Flea Bites

Ever had a flea bite? If so, then you know how painful they can be. The problem with a flea bite is they don’t really start itching until later on and usually when you’re sleeping, then they just seem to go crazy. Fleas are a parasite and feed off blood. The problem is, when they bite you there is usually some blood left over from the last warm blooded host. So now you can be getting something else’s blood on you.

Fleas like many parasites carry diseases, because they can jump a good length, they can move from host to host, and if that host travels any distance at all then the flea can also travel that far. The best remedy for flea bites is to simply eliminate them as soon as you know you have a flea infestation.

Many people confuse a fire ant bite with a flea bite. The fire ant bite will be red and soon have a puss head to it. A flea bite is usually red and runs in a line with a few more bites and will last up to about two weeks.

Some people have a allergic reaction to flea bites, if you are one of those that do and you get bit, be sure and keep a watch on the bite and your health. If necessary get professional medical care. To see pictures of flea bites go here. To get some relief from a bite and help to keep the itching down try using Calahist lotion

As I mentioned earlier the best remedy is elimination, when you first see or feel a flea bite then take action and get rid of the fleas or learn how to kill
fleas

The Cat Flea

The cat flea is the most common flea found in and around the home. The cat flea finds almost everything with warm blood a tasty food source. The reason this flea is called the cat flea because the cat is the host for the flea. But dogs are also the main host for this flea. The cat flea can live on almost any animal, they feed on almost any warm blooded mammal even humans. Now I don’t think they can sustain life on humans.

If you've never noticed, fleas only travel one way, they are skinny and move in a forward motion and they are very quick. Fleas have a tendency to hide in those areas you would not think of looking. But they are good at hiding until they need a blood feast to reproduce.

Once the flea has their meal source and lays eggs, the eggs will eventually roll off the host and on to the areas surrounding where the host mostly hangs out. The eggs will hatch into larvae that fee d on the fecal material of the adult flea, and then soon they will go into the pupa stage by spinning a cocoon. By the way, this is the hardest of all stages to kill the flea. Once the flea has evolved from the pupa stage the it will lay dormant until a host comes along to be its next meal ticket.

The flea will probably not be a health problem unless the infestation goes unchecked or unless your pet has some kind of allergic reaction to the bites. Then it is time to take action by getting rid of the fleas.

The cat flea is one of the biggest problems around so make sure you check your dogs, cats or animals periodically to make sure there is not a flea problems.

Flea Control

To get a good integrated flea control program you must includes good sanitation and treatment of the pet and environment. You can eliminate fleas from your home or building with proper treatment, but it may take time and perseverance, especially if the infestation is heavy.
 Sanitation.
To be successful you need to vacuum thoroughly and change pet bedding regularly. Vacuuming removes up to 30 percent of the larvae and up to 60 percent of flea eggs from a carpet depending on your vacuum cleaner, as well as the larvae’s food supply of dried blood.
If you really want success with flea control be thorough when vacuuming, you need to vacuum under furniture, cushions, chairs, beds, and along walls. Get rid of vacuum cleaner bags at least once a week, better yet get rid of bags when your through vacuuming. Fleas can continue to develop inside vacuum cleaner bags and re-infest the house.
Treating your Pets.
A flea comb and a good bath is your pet’s first line of defense for flea control. Soap acts as a gentle insecticide and helps control light infestations on your pet. Though time consuming, combing helps reduce the need for insecticides. Flea combs have fine teeth that remove adult fleas from fur. Most dogs and cats seem to enjoy this treatment; pay particular attention to the face and neck, and the area in front of the tail. Dip the comb frequently in soapy water or an alcohol solution to kill fleas removed from the pet.
    Insect growth regulators, or IGRs, are a safe preventative treatment for fleas. These products work by disrupting the normal development of flea eggs and larvae. When exposed to IGRs, adult fleas are unable to reproduce; eggs fail to hatch and larvae die before they complete their development. Because most IGRs kill only eggs and larvae, they do not eliminate adult fleas quickly. For this reason, they are usually mixed with a mild insecticide.
    Insect growth regulators are available as sprays, spot-ons, pills or food additives. One product designed for internal use is called Program^® (active ingredient: lufenuron). Program^® can be given as a pill (for dogs), food additive (for cats), or injection (for cats). A similar product, Sentinel^®, contains lufenuron plus a heart-worm preventative. These products are available only through veterinarians. They are very effective for flea control, particularly for indoor pets.
    Two other insect growth regulators for topical use are methoprene and pyriproxyfen. Methoprene is sold under several trade names including Precor^® and vIGRen^®. Methoprene and pyriproxyfen are available at pet stores as dips, pet sprays, spot-ons and flea collars. Control requires 4 to 6 weeks.
    For severe flea problems and better flea control, an IGR treatment may not be quick enough. Use a product that kills adult fleas, such as imidacloprid (Advantage^TM) or fipronil (Frontline^TM). Both products have low toxicity to mammals and pose little risk to pets or people. Advantage^TM and Frontline^TM provide 1- and 3-month protection from fleas, respectively. Frontline^TM also kills ticks for up to 1 month after application. Both Advantage^TM and Frontline^TM are available from veterinarians as spray and spot-on treatments.
    Spot-on treatments (pesticides applied to one or more spots on the animal’s back) control adult fleas effectively. Natural oils on the fur help transfer the pesticide to all parts of the pet’s body. Before you apply any products, read and follow label directions carefully. Puppies and cats are different from adult dogs and the products designed for them are different, unless specified on the label.
    Botanical (plant-based) insecticides kill adult and larval fleas and are relatively low in toxicity. Botanical insecticides include pyrethrum (or pyrethrins) and citrus oil extracts (limonene and linalool). Use botanical insecticides with care. Though usually safe when applied according to label directions, some pets (especially certain cat breeds) are sensitive to botanicals-especially citrus oil products.
    It is sometimes claimed that garlic, Brewer’s yeast, cedar bedding and various herbal sachets control fleas, but there is little scientific evidence to support such claims. Volatile oils in fresh cedar chips are toxic to fleas, but the effect lasts a very short time. Tests have shown that Brewer’s yeast does not protect pets from fleas.
 One of the reasons the profession exterminator is successful with flea control is the application and the follow up. With out follow up you might as well not even bother.
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How To Get Rid Of fleas

Below is some questions I ran into on How to get rid of fleas

Question:

My house is infested with fleas! I have never had fleas before I moved into this house. I bought flea collars for the dogs and flea spray made especially for cats, and some spray for the carpet, but what else can I do? I need all the help I can get! Thanks.

Answers by various people about how to get rid of fleas:

If you don't want to use frontline or that other chemical they have (can't think of the name right now) you might try setting off a bug bomb (get everyone including pets, out of the house first), give dogs baths (with flea shampoo),then start feeding them small amounts of garlic, and that ought to solve the problem.

When my house was infested (many years ago) I got some bombs, spray, and shampoo from the vet. I bombed the house and the inside of my car because the dog was in there a lot. Worked great, and I have been using frontline type flea control ever since. Only have to go through it once to learn...what a royal pain! The vacuum is your friend right now too. Get every nook and cranny.

Flea collars are a scam. Get the between the shoulder flea drops and put on the pets or animals and start vacuuming every day for a month, and that should get rid of the problem.

All the above answers are very good to some degree when it comes knowing how to get rid fleas; the one thing that is missing is the follow up. You must repeat the process in 2-3 weeks to be successful. You really only need to vacuum a couple of times, more important is to get the bag out of cleaner or dump contents outside in a plastic bag and throw into garbage. Fleas will escape out of a vacuum cleaner.
Remember this if you cannot get rid of the problem please call a professional exterminator, so that the animals will not be miserable.

Good luck to you!

Flea Bites On Humans

What do fleas bites on humans look like? Sometime they bite you and are gone before you realize it. Now you’re left with itching like there is no tomorrow and scratching like crazy. Have you ever noticed your dog scratching like crazy, could be a sign that fleas have invaded.

Usually by the time you get the fleas, the problem is magnified.
Flea bites are small, but the more bites we get the more our health and immune system struggles. Flea bites have been known to start plagues. I am not trying to scare you but it is best not to let it get out of control.

You can see above in the Pictures that fleas can inflict some nasty bite on humans. Flea bites on humans is not all that uncommon. Flea bites are the most common form of insect bites that are experienced not only by the animals but human beings as well


fleas can be found on animals with some patience.
Fleas always move forward when in the hair of animals. You can catch them but you do have to have patience. We know flea bites on humans can be irritating, and we know flea bites on dogs are irritating as well. the best treatment for flea bites is to take some Calahist from your local drug store and rub on the area where the bites are. This will keep the itching down and help you not scratch and irritate the problem.

If the area where the bites are won't go away, consult your doctor
Flea treatment
I would also consult a pest control company about the problem if the problem doesn't respond to any of the home remedy's you try and use.

How to Kill Fleas Vacuuming

When I started out in the pest business 30 years ago I never dreamed I would be writing an article on how to kill fleas, but here I sit doing just that. I just read an article about vacuuming and how important it is in getting rid of fleas. That is one of the first things I learned as a pest control person was the importance of vacuuming for fleas.

Above image is flea bites

Remember when you vacuum, throw out the bag. When I say throw out the bag, I mean place it in a plastic bag tie up the top and get it out of the house. If you leave a bag in the vacuum cleaner the fleas that may live through all the turmoil, and some will, will find their way back out.

Vacuum the carpet, the furniture, the hard floors, and especially the place where the pets spend most of their time.

I do believe the Ohio State University insect specialist who says that the they believed that the damaging effects of the brushes, fans, and powerful air currents in vacuum cleaners combined can kill the fleas.

I am just not sure how many it will kill. After all these years my experience is that it won't get all of them. I know one thing it certainly won't kill the ones on your pet or in the places you can't get with a vacuum. I have said it time and again, you just can't do one thing and get rid of fleas. If you have read any of my post, you will learn I am a firm believer in a combination of treatments.

Treat the pet
Treat the inside of structure
Treat the yard
That is the only sure fire way I know of, I will always say if your not sure you can do these things, call a professional, there are many out there.

1.Orkin
2.Terminex
3.Truly Nolen
4.Nozel Nolen

I have named a few of the larger pest companies, but there are many local company's who will do you a good job.
If you do decide to do your own flea service then check your local Do It Yourself company's.
Remember always read the label, and do not deviate from it. The label does take predominance over anything else you do in learning how to kill fleas.

John