How To Get Rid Of Fleas

Getting rid of fleas involves more than sprinkling flea powder on everything. Keep reading to learn how to prevent these pests from becoming repeat guests.

Treat Pets For Fleas

If pets are in the home, they must always be the first ones to receive treatment. Purchase a good flea and tick shampoo, a flea comb and flea drops. Adams and Hartz are both good shampoo brands. When buying drops, purchase Advantix or Frontline. The drops must be applied each month to repel and kill fleas and ticks. Fleas drown in water, so try to have the pet stay partially submerged in the bathtub for at least five minutes. Scrub their coat well with the shampoo. Since washing the pet's fur also removes the natural oil, wait three days before applying the flea drops.

Treat The Home For Fleas

To prevent repeat infestations, it is necessary to stop the reproduction cycle of fleas. Purchase a home flea spray that has Insect Growth Regulator, which is also referred to as IGR. This makes fleas unable to reproduce. Spray the furniture, carpet and around the edges of all doors and windows. Adams makes a great spray with IGR, which is available at most pet stores. Wash all bedding and blankets to drown fleas that may be living on them.

Treat The Lawn For Fleas

There are literally hundreds of flea treatments available for lawns. Be sure the chosen product has IGR in it. Never purchase a product that comes with a pump mechanism. Always be sure the product has a hose spray attachment. Use Conquer on the lawn first, then add Archer or FleaFix. Archer and FleaFix are great IGR products, both of which are very resistant to sunlight and water. These products are sold at home supply stores.

Treating fleas is an ongoing process, so be sure to keep reapplying lawn and home treatments with IGR each year.

Be sure to also purchase a large bag of nematodes, which are harmless worms that eat fleas and their larvae.

These are affordable creatures to spread on the lawn. To fully understand how resilient fleas are, it's important to know that they are uncrushable, can jump up to six feet and have a four-stage cycle of life. This means that even one rogue flea entering the home has the potential to create an entire army of jumping pests.

Treating fleas is an ongoing process, so keep reapplying treatments with IGR as needed