Despite popular belief, the new chill in the air doesn't mean it's time to let your guard down about fleas if you have pets in your home. It turns out that October is actually the peak month for flea activity. It's okay if you didn't know that. We were totally taken by surprise, as well. Prevention is super important, especially because the flea season can extend well into December. Thankfully our friends at PetPlan have some great advice for how to protect your pets and homes against fleas.
1) Use flea preventives on your pets
Using flea preventives on your pets should help keep fleas from colonizing your pet and your home, according to Dr. Nina Mantione. "Don’t skip doses, don’t use cheap products, and don’t try to cut corners by splitting doses in half," is some of the best advice you can follow when trying to prevent fleas from infesting your pet and home. You can also consult your veterinarian on the best method of preventing fleas on your pet.
2) address the fleas that are already on the pet
A topical flea preventive such as Frontline or Advantage in conjunction with oral products such as Sentinel will render the fleas unable to reproduce, according to Dr. Mantione. The benefit of using two separate products with different modes of action is that it avoids any issues with drug resistance.
3) vacuum like you have never vacuumed before
Here's a horrifying fact: an adult female flea can lay up to 50 eggs per day, which then develop into larva, pupa, and finally adults. This creates a vicious cycle in which adult fleas fall of your pet, lay eggs that grow into new adult fleas, that then go and hop right back on to your pet. In order to avoid this endless cycle, you must vacuuming the floors, beds, couch, and anywhere else your pets hang out a lot.
4)wash, wash, and wash again
Once you're done vacuuming, you must wash everything. Everything. This includes bedding, throw rugs and blankets. You know, pretty much anything your pet has contact with. Dr. Mantione suggest using chemicals to treat the environment in order to kill off any flea babies you may have missed with your vigorous cleaning.
5) Check Petplan’s fetch! blog regularly
Petplan has everything you need to know about keeping your pets happy and healthy. Make sure you're regularly checking out their fetch! blog for the best tips, tricks, and advice for keeping your house and pets flea free!