How to get rid of a flea infection

If you are dealing with a flea infection, you know how challenging it can be, both for you and your pet.

Fleas multiply quickly and cause itching and discomfort. They can also wear diseases. Even if your pet remains indoors, or if you do not have pets at all, fleas can still end up in your home by raising rides on humans and objects.

Getting completely rid of a flea infection can take time due to the race's life cycle, but there are measures you can take to provide immediate relief.

With the right approach and patience, you can get the situation under control and prevent fleas from coming back.

What are fleas?

Fleas are small, wingless parasites that feed on the blood of pets, humans and other animals several times a day.

Measurement of an eighth inch in length or a little shorter, fleas can jump to 19 inches – it is more than 150 times the body length. To make things worse, a single woman can lay about 50 eggs in a single day. Can you see how an attack can happen quickly?

Fleas have a four-step life cycle:

A. Adult

B. Egg

C. Larva

D. Pupa

Adult fleas lay eggs on their host, which can fall off and hatch in the environment. The race's life cycles can be as fast as two to three weeks or may be longer, as the pen can be dormant for a longer period (in which case it may take months to get a serious flea infection under control).

Fleas are more than just annoying. They can transfer diseases and parasites to humans and their pets.

For example, bandworms spread in cats and dogs with fleas. Fleas also carry Bartonella bacteria, the culprit behind cat scraper disease in cats and humans. In severe cases, flea infections can cause anemia in kittens and puppies.

How to discover fleas on your pet

Fleas will bite and feed anywhere on pets, but the most common places they bite are at the back base and along the back.

Signs that a pet has fleas include:

• Itching
• Gnawing and biting
• Race dirt (flea waste that looks like small, black, pepper -like spots)
• Hair loss
• Irritated or rubbish skin
• Visible fleas

How to discover fleas in your home

Fleas are more common in homes with pets, but it is not required to have a pet to develop a flea infection.

Fleas can be dormant in your new apartment or take a trip outdoors into your home. Wild animals in your garden such as squirrels, raccoons and wild cats can also wear fleas that can eventually enter.

You are likely to see some adult fleas at first or their pieces. Flea eggs, larvae and puppies, on the other hand, are easy to miss.

• Signs that your home has a flea infection includes:
• Pieces, especially around the ankle
• Spotting small, round flea eggs in carpets, furniture and blankets
• Race dirt on bedding, floors and socks
• Visible fleas

The most common places to find fleas, their eggs and waste in the home include:

• Bedding
• Blankets
• Carpet
• Carpets
• Dress
• Pet beds
• Cracks and gaps in the floor
• Behind base table and casting

White tights

An easy way to check if your house has fleas is to put on white socks and walk around the house. Adult fleas are attracted to movement and heat, so they jump on the socks.

While fleas on your socks can be the last thing you want, it is a quick way to discover them because of the contrasting color.

Race dirt versus dirt

In an overview, races dirt looks like regular dirt, because it is small and dark in color. However, the race is not dirt at all. It is actually flea stool, which contains molten blood, and it turns red brown when moist.

To tell the difference between race dirt and actual dirt, take a damp paper towel and place some stains on it. If it turns red brown, it is flea mut.

How to get rid of fleas on your pet

To get rid of fleas quickly use a fast -acting race treatment such as Capstar, which begins to kill adult fleas within 30 minutes. Available without prescription, the oral tablet lasts 24 hours and is safe for daily use. Capstar is available in both dog and cat formulas.

Bathing your pet with a flea shampoo (to be sure to use a cat shampoo for cats and a dog shampoo for dogs) and using a flea comb can also help remove adult fleas quickly.

Although all these options can provide immediate relief, you want to put your pet on a veterinary-recommended race prevention for dogs or cats to provide long-term protection.

Race prevention is available over the counter (OTC) and with a recipe from your veterinarian. They are available in various forms, including oral medicines, current solutions and race collar. Some can also protect against internal parasites, such as ribbon worms, hook worms, roundworms and heartworms.

No matter what flea treatment you use, make sure it is formulated for your pet's species, age and weight. Your veterinarian can help you determine the best race treatment for your individual pet.

How to get rid of fleas in your home

Treating your pet is only part of the solution. To get rid of a flea infection, you must also treat the home and the farm, as adult fleas and especially their eggs can live in the environment.

This is how you get rid of a flea infection in your home and farm.

In your bed

• Wash all bedding (sheets, pillow bags, blankets) in hot, soapy water.
• Wipe the bedding on high heat.
• Vacuum mattress and the surrounding areas carefully.

On your furniture

• Vacuum upholstery carefully.
• Use race sprays designed for furniture that is safe for use around the types of pets in your home.
• Wash removable quilts and pillows in hot soapy water. Dry on high heat (if washing instructions allow).
• Steam-clean furniture that cannot be washed.

In your carpet and carpets

• Vacuum mats and carpets at least twice a day, dispose of the vacuum bag or capsule content immediately.
• Although optional, steam cleaning after vacuuming can be dead fleas and eggs located in matte fibers.
• Apply flea sprays or powder designed for carpets. The product should be safe for use around the types of pets in your home. Make sure the treatment penetrates deep into the matte fibers.

In your farm

• Keep your garden by cutting regularly, removing leaf litter and debris and trimming plant -grown plants.
• Reduce shaded areas and avoid overwatering your plants.
• Apply advantageous nematodes. They are microscopic worms that will live in your soil and change pests such as fleas, aphids and larvae. They do not pose risks to humans or pets.
• Apply PET-safe insecticides designed for outdoor areas.

When to call the pros

For stubborn flea infections that are not resolved with home cleaning methods, consider professional pest control. The cost depends on the severity of the attack, and treatments usually take a few weeks spread over several visits.

How to prevent flea infection

The key to preventing fleas on pets and at home is by keeping all pets in the household updated on flea prevention.

Hot winters have led fleas to be a year -round problem, not just seasonal. This is one of the reasons why veterinarians recommend coverage all year round for fleas, ticks and intestinal parasites.

Round cleaning, remediation of new furniture and clothing and regular maintenance of the farm can prevent attacks in homes with or without pets.