The fleas that you see on your pet are only 5% of the flea population.  These adult fleas are what cause the most trauma to our pets. They carry parasites, diseases and can cause skin problems.

Where do fleas come from? That is the burning question everyone asks.  The adult fleas do not just “hang out” and wait for your pet.  These animals are getting fleas from their environment or where your pet has been.  Let’s get to the bottom of this shall we?

The life cycle of a flea starts with an egg, these eggs are laid by a female flea and she can lay up to 2,000 eggs in her lifetime. The adult female flea will start laying eggs within 36 to 48 hours from her first blood meal and mating.  She will usually lay 20-50 eggs per day. The eggs typically make up 50% of an infestation in the home. The female will lay eggs while on your pet (the host) and the eggs will fall off the animal during scratching, laying down, or running in the woods.  So we start the cycle with an egg.  Eggs usually hatch in 1 to 10 days, depending on temperature and humidity.  Humidity’s below 50% and over 92% kill flea eggs.

These maggots do not like light and therefore are generally found deep in carpet fibers, mattresses or couch stuffing materials.  They can also be found on organic debris such as leaves (or leaf piles) and branches.  They tend to be found where the animals spend a great amount of time.  These are typically seen in pet resting areas.  They are not usually found in open lawn.  Flea maggots are extremely susceptible to heat and desiccation.  Moisture in this stage is essential for development.  Humidity’s below 50% cause destruction. This larval stage usually lasts 5-11 days depending on the availability of food and climate conditions. At this time the maggot will next molt into a pupa (cocoon). These maggots will account for about 35% of an infestation in a home.

This pupa stage is the stage that is difficult to destroy.  There are no chemicals on the market today that can penetrate this cocoon.  .  House sprays will kill exposed eggs and larvae (maggots), but the pupae will remain unaffected and will hatch at some point long after the residual effect of most sprays has expired.  Successful treatment of the pupae must wait until the flea has hatched into an adult where the adulticide products will kill it.  These cocoon’s are typically spun around the base of carpet fibers or bedding material which make them impossible to remove with regular vacuuming.  Vacuuming is recommended though as the vibration from the vacuum may stimulate the flea to the point of emergence where it can then be killed.  The pupae stage make up 10% of the infestation in a home.  Depending upon temperature and humidity, the entire life cycle of this flea can be completed in as little as 12-14 days under ideal conditions or can be prolonged to 6 months and possibly as long as a year! In general, most average household conditions this cycle will be completed within 3-4 weeks.

Our Recommendations:

•  Give a Capstar tablet once to twice weekly until no more fleas are seen.  This product will kill the adult fleas within 30 minutes and will last for 24 hours.

·         Apply Frontline Plus to ALL pets every 3 weeks during flea infestation.

·         Spray ALL pets with Ovitrol, just a mist will do. This will kill adults and will destroy the eggs.

·         Vacuum carpets and take vacuum bags directly out to the trash.  DO NOT LEAVE IN YOUR HOME.

·         Spray all bedding and areas where dog sleeps with Ecktokyl spray as directed.

·         Treat the yard with the product called “D.E.”, Diatomaceous Earth, or other insecticide.

*This is our recommendation for flea infestations or outbreaks and this is an off-label use for Frontline Plus.