Summer is the time to think and dream big, right? We plan camping trips, picnics, family reunions, and extravagant vacations. However, while we are having our summer fun, some of the smallest pests around are ravaging our yards, trails, and, unfortunately, our pets. Fleas can be daunting, particularly in the summer months, but with a proactive approach to flea control, your pet can enjoy summer fun with the family, and you can rest easy.
Two Crucial Steps
Effective flea control hinges on two things: keeping fleas off your pet and eliminating fleas from your house and yard. The good news is that by keeping your pet on a year-round parasite prevention medication, your pet is effectively protected against an infestation. However, once fleas get a foothold in your pet’s environment, fleas are notoriously hard to get rid of.
Life Cycle
After consuming a blood meal from a host, a female adult flea lays approximately 40 small, whitish eggs. Depending on the temperature and humidity, the eggs hatch into larvae 2-4 weeks later. Fleas then feed off environmental debris and adult flea feces, all the while taking up residency in carpet fibers, bedding, grass, leaves, and soil to avoid light.
Emerging from their silk-like cocoons, flea pupae begin to transform into adults. Utilizing pressure, heat, and carbon dioxide, this transition occurs over a 5-10 day period. Without these types of stimulation, pupae can remain in their shell for more than 9 months! However, once emerged, if fleas don’t find a blood meal, they will die within a few days.
The Gross Factor
Within two days of an emergent female’s first blood meal, she is able to lay more eggs, thus beginning another life cycle. Over the course of her 3-week long life, she may lay up to 840 eggs!
Flea control remains an important component of pet care because these parasites have the potential to cause anemia, cause tapeworm infection, and make pets very uncomfortable. Some pets can even become infected with a flea allergy dermatitis.
Flea Control Within Reach
We urge pet owners to consult with us before administering flea medication to their pets. Determining the safest, most effective products depends on your pet’s size, breed, lifestyle, and exposure risk. We recommend Bravecto, Credelio, Revolution, and Seresto collars.
Give your pet’s wellness a head start this summer with flea control. As always, please contact us with any questions or concerns. Our staff is always here to help!
Tags: Flea Control, Flea Infestation, Fleas, Pet Parasite Control, Pet Parasite Prevention