How Can I Get Rid of Fleas?

How can I get rid of fleas? If you are a pet lover, chances are, you have asked that question at least once! Animals are lots of fun and wonderful companions, but fleas are something nobody wants. Especially your pets!

Unfortunately, pets can attract fleas, no matter how 'clean' your pet or your home is! Some areas of the country are worse than others when it comes to flea infestations. Damp areas or areas that never get extremely cold in the winter (and kill the larva outside) are especially susceptible.

So how does one get fleas off their pet and out of their home? Well, because there are some amazing products available today, it is actually a lot simpler than it used to be! First, get into the habit of vacuuming often. And place a flea collar in the vacuum bag. Vacuuming helps to keep fleas out of your carpets. You can also sprinkle Borax (in the detergent aisle of the store) into your carpets, brush it in with a broom, and let it sit in your carpets for 24 hours before vacuuming. This is non toxic to children and pets, yet will kill the fleas and their larva. This also works on hardwood floors, the Borax sinking down into the cracks and killing any larva or eggs down there as well.

For an infestation in your home to be wiped out, you must take further steps. Wash your pet's bedding on the 'hot' cycle. This should kill anything living in there. Buy some 'bombs' at your local hardware. These are fogger products that, when set off, envelop your home in a flea killing fog. Trust me, the fleas will be G-O-N-E ! Read the directions carefully on the package however, to be certain you are doing this in the correct way. Remove all people and pets from the area. Cover fishtanks. Close up the house. After 2 to 3 hours, you can return, open windows to ventilate everything for about a half hour, then resume life as it was before the fleas. A good product will not leave a residue.

Wash your dog. If you do not want to, or can not do this, take him to a local grooming shop. They will be glad to do it for you.

Get some Frontline flea killer product for your dog. It comes in various sizes, for various sizes of dogs, so be sure to get the correct size for your particular dog. If you have any cats, treat them with Frontline as well, but only use Frontline for Cats, as the dog product will poison a cat. Be sure to read all the directions on the package before applying it, to be certain you are doing it correctly. This product works amazingly well, but only if you apply it correctly. It is placed on the dog's shoulder blades, directly on the skin (not on top of his hair!) and travels throughout the dog via natural skin oils. Therefore, read the directions on how soon you can apply it after bathing your dog, and follow the instructions closely. Frontline also claims to be waterproof, which is a great thing for those of us who have water-loving, swimming hounds!

Frontline is designed to be applied once a month. By sticking to your Frontline schedule, vacuuming more oftan, and maybe an occasional 'bombing' of your home, your life can be free of fleas.