Fleas: What You Need To Know
There are over 2,000 species of fleas that exist! Of these species there are a few common types, all of which have nearly the same life cycle. In order to understand how to effectively eliminate an infestation it is first important to understand a flea’s lifecycle, what it needs to survive and where fleas can be found. Upon learning this crucial information you will be able to better treat an infestation or prevent one from developing.
An animal may pick up fleas when he or she comes in contact with another infested animal or an infested environment. Adult fleas live in the animal’s fur, where they feed on their host’s blood, mate and lay eggs (female fleas lay a few eggs per day and several hundred over the course of their lifetime). These eggs do not stay on the animal, but rather, they fall off and remain in the environment near the host animal until temperatures are suitable for them to develop in to larvae. This development often occurs during Spring or inside your home when the central heat has been turned on.
Flea eggs and larvae can be found both indoors and outdoors in carpeting, animal bedding, furniture, under porches, in dog houses, in cracks at wall-floor junctions, floor crevices and in other protected areas with high humidity where the infested animal may have been resting or playing.
Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth: How to Apply for Fleas and Ticks
Diatomaceous earth is safe to use on all animals and is a cheap and natural alternative to various other methods of flea and tick removal. Although the product is not registered for this specific purpose, many people use it to rid their animals of fleas and ticks and see positive results.
Applying diatomaceous earth to your animal is easy. Simply sprinkle the food grade diatomaceous earth throughout the animal’s fur. Dust it in with your hand, making sure to spread it throughout their coat and on to their skin underneath. As well, sprinkle the diatomaceous earth along their backbone and work the powder in with you fingers.
Be sure to buy food grade diatomaceous earth that is in a powdered granulation. Due to the fact that diatomaceous earth is a light powder, it can easily be washed away by water therefore it is important to re-apply the product if your animal is to become wet.
