A flea infestation starts with just one flea being brought into your home on you or your pet. An adult female flea can lay up to 50 eggs a day, and over 500 in her lifetime. A flea’s life cycle has 4 stages: egg to larva, larva to pupae and finally pupae to adult. The adult fleas you see only make up 5% of the population in your home. Forty-five percent of the population is made up of pupae and larva, and 50% is made up of eggs. Fleas can be brought into your home many different ways, but the important thing to focus on is how to get them out (and keep them out!). Treating fleas used to involve daily vacuuming, flea baths for all pets, and constant washing of all linens and floors. Fear not! There are many new flea treatments to make your life easier! The new and improved treatments are in topical form, which means no fighting pills into your cat or dog. There are many different types of flea treatment/ prevention available, and they are not all created equal. Make sure you are using the proper product for your pet at the proper dose. Some flea treatments for dogs will seriously harm, or may even kill, a cat. Be familiar with the product you choose. There is one thing all flea prevention products have in common… all animals in your home need to be treated for 3 consecutive months to cover the full lifecycle of the flea. Our staff is always happy to discuss proper flea treatment protocol, and which product will be best for you and your pet.
