Also something to consider are flea collars and flea powders. 

Be diligent in your efforts to exterminate any flea infestation. Remember a flea pupa, in the cocoon, is immune to treatment and they can live for up to  eight months without any food and an adult female lays one egg every hour for every hour of her life, which is usually three months. Ingesting fleas could give your pet tapeworm.
Be very careful with any insecticides that are to be used on pets or around your home. A mistake made all too often is the “more is better” attitude that some people have. More is definitely NOT better when it comes to using chemicals or administering  medications! Always read directions carefully. Following package directions is essential when using over the counter products and medications. Only buy products that are labelled for use on the species you will be using them on (dog, cat, etc.). Cats in particular are very sensitive to drugs and chemicals – be sure to read all labels very carefully.
Even when labels are read and instructions are followed, adverse reactions to flea product can happen. If in doubt Call your vet. Never apply a flea product to a cat or kitten unless it is clearly stated as being safe for cats. Cats are very sensitive to insecticides.
It is best to call on a professional exterminator to get rid of severe indoor and outdoor flea infestations.

There are five types of fleas that exist worldwide. The fleas can exist on cats, dogs, people, hens and rats. All types of flea feed on blood and can be a menace. Find several different flea treatment products here, for the best way to get rid of fleas and to help you deal with flea infestations in house or yard.

 The first type of flea is Xenopsylla cheopis.

This is also known as the “rat flea” or ” Tropical rat flea”. This parasite of rodents, mostly rats, is a carrier for Bubonic Plague and Murine Typhus. These are spread when a flea has fed on an infected host and then bites a human. It is best known for spreading the Black Death, which peaked in Europe between 1348 and 1350.

Echidnophaga gallinacea

Is the second type of flea, which is known as the “hen flea”. It is also known as the “Sticktight Flea, because of the way it attaches itself to a host. Poultry and other birds are most commonly affected by these fleas and can usually be seen to have clusters on bare patches around the eyes, comb and wattles. Dark brown in colour the fleas embed their heads in the bare flesh of the host and cannot be brushed off. Other animals that have prolonged contact with farmyard poultry can sometimes become affected. Although they are not known to pass on any diseases, the point of attachment can become infected.

Ctenocephalides canis

This is the third and most common type of flea to people and is also known as the  dog flea. Adults are brown in colour and 3-5mm long, the male being slightly smaller than the female. The lava that hatches from the eggs is whitish in colour and about 5mm long. The body has long hairs on each of it’s segments

Only the adults are blood sucking parasites and feed on the blood of the host animal and sometimes a flea bites on humans. The life cycle from egg to adult takes between 2-3 weeks in favourable conditions, it can take much longer if conditions are not right.

The Dog Flea is a carrier for the Dog Tapeworm, Dipylidium Caninum, which can also affect humans.

Ctenocephalides felis is the fourth type of flea.

They are also known as cat fleas, and are just as well known as dog fleas. The primary host is the domestic cat, but it is also the primary flea infecting dogs worldwide.

The female lays it’s eggs on the host, and once the eggs are dry enough they fall out of the coat of the host into the bedding of the host, hiding from light. The adult fleas feed on the blood of the host, and any fecal material deposited by the adults falls out of the coat onto the bedding and is taken up by the laval population. So the adults feeding on the host in turn are feeding the lava.

Pulex irritans is the fifth an final type of flea.

The human flea, in spite of it’s name has a wide variety of hosts and feeds on many species of mammals and birds. The Human Flea is thought to come from South America where it’s original host’s could have been Peccary or Guinea Pigs.

It is possible that the Human Flea can be an intermediate host for the Tapeworm, Dipylidium Caninum, the adult of which can be 18 inches long.

Flea bites on humans can feel like a small mosquito bite on your skin, and if not treated soon enough fleas will cause all sorts of problems by jumping from one host to another and therefore spreading disease by infecting the blood supply as they feed on them.

See Also:-

Various Pest Repellents

The most obvious sign that your pet has fleas is when they are frequently scratching or biting at themselves, because when a flea bites, it leaves its saliva (and allergens) under the skin and the area becomes swollen and severely itchy, a condition known as  Flea Bite Dermatitis. Also if you are suffering from bites around your ankles this is another indication of flea infestation. To confirm whether or not your pet does in fact have fleas, try to locate fleas on their skin, although they are small if you look closely you should be able to see any if they are present.

What do fleas look like?

Indoor and Outdoor Flea Treatments

Buildings can sometimes become infested with fleas even when there have not been any pets around. It is other animals such as bats, roof rats, squirrels, raccoons, and wild dogs and cats that commonly nest in buildings and are the possible source of an infestation. Sometimes it’s best to have professional help when dealing with fleas. A pest control company can treat both indoor and outdoor areas. An experienced pest control company can treat for fleas and seal openings through which wildlife may enter buildings such as your home. The pet’s living areas should be treated at the same time that the pet is treated. This kills immature and newly emerging fleas and prevents re-infestation of the pet. There are several low-toxicity treatments which are available for indoor use. Citrus type sprays that contain Limonene or Linalool (Citrus peel extracts) contain insecticidal compounds that kill many insect pests, e.g., fire ants, and fleas, but may be of low toxicity to mammals. They can be applied to rugs, carpeting and pet bedding. These products kill fleas on contact, but evaporate quickly and leave little residual protection against emerging fleas.

Boron-based products, such as disodium octaborate tetrahydrate, or DOT, can be used on indoor carpeting and has little skin (dermal) toxicity. DOT kills insects in carpets and sofas, and, combined with vacuuming, effectively reduces total numbers of insects in carpets and allergen levels in carpets and sofas. Borates kill immature fleas by affecting their food supply. Borate treatments are best applied as shampoos to avoid problems with dust fall out, abrasion to carpets, and furniture or settling on food preparation surfaces.

The insect growth regulators (IGR’s) methoprene and pyriproxyfen can be used indoors, to treat pet bedding, carpets, and other areas where pets sleep since this is where flea larvae are found. They provide long-term control of fleas by breaking the flea’s life cycle. Although methoprene is unstable in sunlight, it is an effective indoor treatment. Pyriproxyfen, however, can be applied both indoors and outdoors. Pyriproxyfen controls both immature and adult fleas.

Some follow up treatments may be required to completely eradicate the fleas or as previously mentioned, sometimes it’s best to have professional help when dealing with fleas. A pest control company can treat both indoor and outdoor areas.

Buy a flea comb and with its fine teeth you will soon find fleas if they are present. Flea dirt on bare skin around the belly of your pet is another sure sign of fleas. Flea dirt looks like small dark specks, if you collect some on a tissue and then dampen it with water it will turn reddish brown, because the flea dirt consists of dried blood that has been passed through the flea.

You can quite easily give your pet flea treatment and home so don’t despair.

There are several good products to buy Online for flea treatment and treating flea bites on your pets, you can Buy your flea treatment products here and get rid of fleas in your home , if you should become troubled by fleas.

Be sure to be vigilant as to your pets well being, and to administer the appropriate flea treatments at the first sign of discomfort, don’t delay in administering flea treatment as soon as possible as the situation will only get worse and a lot more expensive if the disease takes hold and a Vet has to be involved with your pets flea treatment.

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