We all know the pain and annoyance of fleas. This time of year they can be particularly trying as the warm weather hatches dormant flea eggs making fleas a bigger issue in the warmer months. Fleas aren’t fun for us or our dogs, so it’s really important to make sure our dogs are comfortable and flea free!
Because dogs can’t tell us if they have fleas, apart from the obvious scratching, it is really important to check your dog on a daily basis. The places to look out for are around the base of their tail, behind their ears, on their bum and between their hind legs. Brushing them or simply spending some time checking over the problem areas will assist in a flea free dog.
Signs your dog has fleas include
- Scratching and Itching
- Tiny reddish sores or scabs appear on your dogs skin
- Apparent flea dirt this look like small balls or particles of dust
Flea eggs don’t stick to your dogs’ coat they drop off your dog all over the house and in places including your yard, home and anywhere your dog visits. One way to help control a Flea infestation is to make a few simple changes in your home tings such as changing or emptying your vacuum cleaner once you have used it means that the flea eggs don’t have a chance to hatch in the warmth created by your vacuum cleaner. If you keep your vacuum cleaner emptied after each use this limits the possibility of the next time you vacuum spreading your flea population all through your home once again. Another great tip is to stick a flea collar inside your vacuum.
Flea Eggs hatch into legless larvae and find their way into cracks and crevises where they feed on organic debris. After 4 to 8 days they turn into pupay and hatch when the weather is right especially thriving on heat and humidity or when stimulated by vibrations such as your dog or cat walking past. The flea pupay can remain in this ready to hatch form for upto 2 years and when they are ready to hatch into full adult fleas this hatching can happen in less than a second.
The fleas that you see are unfortunately only a very small percentage of the problem, 5% in fact the rest of the 95% of the flea population is made up of the pupae, flea larvey and the flea eggs.
Did you know one Flea can live up to 8 Months, and a female Flea is capable of laying 50 eggs per day! That’s why gaining control of any flea infestations is so important from killing adult fleas to stopping the entire life cycle.
Here is a table that will help you to guide you through the maze that is available flea treatments the table below outlines what product does what to give you an easy guide.
If you have any questions regarding fleas or any other topics don’t hesitate to ask us any of the friendly staff at Paddington Pups.
Once you have made sure your pets are treated, you can fight a flea infestation by using chemicals or by making use of dehumidifiers to prevent the larvae from hatching. Chemicals should not be used in homes with pets, as they can be toxic to animals. Dehumidifiers will greatly scale down the number of larvae that hatch, which helps to limit the infestation. All of these methods should be used while also taking the time to vacuum and keep your home clean. When you vacuum, bags should be disposed of immediately, as the bags can provide excellent homes for larvae to hatch.