Fleas are a significant problem that all pet owners will have to contend with. Anybody who owns a dog has probably dealt with the difficult battle of trying to get rid of fleas, a battle which has usually proved to be harder than it looks.

Fleas aren't merely a worry because they bite and bring about hours of irritating scratching for your dog, but they can also trigger additional critical troubles that could include tapeworm infestations, flea bite dermatitis and in critical situations, anemia.

As a result of their amazing stamina, fleas are very problematic to manage. The female might lay more than 2,000 eggs during the span of her life, this implies that infection may arise briskly and the eggs that are laid may subsist for a number of months in the environment while merely waiting on an appropriate victim. Thus it is imperative to get rid of both the fleas on your dog and the fleas residing in the dog's living area. The perfect areas to look for fleas are sand, rugs, bedding and carpets.

The Best Ways to Eliminate Fleas

To totally exterminate fleas on your canine and in his surroundings, it is fundamental to understand the flea's life span. There are four phases which makeup the life cycle of the flea. Like nearly all insects, the fleas starts life in the egg phase, grows into larva, then progresses into the pupa phase before eventually making it to the adult phase.

The Flea Egg Phase

The eggs of the flea are pale in color and are so minute that they're tough to locate without the use of a magnifying glass. Despite the fact that the eggs are first laid on the dog's skin, a lot will ultimately fall onto the ground to perpetuate their trek to adulthood. Approximately 50 percent of the total flea populace is comprised of eggs. Depending upon the surrounding conditions, the eggs hatch in anywhere from a couple of weeks to a month. The greater the warmth and moistness in the living area, the faster the eggs will hatch.

The Flea's Larvae Stage

As soon as the flea egg hatches, it enters the larva stage where it grows to nearly 1/4 inch in length. The flea larvae survive on natural waste substances and on the adult flea's feces. They are uncomfortable in intense light and tend to go underground deep within their current living space, if at all possible in a balmy and damp place. Climate controlled houses are the perfect surroundings for the life cycle of the flea to prosper. Outside, larval growth will only come about in wet, shady regions.

The Flea's Pupa Phase

After going into the pupae phase, the flea pupa form a velvety and sticky protective chrysalis. The shell swiftly forms a useful camouflage as it gets sheltered by debris and dirt. If stimulated by temperature, carbon dioxide or by manual influence, like that in a hot and muggy environment, an adult flea might emerge from its cocoon in as quickly as five to ten days. Just as the adult flea emerges from its cocoon, it could survive for only a few days unless it's able to find a host. Pre-emerged adult fleas are able to exist within the cocoon for as many as nine months. This is important for the reason that adult fleas still living in the cocoon are resistant to insecticides applied to the environment and can appear a significant time after you utilize insecticides in your house.

The Flea Adulthood Stage

After the adult flea appears from the chrysalis, it must rapidly locate a host since it must have blood in order to exist. Two days subsequent to locating a suitable host, the female flea will start laying in the vicinity of forty eggs each day. Adult fleas can live as long as three weeks. The full lifecycle of a flea can be ended in as little as 2 to 4 weeks, or as long as 10 months contingent upon environmental climate.

Treating Your Dog For Fleas

There are lots of powders, sprays, shampoos and spot on measures offered to liberate your dog of fleas. Be certain to confer with your vet to opt for the most effective and safest flea pesticides for your house and canine.

Methods For Clearing the Indoor Area of Fleas

Most pesticides are merely useful against the adult flea, but environmental pesticides are becoming more highly developed. Your veterinarian can offer you flea products having insect growth regulators that will help destroy the flea eggs and larvae. Before applying any environmental pesticide, you ought to vacuum the carpets and rugs to entice the pre-adult fleas to surface from their protective cocoon. Be certain to throw out the vacuum bag afterwards. You ought to also wash all bedding the pet has lied on.

Methods For Clearing the Outdoor Area of Fleas

Pay particular attention to darkened, shady spots. Apply an insecticide containing an insect growth regulator and repeat it every 14-21 days for 3 to 5 applications.

The newer oral and skin flea deterrents ought to profoundly aid you in solving the flea troubles. With dedication and patience, you and your dog should be flea free in short order!