Cats have the natural ability to hunt, fight, and play in the most flea infested places. Cat fleas can be brought in from under a house or an abandoned complex were fleas are patiently lurking. These parasites just ride along with you to your home, multiplying as they go. Fleas can pose a threat to the health of your cat and dog. Protecting them is essential in our constant fight against these parasites. The same techniques you use to fight cat fleas can be used in your yard and home. As with home and yard protection, basic cleaning is a solid foundation to launch your attack.
Flea combs are the most effective tool for adult fleas that have trapped themselves in cat fur. Combing has several benefits. It removes adult fleas and reduces the need for insecticide. Additionally, two can be combined with an alcohol- or soap solution to kill adult fleas immediately. Adult fleas favor thick fur and therefore accumulate heavily near the face, neck and front of the tail.
Solutions – Shampoo is a great way to chemically eliminate unwanted pests. Soapy shampoo can be used to subdue light infestations. You can dramatically increase the effectiveness by soaking shampoo for between 5-10 minutes before you rinse.
IGRs – These are available as pills, sprays, spot-ons, or pills. IGRs target larvae and egg development. IGR’s cause of death is that adult fleas become incapable of reproducing. Eggs die before hatching and larvae are killed before maturation. The problem is that the IGR can kill the adult fleas. This problem can be solved by using IGR’s in conjunction with mild insecticides to kill adult fleas. Cat enclosures best
Enclosure – Dog and cat enclosures allow you to choose where the animal wanders once it leaves the safety of the home. Fleas can be less common in cat and dog enclosures. It is important to provide shade but keep the area dry. Parasites thrive in moist areas. You can reduce the likelihood of your pet getting fleas by keeping them out of your yard.
There are a plethora of products aimed at destroying fleas. How do you distinguish between the many acronyms like IGR’s and the jargon of chemistry such as pyriproxyfen? Not to worry I have done the legwork for you and you will need to do is read. Three brief but concise chapters make up this article. Chapter I will give a quick overview of the flea’s life cycle. This is crucial to understand how you can get rid of them. Chapter II and Chapter III list how to protect your house, garden, and pet from flea infestation. You will find a link at the end to the specific products you need to eliminate these parasites from your house. For now, we start with an astonishing fact, how many eggs did you say fleas lay?