When you hear the term fleas, what's your first thought? It's the creepy, blood-sucking creatures that invade your home and are difficult to remove. I know this because I have dealt with fleas several times and they are not fun. To top it off, they are notoriously difficult to remove.
I was in a panic when my dog had fleas some years ago. After owning pets for 20 years, I had never dealt with fleas before. I bought some products at the store and started working. After each treatment, I would sigh with relief. But a few days or weeks later, the fleas were back.
After I learned more about the life cycle of fleas, I began to understand how they tend to return and how to get rid them. Find out why fleas can be so difficult to remove and what you should do if your dog has fleas.
Fleas can lay up to 50 eggs per day
Fleas reproduce like crazy (lay eggs). The average adult flea can lay 20-30 eggs per day. However, they may be able to lay as many as 50. When it comes to eliminating fleas, treating the adults alone is not enough. You also need to treat their environment in order to eliminate all the eggs they leave behind.
Fleas need food to lay their eggs, which in this case is the blood of the host. Flea eggs are oval-shaped and have a smooth, rounded surface. They are initially sticky and wet but quickly dry. Since fleas will only lay their eggs if they are on their host, which is usually our pets, the eggs fall off everywhere.
Fleas can be difficult to eliminate because of their eggs. When we find adult fleas on our pets, we treat them. But what about the eggs? After a few weeks, the eggs hatch and we start all over.
Fleas can be eliminated at any stage of their life cycle, even the eggs. Fleas drop their eggs from their hosts and get stuck under furniture, in carpets, cracks, and crevices. It is important to vacuum and clean your floors repeatedly in order to get rid of fleas. This is especially true in areas where you dog spends a lot of time.
Cat fleas reproduce rapidly. One healthy female can lay an average of 20-30 egg per day. That's about one egg every hour. How many eggs do fleas lay?
The Flea Life Cycle has 4 stages
Fleas can be difficult to eliminate because of their life cycle. This cycle occurs without our knowledge. Treatments that work for adult fleas may not be effective on other stages of the life cycle.
The life cycle of a flea has four stages: egg, larvae, pupa, and adult. The egg stage can last anywhere between 2 days and 2 weeks. The larval stage develops in a couple weeks, by eating “fleadir” (adult flea waste) and organic material found in the environment. The pupa, also known as the cocoon, can last from a few days to several weeks. The cocoon will protect the flea until it is ready to become an adult if the environment does not allow for this.
In order to rid your home of fleas, it is important to clean and vacuum the floor repeatedly. In the event that any eggs are left behind, they will hatch into adult fleas and you can have a new infestation.
You will miss 90% of the flea population if you do not treat the environment around the pet. This includes the eggs, larvae, and pupae. – How to Get Rid of Fleas University of Kentucky
Some flea treatments are more effective than others
There are many options when it comes to choosing a flea treatment. You can choose from prescription drugs, IGRs, sprays, collars, and spot-on treatments. While having so many options is great, it can be confusing when trying to pick the best one.
I won't tell you which treatment you should use to eliminate fleas. But I will tell you that most of them do not disrupt the life cycle of the flea completely. IGRs, for example, will kill adult and larval fleas but not pupa. You may see fleas a few months after using IGRs. IGRs are not effective at killing fleas in all stages. You will need to use a treatment that kills pupa.
How do you care for the environment? Vacuuming and cleaning a lot. This is a simple method, I know. But it works to remove all the nasty eggs, larvae & pupa that fleas left behind. After treating your dog's fleas, you should start cleaning the floors. Pay special attention to areas where your pet spends most of his time.
Remember to treat both your dog and its environment when you are trying to get rid of fleas. Most flea treatments target only adult fleas, rather than disrupting their entire life cycle.
Fleas: How to Get Rid of Them
It is difficult to eliminate fleas because we only concentrate on the adults. To eliminate fleas, you must treat both your pet and its environment. This means that you need to find a flea treatment that will kill adult fleas and then eliminate all of the eggs, larvae & pupa that they leave behind.
It is best to treat the environment first, then apply a flea treatment to your pet. In most cases, this can be accomplished with some elbow grease. You might not need to use any additional treatments if you vacuum and clean areas where your pet loves to hang out.
Vacuuming regularly after treating your dog with flea treatment will help to eliminate the eggs, larvae & pupa that they have left behind. Concentrate on areas that your dog is likely to spend a lot of their time in, such as their couch or bed. Vacuum the furniture base as well, since many larvae and egg can be found there. Wash any bedding and blankets that your dog may have come in contact with.
When fleas were a problem, I vacuumed the house three times per day for two weeks. It can take up to 2-3 days for flea eggs to hatch. Vacuuming consistently over a period of two days will ensure you get rid of all stages of the flea life cycle.
It is important to treat the environment regularly because pupa can remain dormant up to months. Vacuuming your carpets and floors repeatedly is the best way to remove flea egg infestations. Empty your vacuum and take it outdoors immediately after.
The conclusion of the article is:
You have my permission if you find fleas inside your house. I know I did. You can eliminate them if you treat both your home and your dog.
Remember that only a tiny percentage of fleas are present on your dog. Eggs, larvae and pupa can be found in carpets and other areas where your dog spends time.
You should not only focus on the fleas that are visible, but also eliminate any eggs, larvae or pupa they may have left behind. You can't kill adult fleas and expect to get rid of the eggs.