Get Rid of Fleas

Fleas are not fun --- for you OR for your pet. Just one flea in the house could turn into millions. They breed rapidly, infest everything, are dangerous for your pet and even for your own health, too. Some people spend hundreds of dollars and countless man hours working at ridding their home of an infestation. Be aggressive! AS soon as you see signs of this problem, deal with it swiftly and aggressively. Some people treat fleas with poisons and others look to fight fleas naturally to be more safe. Whatever you do, do all you can to get rid of fleas fast. The longer it takes --- the more difficult it is to get rid of them!

If you can proactively fight fleas before they get in, through Advantage Flea treatment or some other method, great. If it's too late, here are some tips to help you get rid of fleas. Some people swear by these methods and others have not had as much success as others. Things to consider include: the degree of your infestation and how long you've been battling the fleas. Read on for reactive and proactive measures gathered from those who have been down this road before for getting rid of fleas as fast as possible.

Repelling fleas could help. If you've already got a flea infestation, you'll want to do more but repelling them is helpful and a good idea once you've been able to get rid of the fleas in case they are outside your doors and windows.

• Feed pets brewer's yeast
• Spray pet's coat with organic apple cider vinegar
• Flea collars can help, but not if you have an infestation already. You can find natural flea collars as well as use commercial ones (be careful about using them on sick or young animals)
  

Here are some tips to get rid of fleas. Some people use all these methods, some use a few, or a combination. Please work with your vet, if necessary, to be sure your pet is not in danger from any of these methods or from excessive flea bites as it can cause tapeworm and other illnesses. Please also be careful about treating young or pregnant pets. some of the below natural flea-fighting methods are helpful, rather than toxic products which have, in some cases, been known to be lethal. Whatever you do, watch your pet carefully for signs of distress that may warrant a trip to your veterinarian.

It is said that less than 20% of the fleas in your house are on your pet. Your rugs, your furniture, your pet's bed, and even your own bed are probably harbouring these parasitic insects. You need to treat EVERYTHING possible regularly to combat this problem.

FLEA TRAPS

• Place bowls of water near light and heat sources. Putting lamps on the floor with bowls of water beneath is helpful as is putting bowls of water beneath nightlights. Fleas will jump toward the light and drown in the water. This won't get rid of eggs, however, but is a good gauge as to the existence of adult fleas in the house.

BORAX

• Put Borax on the carpet. Rake it in so it goes deep into the fibers and leave for 24-48 hours. Vacuum. This dehydrates fleas. You can find 20 Mule Team Borax in the grocery store for about $5 a box. Some suggest mixing it 50/50 with salt. Others use it straight.

VACUUM

• Vacuum daily. Fleas can go dormant for months in an almost impermeable shell, especially when there is no movement (explaining why homes that have been empty for several months suddenly have flea infestations when new homeowners or tenants move in). Vacuuming regularly catches adults and recently hatched fleas vibrations encourage hatching.

BRUSH / COMB YOUR PET DAILY OR 2X DAILY

• Comb your pet daily. Use a flea comb and dip it in vinegar or original Dawn blue dishsoap. Have a bowl of water nearby to drown the fleas you catch. 

BLUE DAWN DISH SOAP & BATHING

• Bath your pet regularly. Many people swear by the efficacy of blue Dawn liquid dish soap. Start by putting blue Dawn original dishsoap as a thick ring around the pets neck to catch and suffocate any fleas that will try to jump to the face area. Leave your pet as soapy as you can for as long as possible before rinsing. The dishsoap will drown the fleas and many say it works as good or better than toxic flea shampoos. People who struggle with fleas for a long time before getting rid of them are exposing themselves to the toxicity of flea killers and growth inhibitors, which is not recommended, especially for women who may become pregnant!

INSECTICIDES  / GROWTH INHIBITORS

• Some people use household insecticide sprays and growth retardants that help sterilize fleas. If you can fumigate and get you and your family and your pets out of the house (and have them groomed and flea bathed, plus given a treatment such as Advantage) before returning, this can help.

SEPARATE PETS AND RUGS

• Separate your pet from the soft furniture and the carpets. This can be difficult as your pet will be miserable if it is kept segregated but if your flea problem is really extreme, you may notice that you spray and bathe the pet and vacuum but the fleas keep returning. Some will notice the fleas start biting them once the pet has been removed from an area with carpet. It can be easier to treat the house and your pet if the pet is kept seperate from soft areas while you treat them both.

TEA TREE OIL (WITH CAUTION!)

• Repel fleas from yourself with tea tree oil. If you are getting bit, try rubbing tea tree oil on your legs and feet. Don't wear socks as fleas will stick to them and get transported elsewhere. Be careful that you do not put this oil on your cat as it is toxic to cats. Some suggest putting it on dogs but others suggest you err on the side of caution and not use it. Cats may groom family dogs so be careful with tea tree oil.

STEAM CLEAN CARPETS / FURNITURE

• Steam clean your rugs and furniture. Fleas will drown. Do it again in two weeks to catch newly hatched flea larvae. 

SHAVE YOUR PET

• Shave your pet. Shaving your pet can make it easier to remove fleas and see what's happening as well as treat any sores from bites.

RUG REMOVAL

• Remove your carpet. This sounds extreme but in some cases the carpet is harbouring thousands and thousands of eggs and can make getting rid of the insects permanently feel nearly impossible. Some people are only able to get flea-free once the carpets are out of the house.

CLEAN DILIGENTLY FOR A FEW WEEKS

Continually cleaning the house, cleaning your pet, and watching for signs of fleas, such as through the lamp flea trap to measure the number of fleas found daily can help you get rid of fleas permanently. Once you have been able to do this, consider putting your pet on a proactive once-a-month treatment, available from your vet.