Another good practice, according to Kratt and Cooley, is regular baths (in addition to frequently washing your pet's bedding). Since hot water and soap kills fleas, they said, regular washing is one of the easiest ways to prevent fleas from spreading throughout the house.
It's important to know that when your feline has fleas, you'll need to treat both your cat and your home in order to eliminate the problem. We're going to cover all of the bases in this article.
If your cat has a severe flea problem, several rounds of treatment over several months will be needed to eliminate the problem, because the life cycle of the flea is about 3 months.
Often even after treating with a suitable flea treatment you will still see flea's on your animal. However, this does not mean that the treatment has not worked or that the fleas are immune – the reasons are fairly simple: Fleas are hatching in your home and re-infecting your pet.
A study conducted by The Ohio State University demonstrated that up to 96% of adults and all immature stages of fleas can be killed by vacuuming. Vacuuming should be performed on carpeted as well as wooden floors and along with the floorboard twice weekly. This is a spray that contains permethrins and pyriproxyfen.
Wash your pet's bedding as well as any cloth items that have been on the floor. Washing will significantly reduce the number of flea eggs and larvae on the bedding and cloth items and will make your insecticide more effective. The wash cycle will not kill the fleas, but it may eject some of the eggs through the drain.
Fleas like areas that pets frequent. So clean your pet's bedding, toys, and blankets in the washing machine with hot soapy water to kill the tiny pests. You'll need to clean these items every week for up to a month, depending on the level of infestation.
If cat fleas are removed from their animal host, or if that host proves an insufficient food source, cat fleas often will bite humans on the lower legs, leaving round, red spots. Today, most cat flea bites result in minor itchiness and discomfort on humans.
If your pet has fleas, they could potentially get them into your bed. Fleas are carriers of parasites that can cause diseases in people such as Cat Scratch Disease, Tularemia, and Murine Typhus. Fleas can cause flea allergy dermatitis and anemia in our pets and can transmit tapeworms and other diseases.
The most common way for fleas to enter your household is on the family dog or another pet that comes inside from being outdoors. Cats can also get fleas from neighbor pets and local wildlife, such as birds, rabbits, guinea pigs, racoons, possums, squirrels, and skunks.
You might be asking yourself will fleas eventually go away? While some could last 2 – 3 weeks, they could also live for up to 12 months on the host it finds, so it is unlikely they will go away on their own. Fleas can also reproduce very quickly by laying eggs in carpet, bedding, or garden prolonging the infestation.
Fleas like hiding in crevices. Their populations are more numerous in places where they can feed (like pet bedding and living rooms) and reproduce undisturbed (like lower-traffic areas or in carpeting). They also inhabit upholstery, furniture, and other common household furnishings, especially where they can stay warm.
Fleas often gather at the neck and shoulder blades of your pets. The base of the tail and along the back of the legs is a favorite hangout for them, too. Those are also places animals will bite to get to the fleas.
All you need to do is mix 1 part vinegar and one part water in a spray bottle. Then just spray your mattress and box springs to get rid of the fleas.
Though they might jump on your pants or shirt, they won't stay on there for more than 24 hours. The chances of spreading fleas back and forth through clothing are slim. Fleas want to stay close to a food source, so they will search for anything near them.
If you love giving your dog a cuddle in bed or on the couch, launder all bedding and blankets to get rid of fleas and eggs. A normal laundry detergent will be enough to kill any fleas on bedding.
One of the first solutions to get rid of fleas is to bathe your pet. Just lukewarm water, or water and a mild soap, can help get fleas off your pet's fur and skin. The dish soap can help to drown adult fleas. If you're thinking about using a flea shampoo or something similar, talk to your veterinarian first.
Signs that Fleas Are in Your Bed
Signs of fleas in your bedding include tiny black specks that are sometimes called "flea dirt." These are flea excrement; if you sprinkle them with a little water, they'll turn a dark-reddish brown. Another sign that fleas have invaded your bed are flea bites on your body.
One dose of CAPSTAR® (nitenpyram) starts killing adult fleas in just 30 minutes. Safe for cats and kittens 2 pounds of body weight or greater and 4 weeks of age or older.
The pill nitenpyram (Capstar) kills adult fleas on your cat within 30 minutes. It doesn't have any lasting effects, though. Spinosad (Comfortis) is a fast-acting chewable that starts killing fleas before they lay eggs.
Fleas cannot fly, but they move by jumping from object to object. It can take up to 3 months to break a total flea life cycle by using monthly flea treatments. For indoor flea control, vacuuming all floors, carpets, baseboards, pet bedding and furniture will help remove adult fleas and eggs.