The veterinarian-recommended flea control you have given your pet is effective in killing the fleas that land on your pets. But, there are environmental factors you also need to address.

 

Eggs!

 

Just one flea lays 40+ eggs a day in your pets’ environment (house and/or yard). Before you realize there is one flea, 840 eggs will hatch from 3 fleas laying 7 days.

 

Eggs hatch and the tiny flea jumps quickly onto a pet for a blood meal. In that one bite, the flea is exposed to the flea control product that your pet has been treated with and will die (usually within 30 minutes).

 

Chemical home/yard treatment simply can’t reach all eggs dropped in the environment (think of grains of sand).

 

Eggs (with or without chemicals) will still hatch in the house/yard over the next few months. Maturity requires time, vibration, and humidity, so know this is not an instant reward process.

 

All indoor and outdoor pets must be kept on a quality flea product for at least 3 months while eggs are hatching before you will see significant relief from the egg hatching infestation.

 

Your pets may need to remain on flea treatment for the foreseeable future (it’s Texas ya’ll). If a home or yard is left unprotected it only takes one new flea (which can be brought in by human or an animal or jumped into the environment) to produce eggs for infestation and the process starts over again.

 

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Home & Yard

 

Diatomaceaous Earth is an affordable, effective nonchemical to help in the home environment. Lowes or Home Depot ($18); Google “Diatomaceaous Earth Fleas” for instructions on usage.

Bathing your pets will help your pet be more comfortable,

but avoid bathing more than every 2-3 weeks to prevent

possible skin irritation and prematurely breaking down the

water-resistant topical flea treatments.

 

Wash all bedding (blankets, pillows, etc,) that your pet lays on.

 

Frequently vacuum carpets, rugs and fabric furniture to keep removing the eggs being laid until all hatching fleas are eliminated from the environment.