Hair loss, dry skin, and lesions in the areas where your pet is scratching could lead to infection and more severe diseases if fleas are left untreated.
Remember: Adult fleas can live up to two weeks without attaching themselves to a host. So, although females can't reproduce during that time, they still have up to two weeks to find a host and reproduce.
Fleas can cause many problems than itching alone. Your pet's constant scratching may lead to visible patches of hair loss and reddened, irritated skin that can cause infection. Fleas can also transmit tapeworms.
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.
Without a host like a cat or a dog, fleas can live anywhere between a few days and two weeks, but they can lay eggs that make the infestation last longer.
Steam cleaning your carpets, furniture and pet beds is a brilliant idea if you have a flea infestation. Thanks to the combination of high heat and soap, the fleas will be gone in no time.
Fleas in the house are typically found in sleeping areas such as bedding, carpet, and mattresses. Fleas on humans are often found in areas that are closer to the ground, as fleas tend to grab onto clothing while a person is outside.
Getting rid of fleas is a difficult process due to the long lifecycle of a flea. Moderate to severe infestations will take months to control and require a four-step process for complete elimination: Sanitation. Thoroughly clean areas where fleas frequently breed.
It's possible, but it will take a lot of work. It is difficult to rid a pet of fleas completely because fleas were designed by nature to be practically indestructible. But with diligence and patience, you can get rid of fleas from your dogs and cats – and home – forever.
Firstly, don't panic. Yes it's horrible that you've found fleas, but rest assured, most pet owners have had to deal with a flea problem at some point! Fleas are tiny, smaller than a pin head, but can jump up to a metre, and are so fast, you often don't see them even when they are in your house or on your pet.
Fleas are an absolute blight on any pet owner's life. They bite you, bite your family, make your pet's life a misery, and can lead to adverse health effects. However, conventional flea treatments can have all sorts of scary ingredients in them and can cause severe allergic reactions in both animals and humans.
Get Fleas Out of Your Home
It can take as long as three to four months to get rid of an infestation, as it takes this long for all of the fleas in your home to go through their life stages. Here are the steps you need to take to eradicate fleas in your home: Wash all dog beds and soft dog toys in hot, soapy water.
In just 30 days, 10 female fleas can multiply to over a quarter million new fleas in different life stages. Female fleas start producing eggs within 24 to 48 hours after taking their first blood meal and can lay up to 50 eggs per day.
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.
You can use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar, which is both effective in dealing with pests. Mixing essential oils like cedar or lavender can make the solution powerful. You can damp cloth with a vinegar solution on infested areas and on your pets to ensure that all fleas will be gone for good.
Citronella, eucalyptus, peppermint, tea tree, and rosemary will all naturally repel fleas. If your dog doesn't mind a spray bottle, dilute a few drops of your chosen essential oil into a 300ml-400ml of water and spray directly onto your dog's coat.
Just One Flea Can Be a Sign of a Problem
As few as 20 fleas might mean your pet is infested, while the most could be between 200 to 300. Ignoring a few fleas can quickly lead to an infestation on your dog and in your home,2 because two adult fleas could lead to hundreds of eggs and pupae.
Not really, once again, adult fleas need to have food to survive. And your clothing isn't going to provide that for them. In addition to carpeted areas, fleas can be present in areas like pet beds, sofas, or other linens that your pet could have come into contact with.
What causes fleas in house? The typical method for fleas to enter your home is when a cat or dog attracts fleas and brings them into your house. But, fleas can also enter another way. They may come through with an old piece of furniture or clothing and skin of a person who already has been infested.
Combine equal parts water and vinegar and spray over the fleas. Then, sprinkle salt all over the affected area. This helps keep the area dry, which aids in killing the fleas and larvae. Leave the salt overnight and vacuum the next day.
Capstar (nitenpyram) is a fast-acting flea treatment tablet for use in dogs and cats that starts killing fleas in only 30 minutes. A single dose of Capstar kills 90% of adult fleas within 4 hours for dogs and 6 hours for cats, ridding your pet of these pesky parasites.