For most pet parents, keeping the home flea-free is a priority. If left unchecked, fleas can move into your home and multiply at an alarming rate. Moreover, it might take weeks or longer to stop an existing infestation. However, taking precautions can help you prevent the infestation from occurring altogether. There are steps you can take to help you keep your home flea-free. Here are the tips on preventing fleas at home.
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Troubleshoot your Home’s Yard
The first step towards keeping your home flea-free is preventing fleas from setting up shop in your yard. If your home has a yard, try to keep the grass mowed, and ensure you trim any existing shrubs. Such simple landscaping efforts help to keep your surrounding unappealing to ticks and fleas since they will have no place to hide.
The other step you can take is discourage feral animals and other wildlife from entering your home as they can bring fleas with them. Raccoons, opossum or feral cats are some of the animals that bring fleas. Ensure you don’t leave any pet food outside as this may attract wild animals.
Trim trees around your yard that can give wild animals access to your attic. Also, seal openings that might give wild animals access to your garage, crawl space, shed or deck. Such spaces can provide stray dogs and wild animals with nesting places.
If you must plant shrubs, ensure you place them a safe distance from your home. That way, anytime there is wind and sunlight, the flea larvae will die. In addition, there are effective flea sprays that you can apply around the yard to control fleas and their larvae.
Practice Prevention
Most pet parents employ spot-on tick and flea treatment. When you get home, run your pet’s flea brush through her coat before you go indoors. This will reduce the number of fleas on your pet’s coat.
If your pet is longhaired, she is likely to carry many fleas. So, ensure you cut down the fur to a manageable size, especially during the summer. It will be easier for you to spot pests on her coat.
Keep your Home Spic and Span
Ticks and fleas in your home doesn’t always mean that you are not keeping it clean enough. However, paying attention to certain places will ensure fewer pests show up. The three initial stages of fleas can be found on your carpet. Eggs, larvae and pupa can be found below your carpet and rugs. Ensure you vacuum these areas once every week.
When vacuuming your home, ensure that you don’t just concentrate on the central area of your rooms. Why? Well, fleas are smart, so, they tend to stay away from areas that have a lot of traffic. Ensure you vacuum under the cushions, furniture, and all the other places where your pet frequents.
Change your vacuum’s bag regularly, or you can place a flea collar inside the bag to kill any developing fleas. Vinegar is a natural flea repellent and can easily be mixed with water and sprayed onto areas to prevent fleas. If you tend to drive around with your pet, clean your car as well. Also, wash all the bedding and crate that your pet sleeps on, and clean all the toys she likes to play with using hot water on a weekly basis to destroy flea eggs.
Prevent and Treat Infestations
There are many tick and flea control products that you can apply on your pet’s fur. If you notice fleas or ticks around your home, take the following steps. Vacuum all the carpets in your home. Next, dispose the vacuuming bag thereafter since larvae and eggs continue developing within the vacuum bag.
Steam or shampoo your carpet to get rid of any larvae or eggs that may have been left behind. However, if you prefer an insecticide, clean the carpet thoroughly so that the product can get inside the fabric.
Another equally effective way to prevent fleas from coming to your home is by using Diatomaceous earth (DE). This powder-like agent is made from marine planktons. It kills fleas by drying them out. That said ensure you purchase food-grade diatomaceous earth, which is available at your local seed store. It is not harmful to children and pets. Nevertheless, ensure you don’t inhale too much when you are spreading it around since it can damage the lungs.
Final Word
Fleas cause a lot of discomfort for both people and pets. They are quite difficult to control once they attack your home. Thus, it is always best to prevent an infestation rather than stopping one. If you want to keep your home flea-free, try the steps we have listed here. You are guaranteed a flea-free home!
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