How to Get Rid of Fleas on Your Pet and in Your Home

If your cat or your dog has fleas, or you have found fleas in your house, then worry no more because you are about to learn how to kill those pesky fleas fast. In this article, I clearly explain the best method for getting rid of fleas, which - very importantly - is based on the latest scientific research. 

Firstly, It Is Important To Understand The Flea Lifecycle

Once a flea finds a new host (your cat or dog) all you need is one male and one female flea and within 24 hours the female flea will start laying 40-50 eggs per day! The eggs fall off your pet (generally in the areas your pet spends most of their time) and within a few days, they hatch into larvae. Larvae can move up to half a meter and if they find a protected microhabitat, somewhere dark and humid, they then spin a cocoon and form pupae. In 1-2 weeks (although they can remain in their cocoons for up to a year) they emerge as adults. Newly emerged adult fleas can then jump up to 45cm at a time until they find a host to infest.  

Remember, The Majority Of The Flea Population Is Hidden 

Only 1-5% of the population consists of adult fleas on your pet. The other 95% consists of the immature stages (eggs, larvae, and pupae) within the environment. Therefore, the fleas you see on your pet are only the tip of the iceberg and in severe infestations, the environment (where the eggs, larvae, and pupae occur) must also be tackled as adults will continue to emerge and re-infest your pet.   

The adult fleas you see on your
pet are only the tip of the iceberg

Where Does Your Pet Acquire New Fleas From? 

Once a flea starts feeding and laying eggs it is very unlikely to leave its host. Therefore, most infestations do not come from an adult flea jumping from one host to another, but from newly emerging fleas from the environment. The cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis, is the most commonly found flea on both cats and dogs. Flea eggs can fall off into the environment from any animal that can carry the cat flea, such as:

Other cats and dogs 

Some wildlife, including raccoons, opossums, and foxes

Other domestic pets that can carry the cat flea, including rabbits, ferrets, and horses

The eggs then hatch into larvae, form cocoons, and later emerge as adults that go on to infest new hosts. Humans can also bring fleas into the home as they 'hitch-hike' on our clothing. 

Some wildlife can carry cat fleas

The Key To Getting Rid Of Fleas Is Breaking The Lifecycle & Stoping Reproduction

Veterinary flea products, including spot-on treatments and oral medication, are safe and work fast to kill adult fleas on your pets. Some products also target the immature stages found in the environment or cause females to produce non-viable eggs.

Although pupae in the environment will continue to emerge as new adults, once they land on your pet they will be killed as the products usually stay active for 1 month, although longer-acting formulations are available. Eventually, the population of fleas on your pet and in your home will be diminished as no more new eggs are produced as the adults are gradually killed. Since they can remain in their cocoons for months before emerging and most flea products are only active for 1 month it is important to keep using monthly treatments to target any newly emerging adults. It can take 3-8 weeks, although up to 3 months, and in some instances even more to get rid of a flea infestation due to newly emerging adults from the environment.

Step-By-Step Guide To Getting Rid Of Fleas

1. Check the weight of your pet and use a safe and effective spot-on flea control product

Spot-on treatments are applied onto the skin on the back of the neck, and pets should not be bathed or swim prior to or after an application. If you have more than one pet they should not be allowed to groom each other until the product has dried.

Advantage II
A monthly spot-on product for cats that prevents and kills fleas

Advantix II
A monthly spot-on product for dogs that prevents and kills ticks, fleas, and mosquitoes

2. Always read and follow label instructions carefully

It is really important to make sure that any veterinary drugs you are using are for the correct species; sadly I have seen cats poisoned because they have been treated with a product intended for dogs. NEVER use a product for dogs on a cat and vice versa. Only use a product on a kitten or puppy if it specifically says that it is safe to do so. If your puppy or kitten is too young or small for flea control products then try our favorite Hartz Flea Comb to remove fleas and eggs.

Hartz Flea Comb
 The best flea comb due to its extra fine teeth that will remove adult fleas, eggs, and flea dirt. It can also be used to gently detangle hair mats

Apply products as often as it says on the instructions and make sure you are applying the correct dose for the size of your pet. You will need to check the current weight of your pet before using flea control products, particularly if they are a growing puppy or kitten, or have recently lost or gained weight.

If your pet is sick, on medication, old, pregnant, nursing, or has had adverse reactions to flea products in the past consult your veterinarian first. If you notice any adverse reactions after application, such as depression, vomiting, diarrhea, or excessive salivation, you can wash your pet with mild soap & water, and you must consult your veterinarian immediately.

3. Be patient

The initial treatment can take up to 4 hours and even 36 hours to kill all the fleas on your pet. Also, eggs, larvae, and pupae in the environment will continue to develop into adults so it can take 3-8 weeks, occasionally 3 months, and rarely even longer to eliminate fleas from your home. Very rarely, the problem can even get worse before it gets better.     

4. Treat all the pets in your household

If you don't treat all your cats and dogs in your household any untreated pets can continue to harbor adult fleas, which will continue to produce eggs that will eventually emerge as adults to re-infest all your pets. Remember that rabbits, ferrets, and hedgehogs can also harbor the same flea species that infest cats and dogs so you will need to consult your veterinarian in regards to treatment for them too.

If you are treating multiple pets with spot-on flea control then keep them separated until the product has dried to prevent them from grooming each other and ingesting the drug or insecticide.

Rabbits & ferrets can also carry the cat flea

5. Target source points in your home with mechanical methods of control

Source points are areas where your pet spends time, such as their bed or favorite chair, and these are the areas where you will find most of the eggs that have fallen off your pet as well as the larvae and pupae that have developed.

Vacuuming is one of the best tools you have in reducing the flea biomass found in the environment. Every time you vacuum source points you collect 30-40% of the eggs, larvae, and pupae. Remember, these immature stages survive best in dark and humid environments so pay particular attention to these areas when vacuuming. If you are trying to get a flea infestation under control ideally you should vacuum every day and throw away the bag each time.

I suggest you regularly wash your pet's bedding as well as any rugs that they use. You can also steam-clean source points. If your pet has a favorite chair make sure you lift it up and vacuum under any seat cushions as eggs can fall down the side. Flea Traps can be a useful method to catch any fleas that have escaped the vacuuming or steam cleaning, or newly emerging fleas in the environment before they land on your pet, without the use of chemicals. 

Flea Traps 
They look like lanterns and use warmth and light to attract fleas, and sticky discs to trap them. They also catch pesky mosquitoes. Just sit back & let them do the work for you

6. Chemical control can be used for severe infestations

Some situations will require this extra and more intense method of control, for example, if the flea population is really large, your pet has flea allergy dermatitis, or people in the home are being bitten.

Total-release aerosols, also known as 'foggers' and 'bombs', disperse insecticide throughout your home but are now considered old-fashioned as it is unnecessary to completely fill your home with potentially toxic chemicals. Handheld aerosol sprays for targeted treatment are much more efficient. One of the best aerosol sprays is Virbac Flea Spray, which contains insecticides to kill emerging adult fleas as well as an insect growth regulator (IGR) to target the eggs and larvae in the environment. Spray around source points, which are areas where your pet spends most of their time, and remember that immature fleas survive best in dark and humid areas, so target floor cracks, under your pet's bed, under cushion seats, etc. Pupae, in their protected cocoons, are resistant to insecticides but can still be targeted with vacuuming.

With any product you use, always follow label instructions carefully and consult your veterinarian if there is anything you are unsure about.

Virbac Flea Spray
It's the most effective flea-killer spray and can be used to target source points in your home, such as carpets, rugs, upholstery, pet bedding, and floor cracks. Fleas are killed rapidly and it prevents reinfestations for up to 7 months

7. You may wish to target the outside environment if your yard is infested

You can use an insecticide or flea killer spray, such as Advantage Yard and Premise Spray, specifically designed for outdoor use. Focus on shaded and protected areas, such as under shrubs, as these are where eggs and larvae are likely to survive. Remember to also target source points, which are areas where your pet spends time. Please read and follow the label instructions carefully. As fleas like shaded and moist areas, you can also try trimming back shrubs and regularly mowing your lawn to let light in.

Advantage Yard Spray
Can be used to kill fleas and ticks harboring in your lawn and backyard that keep reinfesting your pets

8. Don't remove the animal as newly emerging fleas will target humans instead

If spraying insecticides, inside or outside, you must follow the instructions as it is likely both pets and people must not enter treated areas until the spray has dried and the product is dispersed. However, do not be tempted to permanently prevent your pet from accessing any rooms with infestations; if the room is still being used by people and there are no animals around the fleas will start to target humans instead! You want the fleas to land on your pet so that the current flea control that they are on (spot-on, oral medication, or injection) will kill them soon after they have jumped on.

9. Don't stop using flea control

In most cases, it is important to use continuous and lifelong flea control. Adult fleas can continue to emerge from pupae in the environment; flea eggs can drop off feral or wild animals that move through your garden, and humans can also bring fleas into the home on their clothing.

In some cases, you may wish to use seasonal control, which involves only using flea control in the warmer months and not over winter. However, keep in mind that with central heating our homes can now potentially harbor fleas all winter long. So even though fleas cause the most problems in summer, they can remain active all year round. 

10. Monitor

It is a good idea to regularly use a Flea Comb to check for adult fleas and flea dirt. Not only will the flea comb remove any fleas that happen to be on your pet, but it is also the best way to check for the presence of fleas, which can be missed by just checking visually. If you find black specks place them on some kitchen roll and dampen them with water, if it's flea dirt it will leak a red color (digested blood). Monitoring is important to ensure your current flea control plan is working.  

Trouble-shooting - Still having problems with fleas? 

• Are you applying the flea control product correctly to your pet? Spot-on products need to be applied to the skin, not the hair, and your pet must be dry before application as a wet coat can reduce efficacy. Usually, your pet should not be bathed or swim for 2 days before or after applying a spot-on product. Some oral products need to be given with food. Read the instructions carefully and ask your vet to show you the correct method of administration. 

• Are you applying the correct dosage for your pet? Get your pet weighed and make sure they are receiving the correct dosage. 

• Does your pet swim or bathe frequently? Regular contact with water can reduce the efficacy of spot-on products. 

• Did the flea population diminish and then you stopped using flea control on your pet? You need to keep treating to stop re-infestation as frequently as the product instructs (most licensed products have a duration of activity of 4-12 weeks). 

• Are you using mechanical methods of control to target immature fleas in the environment, such as frequent vacuuming? Target places your pet spends time and vacuum under seat cushions and under your pet's bed as fleas survive best in dark places. 

• Are you using chemical methods of control, such as Virbac Knockout Flea Spray, in your home? Target areas where your pet spends time as well as any dark places the immature fleas can survive. 

• Are you treating all the pets in your home together? Any untreated pets can be a source of re-infestation. Remember, ferrets and rabbits can also carry that cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis.

• Are you being patient? It can take several months to eliminate fleas so keep going with your flea control. However, it should not take more than 3 months. 

• Have you tried using a Flea Trap to catch any new emerging adult fleas?

• If your pet spends time a lot of time in the yard or you have noticed a flea infestation outdoors, you can treat shaded areas with an insecticide yard spray or introduce nematodes into the soil that will feed on flea larvae and pupae.

• Are there any areas that your pet spends their time that you have missed, such as under shrubs in the garden or perhaps they can access under the decking or shed? 

• Is there wildlife or feral animals entering your garden that you need to try and prevent access to? 

Home Remedies for Fleas

Unfortunately, there are no home remedies that I can currently recommend, as none of them have had sufficient efficacy and safety testing.