If you see fleas on your pet, what percentage of the total flea count in your home do you think that represents?
The fleas you find on your pets account for only 5 PERCENT of the total fleas in your home, according to Kwane Stewart, DVM. (Yikes!)
Where are all those other fleas hiding? They’re in the carpets, bedding, and any and everywhere that your pet visits. They can be in your car, too.
But! Right now at the end of the cold weather months is a fantastic time to set yourself and your home up for a flea-free spring and summer.
Fleas Are Super Resilient
Fleas have evolved to have great survivability. Instead of dying off in the winter – except at very cold temperatures – fleas in the various stages of life (egg, larvae, etc.) can go dormant in your home. When the heat and humidity conditions are just right, all of the eggs and larvae in your home can start to hatch and become more active.
This means that during unseasonably warm stretches of time (and we’ve had a few days like that recently), or if you pump up the heat higher than usual in your home and the conditions are just right, the fleas can start to hatch and find your pets. Even in the winter!
What You Can Do To Prevent Fleas Now
Dr. Kwane has a few key recommendations that many of us normally do in the spring. Consider pushing your spring cleaning ahead and make it a winter cleaning! It will give you a great head start. 😃
Dr. Kwane’s Tips:
Make sure to vacuum all those areas of the house that your pet spends time in: the carpet, couch, pet bed, your bedroom, and any other room where they spend time. This will help to catch any small hatchlings that can pop up in the winter.
2. Wash all linens regularly
This includes pet beds, toys, bedding, and car upholstery.
3. Topical Spot Treatments
Topical treatments can work extremely well. If you use topical flea treatments on your pets (eg. Frontline Plus), Dr. Kwane recommends to continue applying them regularly as directed. If your pet hasn’t had a topical flea treatment this winter, go ahead and apply one now. Make sure that all pets get the topical treatment if possible, or fleas can migrate to the pet who hasn’t received one!
Ask your Vet for recommendations on the best type of flea treatment for your pets. Many of the cheaper over-the-counter flea treatments are not as effective in preventing or eliminating flea infestations.
And that’s it! Keeping your house clean goes a long way in keeping those fleas at bay! If you put these tips into action now, you are almost guaranteed to have a successful flea-free spring and summer.
Check out this episode of the Loving Animals podcast by American Humane if you would like to hear the full audio with Dr. Kwane.
Now we would love to hear from you! What do you do to prevent fleas in your house?
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