How to Get Rid of Fleas In and Around Your Home

Is your home being invaded by fleas inside as well as outside? Have you tried to rid your pets of fleas, but nothing has helped? You can go to your local Petsmart or Wal-Mart and plop down a few bucks on flea collars, but you are wasting your money. Flea collars only work from the neck up. Here is how you can get rid of fleas in and around your home.

Fleas do not just jump on an animal and go to the head and stay in that one spot. They migrate all over their body. I thought by just giving my pets a good flea shampooing would do the trick and I thought this was going to rid them of the fleas, but one day I noticed that my pets were covered with tons and tons of fleas and since they had been outside most of the day, I knew then that my house as well as my yard had a flea infestation.

Fleas spend most of their life cycle off the animals. The life cycle of fleas begin with the eggs, which turn to larvae, then larvae turns to pupae, then pupae turns to the adult flea. Once a male and female flea have sex (I'm not sure if it's missionary style or doggie style), soon after mating, the male flea dies. The female will continue feeding off an animal gorging on blood for approximately 10 days. Once she is full, she hops off the animal to go lay her eggs. During a period of about up to four weeks, she can lay thousand and thousands of eggs and once she lays all of the eggs, the female dies soon afterwards. Then the whole life cycle begins with all the other adult fleas that are out there already and have layed their eggs. There are easy things you can do at home yourself to get any flea problems under control.

The first thing I did was vacuum my entire house and I threw the bag away outside in the trashcan. Then I gathered all of my pet's blankets, sheets and whatever else they slept on and threw it all in the laundry. I then took my pets to the vet for a flea bath and while they were there getting their flea bathing done, I buy a 25 # pound bag of 5% Sevin Dust and lightly sprinkle the sevin dust around the perimeter of the back yard and front yard and also I sprinkled the Sevin dust around the perimeter of my home on the outside. When I finished the backyard, I went to the front yard and did the same. I only use the 5% sevin dust for treating my yard because it did not harm my dog when he walked on it. I chose to purchase the 5% sevin dust and the bombs and treat my yard and house myself as well as my pet to cut down on expenses. You may have to hire a professional to get the flea problem under control if it is bad. But it is not necessary that you have to hire one. My Mom did the exact treatment for her yard as I did to rid her house and yard of fleas.

If I know that rain is in the forecast the day I want to use the 5% Sevin dust, I wait because if you sprinkle the 5% Sevin dust around and it rains, all of it washes off and that deters the purpose. Each time I did this treatment for fleas, my pets got a good flea shampoo bath.

Now to treat my home inside, I went to my local vet and purchased four flea bombs and a can of Siphotrol Premise Spray. I set the 4 flea bombs off in different rooms throughout my home and I left my house shut up for 2 hours and let the mist get into every nook and cranny and after two hours I went home and opened the windows and turned fans around my house to air it out. Just make sure all the pilot lights are out to any appliances in your home. A few days later I sprayed the Siphotrol Premise Spray around my pet's sleeping quarters and on my furniture. Anywhere my pets sit and lay or sleep around my house is where I sprayed the Premise Spray. The Premise Spray also kills spiders, roaches and ants. You can purchase Siphotrol Premise Spray from your local vet. A 32 ounce can runs around $33.50 but it is well worth it. It works!

After the house airs out for at least an hour, then I go get my pets. The flea infestation was bad for both of my pets as well as inside and outside of my house so I did this treatment once every 2 weeks bathed my pets as well and continued with this regimen for at least 2 months before I noticed my pet's itching had subsiding quite a bit. Then I knew I had got the little fleas under my control. Another product I use that 100% works to kill fleas, is called Frontline Plus. It is a liquid that comes in a tube and is applied right next to the skin at the neck and shoulders. If your pet is having flea problems and you have a big flea problem in your home, talk to you local vet about all the options that are available these days. The topical flea control Frontline or Advantage that is used once a month does help in getting control of the fleas once the infestation is gone. There is nothing you can buy anywhere to keep fleas totally off an animal, but if you are using a topical flea medication such as Frontline Plus, then once the fleas are on the animal they will die within 8 hours of application.

I also go to the local Feed Store and purchase a 25# bag of Sulphur and use a spreader to distribute the Sulphur evenly on my front and back yard. I also sprinkle Sulphur or 5% Sevin Dust around the entire perimeter of my home. Svin dust and Sulphur keeps not only fleas and ticks off of my pets, but it also keeps ticks, fleas, mosquitoes, flies, chiggers and all the other flying pests of summer away from my yard and home.

I personally only use the 5% sevin dust and/or Sulphur for treating my yard because it did not harm my dog when he walked on it. I chose to purchase the 5% sevin dust and Sulphur and the bombs to treat my yard and house myself as well as my pet to cut down on expenses. You may have to hire a professional to get the flea problem under control if it is bad. This particular method to rid my pet's living environment worked well for me and may not be the best solution to everyone's flea problems. You can speak with your local vet on what steps you need to do to take care of the flea problems in your home, your yard and your pets.

Visit the website petedge.com to learn more about fleas and how to control them in your home and how to help your pets be flea free.

Sources:

I worked as a veterinary technician for 10 years & learned a lot of valuable information.

DISCLAIMER:

I am not a licensed vet but I did learn many useful tips and information during my years working for one. The above information is intended for educational purposes only and shall not take the place of seeking professional advice from a licensed veterinarian. The above mentioned method worked well to rid fleas from my home and by pets. This particular method may not be what will work for everyone.