In the battle against fleas in your home or yard, there are some questions you need to ask to make it more effective. First question, is do you have animals? If so do you have them on a flea and tick management program like Advantage? If the fleas are in your home, do you have carpets? A good professional pest control company will give you instructions when they either schedule your appointment or when the technician arrives. Each household is different and no set program works in each situation. At the Bug Doctor, we recommend the following to make your flea treatment last and to be the most effective in preventing a reoccurrence.
1. If you have pets, always treat your pets first, Because Spartucus J. Cat and Brutus P Dog, need to be on some flea prevention like Advantage, or Frontline. This will help prevent them from bringing the fleas back in. Make sure to follow the instructions from the manufacturer of the topical flea product. Some products need to be on your pet for a certain amount of time before you bathe them, or your pet may have to wait 2-3 days after you bathe them for the solution to be more effective. If you don’t have a pet, you may have to play detective, do you have squirrels in your attic? Did you recently have a friend or families pet visit?
2. Vacuum your carpets thoroughly before the treatment, and every 5-7 days after the treatment, it provides hidden benefits to controlling the flea outbreak by doing several things. It removes the eggs from the carpet; it also removes things like dander and pet hair that larvae will survive on because flea larvae can survive dormant for up to 2 years until conditions are right. Make sure to vacuum any darker areas, a few inches or so under the couch, the coffee table, area rugs or bed, etc. That is where the larvae love to hide until they reach adult stage, and then they become very hungry.
3. Launder and clean any area your pet sleeps and any bedding or furniture and vacuum any furniture that they may lay on. Clean any pet toys and any food area, including washing their dishes. If you have a cat, a quick dusting of any windowsill they frequently go to, is a good idea as well.
4. Be prepared to ask your neighbors to get their lawns treated at the same time as you do, to prevent the fleas from coming back should they be in their yards too.
5. If you have no idea where the fleas are coming from, ask your pest control technician when he arrives to help you. Even calling the pest control company before your appointment to ask them questions to help you find the source is an advantage in the war against fleas.
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