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With the arrival of autumn and the cold weather, most dog owners are relieved that the fight with the annoying ticks is over. What many forget, however, is that after tick season comes the most active flea season. One walk in the countryside or contact with an animal that has fleas (hedgehog, cat, dog...) and the flea invasion is over. If you are hit, don't panic. Here's how to get rid of fleas!
In spring, dog and cat owners start to treat their animals against ticks (and therefore fleas) - either naturally or chemically. Once the summer (and the effectiveness of collars, pipettes) is over, they believe that there is nothing to worry about and underestimate the protection of their pet. But here is the stumbling block, because even if you are clean and clean daily, it only takes a few fleas in the coat and the disaster of a completely flea-infested apartment is in the world. So don't underestimate prevention even in autumn and protect your pets against parasites!
The flea cycle
In order to understand how to get rid of fleas, it is important to know their cycle, which lasts about 1 month under the right conditions. Only 5% of the flea population parasitizes the dog's fur - adults that suck blood and lay eggs (1 flea lays hundreds of eggs in a few days). These eggs fall out freely into the environment - it is the remaining 95% that is in the environment and will cause an infestation in the home.
The egg falls from the animal into the bedding, onto the carpet, etc. The egg hatches into a larva which eats the organic material around it and the flea droppings which are excreted with the eggs. It then pupates into a very hardy cocoon in which the pupa can survive adverse conditions for several months. As soon as it senses the warmth and vibrations of an approaching host, it will hatch and reoccupy your pet. And the cycle begins again.
Step 1: de-flea the dog
- If you already find fleas on an individual, the natural way won't help. The first step to destroying the flea population is to destroy the adults not only on the dog, but on all animals in the household. Use an effective product that has an effect for a minimum of 3 months - or depending on the effectiveness of the product, repeat the flea treatment every month, as a single application of the product will only temporarily reduce the flea population but will not solve the problem.
Step 2: de-flea the environment
If you don't want to use an extermination company, the good news is that you can get rid of fleas yourself. However, it's a challenging process because you mustn't forget about any part of your home when flea-proofing. Concentrate on the places where the dog moves the most and especially on the fabrics (sofa, carpets, bed, linen) where the eggs and pupae will stick the most.
- Washing: wash everything that can be washed at 60 °C. Especially dog beds, as this is where most of the developmental stages are. Anything that cannot be washed at 60 °C should be put in the dryer, which no pupae will survive.
- Thorough cleaning: Don't forget to empty the contents of the lux, otherwise the fleas will hatch inside. A steam cleaner should be used on textiles where fleas cling the most.
- Apply a flea control spray: after a thorough cleaning, apply a flea control product in the environment - beware of toxicity to cats, study the product or consult your vet.
- Regularity is most important in flea control. Unfortunately, a one-off cleaning is not enough, as it is not possible to get rid of all the developmental stages at once. Depending on the severity of the infestation, it is necessary to vacuum daily in the case of a small infestation and up to several times a day in the case of a large infestation.
