How To Kill and Get Rid of Fleas and Ticks

Flea Facts - What You Need To Know

Flea Life Cycle

How To Get Rid Of Fleas - 5 Step Treatment Guide

1. Vacuum, Vacuum, Vacuum! Fleas will live under furniture, rugs, near windows, under cushions on sofas, chairs, and any place animals sleep. It is very important to thoroughly vacuum (not sweep) the areas where animals sleep or rest. A good thorough vacuuming of all floor surfaces (carpet or hardwood floor) will help to pick-up and remove adult fleas and eggs. The vibration of the vacuum cleaner on carpets will cause the immature flea larva to hatch. This further increases the effectivness of the vacuuming. Vacuuming on a regular basis is the single best control method that can be performed indoors. It is best to dispose of the vacuum cleaner bag after vacuuming before the first treatment as fleas can live inside the bag.

Do Not Vacuum After Treatment! Vacuuming BEFORE treatment is essential. Vacuuming before treatment will cause the adult fleas to become active and hop around. It will also create vibrations in the carpet that will cause the "pupal hatch". All of this increases the chances that vacuuming will suck up fleas. Then IMMEDIATELY treat the floors with a professional flea spray. Our favorite is Ultracide. AFTER treatment, do not vacuuum for at least 48 hours, this keeps the chemical barrier you applied even and constant. Vacuuming will destroy it.

2. Spray all Floors, Carpets, Fabric Furniture and Under ALL Furniture All people and animals should be removed prior to treatment. Use a professional quality flea control aerosol spray such as Ultracide, Precor 2625 Premise Spray or Alpine Flea Insectide. All of these products contain an insect growth regulator (IGR) that will aid in preventing fleas from laying eggs and also aid in the disruption of the flea life cycle. IGR's are basically birth control for fleas. Most IGR's will last up to 6 months, Precor will last up to 8 months when not exposed to sunlight. If you have sprayed for fleas in the past and not used an IGR, then that is probably why you still have fleas.

Beginning at the opposite end of the home, spray all carpets, floors, fabric furniture (between and under cushions), rugs and under rugs, window sills, pet bedding, pet resting areas and all floors. Using a sweeping motion as you spray to saturate all areas in your path. When using aerosol sprays, work fast and apply a light mist. Spray all areas and work your way to an exit door. All people and animals should stay off treated surfaces until they are dry.

3. Use Foggers To Help Kill Adult Fleas Total release room foggers such as the CB Residual Fogger or handheld foggers such as CB80 will help to kill adult fleas. Most foggers will treat an area the size of an average 20 x 20 room. Most homes will need 3 - 4 foggers. Larger homes will need more. Calculate the number of foggers based on 1 fogger for every 500 square feet of floor space.

Before using foggers there are several things you need to do.

1. Turn off the air conditioning system.
2. Make sure that any gas appliances with lit or exposed flames or pilot lights are turned off.
3. Unplug aquariums and cover with plastic sheet or towel.
4. Make sure that all ceiling fans are turned off.
5. Close all windows.
6. Open all doors including closet doors inside the home.

To apply the fogger, shake the can and then holding the can away from your face depress the valve and place in the center of the room. It is not recommended to use any paper or floor covers under the foggers. Most foggers will not stain carpets or floors.

The use of an approved organic respirator is not always needed when using foggers as long as you quickly exit the premises and do not breath the mist. Do not return inside for at least 1 hour, preferably up to 3 hours. When returning, open all windows, doors, turn on ceiling fans and thoroughly ventilate the home. Dispose of foggers properly.

4. Spray The Yard and Lawn Fleas usually live in cool shaded areas close to moisture, under shrubs, trees, bare areas of ground, etc. They normally don't live in open grassy areas. A thorough spraying with a chemical such as Bifen XTS or Onslaught does a good job outdoors. These products are also very effective against killing ticks, ants, roaches, spiders and most common bugs. Do not use a "hose end" sprayer when applying pesticides. Hose end sprayers are not effective when applying pesticides as they will dilute the product to much. Use a tank pump sprayer such as the Solo Heavy Duty 456 or a back pack sprayer such as the Solo Back Pack Sprayer. Smaller sprayers such as the Chapin Sure Spray Lawn and Garden Sprayer will do a good job, but require more fills and take much longer to use.

Using a good quality outdoor flea pesticide (mixed in a tank sprayer and not a hose end sprayer), thoroughly saturate the entire yard until damp. The label directions on the pesticides give specific mixing and application instructions. Be sure to spray all a lawn areas, under shrubs, trees, porches, etc. Be sure to thoroughly spray inside dog houses (and under dog houses) or pet resting areas as these areas will likely be where the flea eggs and larva are hiding. Be sure to to keep people and pets off of the lawn until all dry.

Spray the yard every week until control is obtained. In order to kill the adult fleas you have to overcome the flea life cycle. Several applications may be needed before the adult fleas are killed.

5. Flea Control On Animals - Treat The Animals! Dogs and cats are the most important part of the battle. Without them, the fleas cannot survive. Most over the counter flea dips and shampoos usually don't provide long term control. That's because they only work when they are wet. When they dry, the killing action disappears.

For "on animal flea and tick control" we recommend daily spraying of your pet with Petcor. Petcor contains a pyrethrum based flea killer and a growth regulator (IGR) that helps to prevent flea eggs from hatching and adult fleas from reproducing. It has a slight alcohol smell and is perfectly safe to apply to dogs, cats, kittens, puppies, etc.

When using any flea spray on animals, hold your hands over their eyes and mist their entire body. Be sure to spray behind the ears, under their legs and also their hind quarters very thoroughly. Do not bathe the pet after spraying with Petcor, but you can bathe the pet first with any good pet shampoo and then spray with Petcor.

* Oral Flea medications are not recommended for pets that live in urban areas. Pyrethrin based sprays and dips are much safer for the animal and will not cause damage to the liver and kidneys. The use of ORAL medications is highly recommended by Veterinarians, Pet Stores and Pharmacy's, but that's only because they sell these products. ePestSupply has chosen not to sell Oral flea medications for pets due to unknown long term effects. What is known, is these products are poisonous enough to kill fleas when they bite into the pet. It's not wise or prudent to assume that any chemical is completely safe, even when the advertising says so. We love our pets enough not to take that chance.

For odors caused by pet urine, fecel or just plain old "wet dog smell", EcoSafe ZR 1 Odor Neutralizer does a fantastic job of deodorization. Spray EcoSafe ZR1 wherever pets make messes, on urine, fecel, vomit or other smelly areas. It can also be used in Kennels, crates and other areas to get rid of pet smells. It can also be sprayed directly on the animal to eliminate stinky odors.