated
with an insecticide, (their cocoon protects them. When people
and pets return to the house, adults emerge from their cocoons
and immediately begin to seek a blood meal. They jump on
cats, dogs, and even people. Although it may appear that
a pet just returned from boarding brought fleas to your home,
it is also very possible that a sudden emergence of adult
fleas may account for the fleas present. If large numbers
of fleas are seen, they are almost certainly newly hatched
fleas and have not been brought home with the pet.
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