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Once fleas infest a home, control will require a vigilant program that includes vacuuming, eliminating fleas on pets, and cleaning up and possibly treating shaded outdoor locations where pets rest. At any given time, fleas may exist in all four life-cycle stages in your home. Control procedures must address all four stages. The program described below is aimed at killing or removing adult fleas on the host and eggs, larvae, and pupae found off the host. In order to succeed, this program must be followed exactly as described, utilizing the physical controls first and the chemical controls only if necessary. Controlling cat fleas in buildings requires a variety of approaches. Before starting a control program, look through each room to determine areas where larval development occurs. Flea populations are highest in places where dogs or cats regularly sleep. You usually won't find flea larvae in areas of heavy pedestrian traffic or locations that receive exposure to sunlight; they are likely to be present in areas where adult fleas have left dried blood and feces. Fleas tend to accumulate where your pet sleeps. Establish one regular sleeping area for your pet in a place which can be cleaned easily and regularly. This is easier for dogs than for cats. With cats you may have to place removable cloths in several places where they like to sleep. Bedding materials such as blankets or nearby rugs should be removed frequently and washed. Sanitation. Thoroughly and regularly clean areas where you find adult fleas, flea larvae, and flea eggs. Vacuum floors, rugs, carpets, upholstered furniture, and crevices around baseboards and cabinets daily or every other day to remove flea eggs, larvae, and adults. Vacuuming is very effective in killing larvae in the carpet, picking up adults, and stimulating preemerged adults to leave their cocoons. Recent studies suggest that destroying the vacuum bags isn't necessary. Launder pet bedding in hot, soapy water at least once a week. Thoroughly clean items you bring into the building, such as used carpets or upholstered furniture, to prevent these from being a source of flea infestation. You can reduce the spread of fleas by keeping pets out of certain rooms in the house, particularly bedrooms or rooms which are difficult to clean, such as basements and attics. Pets should also be kept out of rooms belonging to family members who are particularly susceptible to flea bites. While fleas may still be carried into these rooms by humans, it is much less likely to happen if no pets are allowed there. In severe cases, keep animals either outside or inside, but don't let them go back and forth. Flea traps can also be used indoors. These use a small light bulb to attract fleas, which are caught on a piece of sticky paper. The traps do work and can significantly reduce flea populations, but they will not eliminate a flea problem alone. Insecticides. Several insecticides are registered for controlling fleas indoors. The most effective products also contain the IGR methoprene or pyriproxyfen. Use a hand sprayer or aerosol to apply insecticides directly to infested areas of carpets and furniture. Total release aerosols, or room foggers, don't provide the coverage and long-term effectiveness of direct sprays unless they contain methoprene or pyriproxyfen. Treatments with insecticides other than IGRs often fail to control flea larvae, because the treatment material fails to contact them at the base of carpet fibers where they develop. Spray carpets, pet sleeping areas, carpeted areas beneath furniture, baseboards, windowsills, and other areas harboring adults or larvae. Fleas will continue to emerge for about 2 weeks after treatment, because the spray doesn't kill pupae. Continue to vacuum, and don't treat again for at least several weeks. For more tips to manage fleas, check out the site below for assistance: flea control south auckland
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