Common Flea Control Strategies
If there is one pest that upsets a household more than any other it is probably the flea. These tiny little parasites multiply at fierce speeds and make life miserable for those they feed on. While humans endure raised welts and itching at the area where biting has occurred, cats must endure the irritation of fleas wandering around their fur and usually residing in places that are difficult to reach.
If a cat owner is dealing with an infestation there are a few things to know in order to quickly destroy the colony and eliminate problems in the future. Firstly, the life cycle of the flea is the key to defeating them. Flea eggs can remain in the environment where they were deposited for a full year, and can then hatch when conditions are optimal for survival. Fortunately all stages of life are susceptible to growth inhibitors and pesticides. Even after the pupae have developed their somewhat impervious coatings a traditional steam cleaner can easily destroy them.
Does this mean that steam cleaning the home will kill of a flea infestation? Unfortunately that is only a part of the program, and if the homeowner fails to get every area with the steam cleaner there will still be some problems down the road.
The best programs for flea control involve a few different levels of treatment and cleanings that begin with all of the animals in the home. The average flea spends only ten percent of its time actually on the animals in the household. This means that they are busily laying eggs in carpeting, bedding and all other areas too. So, the first step is to get the animals treated with the first phase of a flea killing treatment. There are many safe formulas on the market, and it is best to consult with the vet about the right one for the cats in your home.
The second step should happen when the pets are outside of the home, and it is to treat all bedding, furnishing, and carpets. Now, this might be done with a standard item known as a “flea bomb” which fills the house with a chemical agent that will kill the adult fleas and their eggs, but if this is undesirable then a proper premise spray can be used in conjunction with the steam cleaner.
Finally, it is important to remember that fleas can often cause a cat to develop tapeworm infections as well. This means that the household dealing with a flea infestation should also be monitoring cats for worms at the same time.
Luckily, once a home has been properly treated for fleas and the animals put on a flea prevention treatment the likelihood of recurrence is very low.
