Summertime brings sunshine and playtime, but it can also introduce pests into our lives. With the warmer weather settling in, bugs start to make themselves known. Fleas are a BIG concern in summer. Not only are we more likely to be outside longer and go on outdoor adventures, but fleas thrive in warmer weather. In order to prevent & treat fleas for dogs, there are some notes that need to be addressed. We will share how to prevent fleas from calling your pet their host and how to treat fleas inside and outside the home.
Preventing Fleas
Your pet is a walking home for fleas. They will latch on to them rent free. To prevent that from happening, you will need to:
- Control how long your pet is outside
- Do not have your pet interact with wild or stray animals
- Take them a bath regularly
- Do flea checks
Treat Fleas
Did you know that fleas have a long lifecycle? This will make getting rid of them a difficult process. Noticeable infestations will take months to control. Prevent & treat fleas for dogs right away. To get rid of flea infestations in the home, it will be with:
Sanitizing the areas where fleas breed such as in rugs, pet beds, and blankets. Thoroughly vacuum and sweep the floors all along the walls as well to clean fleas off of tough-to-reach areas. Vacuum sofas and chairs, where your pet enjoys to be on. Wash regularly their beds and bedding. Immediately dump out the dust from the vacuum to prevent picked-up fleas from escaping and infesting the home again.
Treat pets with a bath and brush a flea comb through their fur right after. Fleas enjoy the neck, tummy, and face areas of a dog. Soap and water are just fine when bathing dogs, soap is a gentle agent that can kill off adult fleas. Your veterinarian will know more about flea control, so consult with them about the right treatment for flea prevention.
As you are treating your pet, treat your home at the same time. By cleaning the home and treating your pet, you are preventing the lifecycle of a flea from developing further. Apply pest control insecticides outside where your pet spends the most time; this could be under trees, their beds, under the porch, along the walkway, etc.
Make sure to target the right areas where fleas love to be. The sun is the enemy of fleas, so they will likely stay away from sunny areas. So mow the lawn frequently to allow the ground to be exposed to the sunshine. If you overwater your yard, fleas will gravitate to cooler, moist areas. Get rid of any debris or trash so fleas do not have a dark, cool area to wait around.
Fleas commonly show up from stray animals and rodents. To avoid a party, be mindful of what you have outside that might attract them. Keep pet food safe and secure from animals. Do not let your pet interact with the strays or rodents. Clean the yard of any junk, debris, firewood, or piles of leaves. Double-check that there is no entryway for strays or rodents to enter the home. Always tightly shut the trash cans and never leave trash outside the bins.
To fully attack the lifecycle of a flea, you will need to keep up with the treatments. After 5-10 days go out and apply the insecticides again. Continue to look for fleas on your pets as you treat the home. Do this again after another 5-10 days to ensure that you had killed off each lifecycle of a pet. Keep cleaning the home, bathing your pets, and controlling the outside for a few weeks, and in no time the fleas will be gone!
Stay safe friends, from The Fire Hydrant Team!
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