Fleas are a pest to many homeowners, especially pet owners. These little blood-sucking insects are not only annoying, but can also spread serious diseases. Before you start your flea treatment, make sure you know what kind of infestation you’re dealing with first. This is important because different treatments work for specific types of flea problems.
Once you know what type of flea infestation you’re dealing with (and how bad it is), then the next step is to find the right flea treatment that will work in your home. Conventional flea treatments are available at many stores, especially pet shops and big box stores like Walmart and Home Depot. But, before purchasing one, consider the flea control methods you already have in place and what’s worked or not worked for you in the past.
Some of the flea treatment options that may be right for your home include baths with flea shampoo, flea traps, flea powder, natural flea control, and professional flea control.
This is not an exhaustive list! If you’d like more information on flea treatments, contact your veterinarian or local pest control expert.
Baths with flea shampoo can be used as a form of flea prevention for pets and it’s also the least expensive flea treatment option. Shampooing your pet with flea shampoo is a good idea if they go outdoors and you know for certain they have fleas, because fleas can quickly spread to your home and infest it as well. However, keep in mind that the fleas will need to be confirmed before a flea shampoo should be used.
Flea traps are a flea treatment option for those who want to control fleas with the help of their existing pest control program. Since fleas can multiply so quickly, most flea infestations require at least two flea traps in every room to prevent fleas from multiplying and spreading throughout your home. These flea traps also work to trap fleas that have already spread throughout your home, therefore killing them before they have a chance to lay eggs and repeat the flea cycle.
Natural flea control treatments for your home includes vacuuming, steam cleaning and other non-toxic treatment options. These flea removal options are good for flea infestations that are just starting out, but they will not work on an infestation where there are lots of fleas. Natural flea control options are also more costly than flea pest control services or flea shampoo, so this treatment option is best for those who want to avoid chemicals and pesticides. Finally, fleas can still reproduce in homes that use natural flea control, so this option should only be considered when you have a small flea infestation.
Flea powders are another treatment option for fleas because they spread easily throughout your home and stick to the many surfaces where fleas like to hide. Just remember to keep flea powder away from your pets, because flea powders are toxic. A flea infestation is only worsened by fleas multiplying and spread throughout your home by fleas jumping on your pet, so you must first exterminate the fleas before they bite your pet to prevent the infestation from worsening.
Professional flea control is often considered the best flea treatment because it can get rid of fleas in all areas of your home, not just the ones that are easily visible. Do-it-yourself flea treatments will only help for a small infestation and may be costly when you factor in the cost of wasted efforts and materials. Finally, fleas can also be spread to your neighbors and flea treatments only work on the indoor fleas, not the fleas that may live outdoors and come in during warm weather.