Help!! How to get rid of a flea infestation??!!

Forget everything you think you know about fleas…..here is what you need to know to get rid of them.

YOU WILL NEED

• Frontline (can be used with dogs and cats)
• Diatomaceous earth Food Grade (and a dispenser depending on the space to be dusted)
• Cutter Backyard Mosquito Spray. (Keep all pets out of yard until fully treated and dried.)

THE STEPS

• Use Frontline on all pets (if they are ill or on medication consult your vet first)
• If you own your property (or if you have permission from the owner) use Cutter Backyard Mosquito spray.  One can use a sprayer (3 tablespoons of product to a gallon of water) or a garden hose. The sprayer dries quicker and I find it easier to use.  Treating the yard is very important as this is where most of the fleas and larvae live.
• Use Diatomaceous earth Food Grade on your carpets, and or around baseboards (it’s not toxic but can make everyone sneeze) leave for a 4 days or so then vacuum.  This process will need to be repeated in 10 days to remove any newly hatched fleas.
• Repeat Frontline, outdoor spray, diatomaceous earth steps above in 30 days.
• You will still see fleas during this process, but they will be in the process of dying.

THE RULES ABOUT FLEAS – VERY IMPORTANT.

• It is possible to have a flea infestation and not know it, as many pets are not allergic and will not itch to the point of creating hot spots and other typical “skin allergy” symptoms.  Use a flea comb and if you find ANY flea dirt (little black spots) – you have a flea problem.
• Forget the ‘natural organic’ approach, it does not work for a full scale infestation (this is defined as having pets who are covered in fleas, even if they are not itching) I say this as a huge fan of the organic approach – but it simply is a waste of time.
• To get rid of fleas one must understand their life cycle.
• There is NOTHING that kills a flea in its larvae stage….NOTHING.

SO WHAT DO I DO?

• Get a real flea topical, I say real because there are many counterfeit products on the market.  I also recommend to using products that have been on the market for awhile and there is real data as to their effectiveness and side effects. STAY AWAY FROM PRODUCTS SOLD AT YOUR LOCAL SUPERMARKET/CONVENIENCE STORE…..AND FROM CHEAP KNOCKOFFS they are potentially dangerous. Purchase from your vet ideally….yes it’s expensive but worth it.  
• Permethrin is also highly toxic to cats.  Read labels carefully.  Cutter Backyard Mosquito Spray has Permethrin as its active ingredients, and its use assumes that your cats are indoors, and all pets are being kept out of the yard until it’s fully dried.

This should break the cycle.

If one lives in a cold climate, once the temperature drops the fleas should die out, their larvae however can lay dormant in the soil until it gets warm again.

Once the infestation cycle is broken, natural flea repellents can now be used (assuming the yard has been treated and cats are indoors.)  NOTE: Never use essential oils on cats, it is very toxic.