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Spring Is Coming And So Are The
Fleas
Along with
spring and April showers comes the number one pest for dogs, fleas. It's
time to treat any area your dog frequents, especially any dog bed inside
or out.
Boy, after this winter I am really ready for Spring. Depending on where you live, it should be already showing signs or at least getting very close. The only downside to the Spring season is those pesky fleas will come out of hiding and if you don’t prepare
it will cause you and your dog some grief. It’s a lot easier to prevent fleas than deal with a serious
infestation.
And
one of the favorite places fleas love to occupy is your dog's bed. No
matter how well you treat your dog, you need to make sure that his
favorite dog bed gets as much attention.
Fleas last through the winter as pupae and will come to life from warmer temperatures and even vibrations from you or your dog wandering around the area. Fleas have go through different cycles, flea ova, larva, and adults and not all deterrents work on all three stages of development. Over the years I’ve developed a preemptive assault on my little pesky friends that seems to work anywhere.
You should treat your yard and outside areas first, then interior areas, and last but not least your dog (and any other pets). In most cases you want to have a few dry days after treatment to allow whatever you use to do the job. So always check the weather forecast before applying any choice of treatment. Some effective flea treatments can also help with other insects and get your lawn off to a trouble free start for the coming warm weather months.
If you want to protect your lawn from other pests too, Bayer Sevin Dust is a good choice. It’s harmless to mammals and will take out a host of common insects. Sevin Dust will kill bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects that some people would like to have around so it may not be the perfect choice although it will kill fleas and ticks effectively. You can also use this inside on carpets, bedding, or any place that fleas can live. Disperse it freely and then vacuum up in a day or two.
Another good outside treatment for fleas, ticks, and lice is called VetKem-Siphotrol Yard Spray. It comes in 32 ounce bottles that attach to your hose and covers about 5,000 sq ft. It will last up to 30 days and runs about $20. It’s easy to use and is as effective as Bayer Savin Dust and might be easier for some to apply. ValKem also makes a Kennel and Bed spray treatment for inside areas.
A good cheap solution for the yard is to use Blue Dawn dish soap in a hose sprayer attachment. Mix it with water, maybe one to three with water (be careful or the next time it rains you’ll have soap suds everywhere). You can also wash your dog with it to kill fleas although many of the regular dog shampoos that kill fleas and ticks have lanolin and other skin treatments that might be better.
Treat all inside and outside areas and especially any dog beds inside or
out, and your dogs too (and any other pets that might be infected). Do this once a month and you’ll have few if any flea problems all summer long. Many people don’t realize it but fleas can actually kill a dog if left to their blood sucking ways. Not to mention the other disease and infections that can occur as a result of a bad infestation. We’re talking serious Vet bills and absolute misery for your dog.
The key is to be proactive early in the warm weather seasons to keep fleas out of your living space. Fleas have a fast life cycle and can explode in warm weather months.
Monthly prevention is important through out the warm months. It’s far cheaper and easier to take some preventive action than to deal with fleas once they have invaded your yard, house, and dog.
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