Knowing the
Fundamentals of Killing Fleas
Flea infestation is one of
the most common problems households experience when having pets on their
home. Pets running in out of the house can carry these small insects
from outside and let these pests breed on hidden places on your home.
Most of the time, you can spot these parasites on your pet’s coat which
would be the immediate sign that you should take the necessary actions
to eliminate them before they spread all throughout your home.
Fleas have tube-like
mouths that have the capability to pierce the skin and suck blood as
their primary food. Fleas can victimize warm-blooded vertebrates such as
cats, dogs, chickens, rabbits and even humans. You may want to determine
important factors that can affect the life cycle of a flea to help you
identify solutions on how to eradicate them completely.
The life stage of a flea
starts when the eggs are laid on the host to where the female flea
rests. The female flea can lay up to 20 eggs and these would hatch
within a period of 2 days to 2 weeks. Once the eggs have hatched into
larvae, they began to feed on dead insects, vegetable matters and feces.
They continue to grow while hiding in dark places like cracks, crevices,
beddings and sand. Once these pupae are mature enough, they hunt for
blood as their primary food. The nutrients they get from the blood
extraction play a major role in giving them the ability to reproduce. On
an entire flea infestation on your home, half of the flea population are
on the egg stage. The other half consists of the 35% larvae, 10% pupae
and 5% of adult fleas. Most of the fleas undergo a full life cycle in
two weeks but may even survive for a number of months. Moreover, female
fleas are capable of laying about 500 eggs in their total life span.
This reproduction rate would definitely convince you to eradicate them
as soon as possible before they infest your home.
Vacuuming the whole area
that can possibly be the resting place of the adult fleas as well as
breeding grounds of new flea eggs can be the best solution to wipe away
the population. According to research, about 96 percent of the total
flea population can be effectively removed by sucking them using a
vacuum. However, the remains are mostly fleas that are in the developing
stage. You can hinder their growth by using dehumidifiers and air
conditioning. Just make sure that the bag that you have used is taken
away properly after cleaning to avoid them from coming back.
For pets that have signs
of flea infestation, you may want to consult your local veterinarian on
what methods to use in order to treat the flea problem. One of the
commonly recommended solutions is to use pesticides with Insect growth
Regulator. This mixture can effectively reduce the growth development of
fleas. Common flea breeding places such as rugs, carpets and beds are
some of the ideal places to apply the IGR mixture.
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