THE FLEA LIFE CYCLE:
Fleas propagate very quickly. In one month, 10 females can produce over
250,000 young. Understanding the flea lifecycle helps us understand
how to treat & control flea populations in our homes.
Egg => Larva => Pupa => Adult => Egg…
From EGG to ADULT, the life cycle can vary in length from 2 weeks to
8 months.
Adult fleas will spend most of their time on your pet. However, they
will lay eggs in places like the carpet, sofa, pet bedding, yard etc.
This is why it is vital to address and treat both your pet and their
indoor/outdoor environment.
It is also very important to realize that the pupal stage of the life
cycle is resistant to most flea control products. It takes 5-14 days
for pupae to mature to adulthood within their cocoon. Once mature, they
can either emerge as adults or remain “resting” in the pupal
stage for several months until they detect the presence of a potential
blood source, (i.e. vibration, heat, pressure, noise.) This is why it
is crucial to follow up with repetitive flea treatments, especially
during flea season.
The flea’s ability to reproduce rapidly, and “hibernate”
until feeding conditions improve, makes them a tough adversary. The
fight against fleas takes ongoing and dedicated maintenance
--- NATURAL TREATMENT METHODS ---
There are three major areas of focus to treating your pet naturally
and effectively for fleas: your pet’s internal health, topical
control and environmental control. As believers in living a socially
conscious and non-toxic lifestyle, we would like to encourage and educate
pet owners on how to address each of these areas in a safe, healthful
and effective way.
YOUR PET:
The most important part to the fight against fleas is maintaining the
good overall health of your animal. A high quality, balanced diet for
your pet is essential. Fleas are attracted to animals with compromised
health & healthy animals do not taste/smell as good to fleas.
The flea comb is an inexpensive, nontoxic, and essential tool for natural
flea control. Flea combing not only physically removes the adult flees
from your pet, it also lets you know how severe the problem is on a
daily basis. It is a good idea to have a bowl of soapy water close at
hand when combing. This way you can drown/kill the fleas quickly before
they have a chance to jump back onto your pet or into your carpet/sofa.
Regular bathing is another important factor in the fight against fleas.
There are a plethora of flea and non-flea shampoos on the market, some
natural, some not. Natural shampoos with proper pH balance for your
pet that include natural flea repellents such as Citronella, can be
very affective for flea control. However, any shampoo that is safe for
pets should have a similar effect as the fleas will die or be “stunned”
by being immersed in the suds. After a bath is the perfect time for
flea combing. Any surviving fleas should be slow to react and easier
to remove with the comb. Mild, less fragrant shampoos are better for
cats, as they are very sensitive to the smell. If your pet already uses
a special shampoo for health reasons, it is probably better to continue
using it rather than an additional flea product that could potentially
irritate sensitive skin. An additional option for dogs is the use of
insect repelling essential oil products like Insect Shoo. These can
be diluted w/ water & used like a dip to help keep fleas from returning.
NOTE: essential oils should be avoided or used with
extreme caution when treating cats, particularly citrus based oils such
as Pennyroyal oil.
YOUR HOUSE:
It is crucial to the fight against fleas to treat both your pet and
your pet’s environment. For minor flea problems, treatment may
be accomplished simply through diligent vacuuming, mopping, laundering
of bedding & general cleanliness. For more serious infestations
there are safe, nontoxic products and services that are very effective.
Products like boric acid crystals and diatomaceous earth are powders
that can be applied to carpets, floorboards & furniture bi-monthly
in order to kill off newly hatching pupae. There is also a professional
service that has a borax treatment, (“Rx for Fleas”) guaranteed
to last up to one year.
YOUR YARD:
Controlling fleas in your yard can be more challenging depending on
the amount of area there is to cover. Natural options include the use
of diatomaceous earth, pyrethrum dust & beneficial nematodes. The
nematodes can be found under brand names like Guardian, Interrupt &
Lawn Patrol in garden & pet stores. They are organisms in a dormant/dry
state that when activated with water attack & kill the larvae of
fleas and other harmful insects. They are said to be harmless to beneficial
insects, birds and other mammals.
When used on a regular basis and in conjunction with each other, these
nontoxic natural methods are very affective in controlling flea populations
on your pet and in your pet’s environment.
--- CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT METHODS ---
The Pros & Cons...
Flea Collars: Natural or not, even pesticide treated
collars are rarely very effective at killing fleas anywhere other than
around the neck.
Flea powders & sprays: There are various types
of flea powders & sprays on the market. Some of the more natural
kinds use things like diatomaceous earth and pyrethrum dust. These natural
products can be fairly safe and effective if applied properly and used
in conjunction with the other Natural Treatment Methods. There is always
an increased risk of inhalation and/or ingestion with these types of
products, which can be dangerously toxic especially with the chemically
derived types. In general, this type of flea treatment is messy &
needs to be repeated frequently in order to be effective. Because of
the need for frequent application, it is always preferable to use the
most natural and nontoxic products if using this method.
Flea Bombs/Foggers: The advent of a new generation
of topical flea products have rendered flea bombs/foggers almost completely
obsolete. While we may not be advocates of topical insecticides like
Advantage™, their use is certainly preferable to spraying your
home with potentially toxic insecticides.
Insecticide Drops: In the last 5 years or so, a new
generation of topical “spot on” flea control products have
come on the market. These products, such as Advantage™ and Frontline®
are liquid drops of insecticide that are applied to the pets skin between
the shoulder blades. The chemical insecticide then spreads across the
entire body surface via the oil layer on the skin. While these products
may be effective, and certainly preferable to old-fashioned insecticide
dips and powders, we have seen adverse health reactions resulting from
the use of these products. The insecticide industry in general has a
dubious track record when it comes to health issues. We therefore recommend
using natural methods of flea control whenever possible.
NOTE: If using this method, Frontline® and Advantage™ are
much safer than their less expensive “knockoffs” that are
found in pet stores & supermarkets. Packaged to look like them,
they are not the same. These other products can be extremely toxic and
dangerous for your pet, especially cats. Never use an insecticide product
on a cat that is labeled for a dog. The affect can be severe, irreversible,
and sometimes fatal!
Oral Insect Growth Regulators: The product called Program®
is the most widely used product of this type. It is the equivalent of
flea birth control & does not kill adult fleas. Being an insect
hormone and not an insecticide, we feel it is a safer approach than
the use of liquid chemical products such as Advantage™. It is
given orally to the animal. When the flea feeds, it is rendered sterile
and its eggs do not develop. The life cycle is broken, but any adult
fleas or developing pupae need to be killed by other means. It usually
takes at least a month to see results with Program® and you should
continue using other methods such as combing and shampooing to account
for the adult fleas.
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