Summertime, and the insects are thriving. With all the other pests in our gardens to fight off, the fact that our pets are scratching may not grab our full attention. Fleas and ticks are out there too, and like the other insects we battle; we need to understand their life cycle in order to make use of integrated pest management successfully.
In Florida, flea control is a year-round, never-ending battle! Most of the fleas you see on your pet represent only 5% of the total flea population in your environment. If your pet sleeps on your bed or lays on your couch, I can guarantee you have flea eggs and larvae in those locations. This means treating only your pets for fleas will never solve your problem.
The adult flea breeds on its host animal (which can be human), and the female starts laying eggs – about 40 per day during her 3-week lifespan. These eggs fall off the animal into the environment and, when the conditions are right, can hatch in 2-3 days into the larval stage. The larvae are tiny worms that live in the carpet fibers or grass and feed off flea droppings, skin dander, and other organic material. After going through 3 molts taking about 2-3 weeks, the larvae then build themselves a “bomb shelter”. They spin a sticky cocoon with bits of sand and other debris stuck to it. During this stage they are safe and NO insecticide has been developed which can penetrate and destroy them. The developing flea can remain in this stage for 2 weeks to 1 year!
Environmental conditions trigger the flea’s emergence from the cocoon. It takes warmth, proper humidity and things like vibrations from an animal’s movements in the vicinity, and the amount of CO2 present from animals’ breathing. A flea can leave its cocoon and jump on its host in less than 1 second! Fleas can jump 15 feet horizontally and 3 feet vertically.
If the topical flea medication you’re using on your pet doesn’t seem to be working as well this time of year, it’s probably not the fault of the medication. It’s the fact that there are literally millions of fleas hatching in the environment replacing the 5% being killed on your pets.
Flea control MUST consist of environmental treatment as well as topical or oral products for the animal. For those of us who do not wish to add more chemicals to our homes and yards, there are some very safe methods to help in keeping the flea numbers down inside the house.
VACUUM, VACUUM, VACUUM!!!!! The vacuum not only physically removes eggs, larvae and adult fleas from the home – cut up a good flea collar and vacuum that up to kill fleas in the bag or canister – the vibration also stimulates those dreaded cocoons to release the young fleas which can then succumb to the topical treatments. Don’t forget to vacuum upholstered furniture, the bottom of floor length draperies and your bedspread!
DIATOMACEOUS EARTH (DE) – Food grade DE is available at health food and feed stores. Retailers that sell insecticides may carry DE with pyrethrums added for quick knock down. Be careful if you have cats in the house as this second product may cause reactions. DE can be brushed into carpeting and allowed to set overnight. This product acts as a desiccant and physically lacerates the fleas and larvae to kill them. Wear a protective mask and take care not to breath in the dust when applying. Vacuum the next morning, but be aware that you will not remove all of the DE. Applications have been known to remain effective for up to a year. DE can be irritating to the skin so be careful about using it in areas where young children are playing on the floor.
RID YOUR HOUSE OF OTHER HOSTS IF NECESSARY. Fleas will infest small pocket pets – guinea pigs, ferrets, gerbils, etc. – so check with your veterinarian about treating these animals as well. Many of the topical treatments are safe, but the dosage is different. Other hosts in the yard include rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, deer, etc. I’m not condoning annihilating all your wildlife, but try to keep them as far from your house and family areas as possible to reduce the potential population of fleas and ticks. Squirrels in the attic or raccoons in the crawl space are breeding places for fleas to find entrance into your house.
There are myriad products on the market for topical and/or oral treatment of fleas on pets. Talk to your veterinarian about what will work best for your situation as some of these are toxic to other species and young children. Follow label directions at all times.
TAKE HOME POINT: Treat ALL pets at least monthly on a continuing basis, whether you are seeing fleas or not. Indoor cats are not immune to fleas. You can bring them indoors on your clothing after working in the yard.
The author is a retired veterinarian and UF/IFAS Hernando County Master Gardener. For more information, call or stop by our office at 352-754-4433, 16110 Aviation Loop Drive, Brooksville, 34601.