Treating a flea infestation in your home can seem a difficult and daunting task. However, if you follow the main steps discussed below, you can completely resolve this pesky issue within one to two months. The most important thing to do when treating an infestation is to treat all animals within the household. This will prevent the perpetuation of the flea life cycle and kill the adult fleas. In addition, it is vitally important to treat your home environment to remove the eggs and larvae living in the carpets, furniture, and animal beds. By addressing these two main areas of concern, you can completely treat a flea infestation. Naturally, prevention is the best policy, so keep your pet’s anti-parasite treatments up-to-date and monitor their coat condition. These simple steps can go a long way in preventing the possibility of infestation.
What are fleas?
Fleas are a surprisingly common parasite that can be found all over the world. Whilst they are mainly found in wild animal populations, they can also hitchhike their way into our homes on our beloved pets. The majority of fleas found on our pets are actually known as ‘cat fleas’, funnily enough this is including on dogs too! They are 1-2mm long insects which totally rely on a host to survive, when on an animal they suck their blood as their source of nutrition. Adult female fleas produce, on average, one egg per hour. These usually fall into the surrounding environment, where they wait to hatch. Once they hatch into the larva, they then hide in the local nooks and crannies of your home (avoiding light, so often make their way into the carpet pile!) there they feed on organic debris and grow before making themselves a cocoon and grow into a pupa. They can remain semi-dormant in this pupa stage whilst they wait for signs of a host. Once a host is found, they emerge as an adult flea, ready for a tasty blood meal!
What problems do fleas cause?
Whilst fleas do not usually cause problems to the environments they live in, they can be harmful to you and your pets. Fleas can bite humans resulting in itchy bites and sometimes allergic reactions, although usually not serious, they can be very annoying! Then there is the obvious discomfort in the knowledge that you have fleas in your home! When fleas bite your pets, they can cause extremely itchy insect bites, and some animals are more allergic to flea saliva than others, which results in an increased severity itch, lots of small scabs over their body (also known as miliary dermatitis) and general irritation. In very young, very old or otherwise unwell animals, a large number of fleas can actually cause anaemia and lead to the worsening of any pre-existing diseases, in addition to putting their immune system under undue pressure. Less commonly, fleas can be involved in the transmission of diseases, with the most frequent being the dog tapeworm. In some areas of the world, bacterial disease can also be spread such as Typhus and Lyme disease.
How will I know if my pet has fleas?
In some animals, fleas will be easy to see, they may be visible jumping around or hiding in fur coats as you comb through, however this is not always the case. Our clever cats often remove fleas from their coat as they groom themselves. We aren’t always as astute as they are, so an easier way to detect the presence of fleas is to look for other clues – one effective way to do this is to find flea faeces. Use a flea comb to brush sections of fur. Transfer the debris from the comb onto a piece of white paper or paper-towel, use a small amount of water to moisten the debris, this may reveal small brown particles which dissolve into a red-looking material, such as in the photo below. This substance is the digested blood that the fleas have consumed, absorbing the water, and appearing more blood-like. If you see evidence of this happening, then it is very likely that your animal has fleas.
How should I treat my pet for fleas?
The most straight forward and effective way to treat your pet for fleas is to use a prescription strength medication from your local veterinarian. Some of these medications can also treat for other parasites including mites, lice, ticks, and worms. Such treatments often come in the form of a pipette to apply to the skin on the back of your pet’s neck (a ‘spot-on’ treatment), or a tablet which is palatable and can be given with food. When treating a flea infestation, it is always a good idea to treat for at least two months to ensure that newly hatched fleas (that have not been previously killed with treatment) will also be exterminated when they try to feed from your pet. If you are using a ‘spot on’ treatment it is important to avoid washing, bathing, or allowing your dog to swim for the following two weeks. If the treatment is washed off in this time, you will risk it being ineffective. With animals that need frequent washing or enjoy a swim, it might be a better option to consider the tablet formulation of the flea treatment. It is imperative to use only one type of flea treatment at a time. Multiple types of flea treatment at the same time should be avoided, this is due to the ingredients interfering with each other, which can make your pet ill. Ensure that any treatment is used in the correct way, as giving a treatment incorrectly can cause serious side effects. For example, a ‘spot-on’ treatment given in food can be extremely dangerous and result in illness.
There are other methods of treating for fleas in addition to the prescription medications, including over the counter medications. Collars with embedded medications can last for a longer duration and types of shampoos can kill live fleas on your pet when used properly. There has been a lot of anecdotal evidence in the veterinary community to suggest that, whilst over the counter medications can be effective, they will not always completely treat or eradicate the infestation. This is why I would recommend the prescription strength medication as the most effective way of treating fleas. There is limited evidence to support the effectiveness of any herbal remedies, and you should always check with a veterinarian before using these products to advise whether all individual ingredients are safe for your pets.
How do I get rid of fleas in my house?
Up to 95% of the flea problem can exist in the environment, including flea eggs, larvae, and immature fleas, so ensuring that you treat the rest of your house is essential in controlling a flea infestation. The main ways of doing this include:
- Wash all bedding, blankets, and toys that your pet frequently uses as these can harbor large numbers of eggs.
- Vacuum all areas of the house, paying particularly close attention to carpeted areas. This is where most of the eggs and larvae will be. Securely bag up the dust before disposal to prevent the flea eggs from hatching out and getting back into your home.
- Use environmental flea products in combination with vacuuming, these are often sprays or foggers.
- If you have a very serious infestation, it may be more effective to throw out bedding or toys to remove the flea eggs and larvae.
Why can’t I get rid of my flea infestation?
If you follow all the steps above, then you should be well on your way to getting rid of the infestation. Have patience, it does take time! So do not be surprised if it is 1-2 months before you are completely flea free. To better help you conduct a thorough treatment, here are some common areas that people might overlook:
- Use of an ineffective flea treatment – use of a prescription strength flea treatment correctly (for example if using a spot on then not bathing or letting the animal swim for the next two weeks) should resolve this problem.
- Not treating all of the animals in the household – all animals have the potential to carry and provide a home for fleas, so make sure that they are all covered and treated!
- Stopping treatment too soon – due to the flea lifecycle it is important to make sure that you treat for at least 2 months, otherwise you can see a resurgence of the infestation.
- Not correctly treating the environment – if you are not washing all of the bedding and vacuuming all areas in the house then you could be missing some of the places the fleas are hiding.
- Not grooming your animal – whilst this will not solve your infestation, it will allow you to gauge how effective the treatment you are currently trialling is working, and if you have resolved the infestation, it will alert you to any evidence of a recurrent infestation.
If you follow all of these steps you should find yourself in a flea free home in no time, if you want to look at some other places for information then check out the links below.
ESCCAP – the European Scientific Counsel for Companion Animal Parasites, an authority on the topic with large amounts of resources and further reading on the topic.
RSPCA – the Royal Society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, another authority on the health and well-being of animals with a broad variety of articles.
