You first need to eliminate the breeding site. According to one flea research expert, the Cat Flea adult is a permanent ectoparasite on pets, meaning it does not jump on and off the pet, but stays on board, hidden in the dense fur. It will only get off as an adult flea if it is forced off by your brushing or the dogs chewing.
There are so many pest control products available today that can be used in your home as well as your business that will kill not only kill adult fleas but the eggs as well. They usually contain a growth regulator that kills the eggs that come in contact with the chemical. It keeps the flea larvae from ever becoming biting adults. Of course, you could regularly bathe your pet with flea shampoo that would definitely kill fleas that are present. But it will not kill larvae or eggs.
There are even ultrasonic flea collars that claim to set up zones around your pet that are free of fleas. These do not work in any way, shape or form! There have been dozens of studies around the world by several universities that have come to the same conclusion, they do not work.
The next step is to treat your carpet especially if the eggs, larvae and pupae are widespread. You need to treat all of these areas with the properly labeled product like Ultracide or Pro Control Total Release Fogger. A place that might have the materials that are excellent, odorless and extremely low hazard when correctly use is ePestSolutions.
Flea eggs and larvae get just about anywhere in your home that your pets go. Your goal should be to apply the spray to all these susceptible areas. If there are certain places that the dog or cat likes to hide or rest, you are guaranteed that fleas have been laying eggs in that area, or “hot spot” and a chemical treatment in that area is a must. You need to ensure that you DO NOT SPRAY any clothing, children’s toys, or any other personal materials. Just use common sense when treating, and realize that fleas are not breeding in shoes, board games and other areas where pets never go.
Before treating your carpet and you need to do the following:
Pick up everything on the floor, including under beds and inside closets
Flip up the bed blankets so the area below is readily accessible
Tie back floor length drapes so the edges of walls are accessible
Pull out sofas and chairs and pick up the debris, and vacuum that area thoroughly
Remove all pet dishes from floors
Cover fish tanks and turn off the air supply during the application
Vacuum every square inch of carpet as thoroughly as you can.
Vacuuming thoroughly and completely will not only straighten up the fibers of the carpet to facilitate the action of the spray, but it also is the physical movement and contact that will cause many of the flea pupae to hatch to adult fleas, and get them past the difficult stage.
If chemical odor is a concern there are excellent products that do not have a smell. Believe it or not, there is a large percentage of homeowners who are NOT satisfied if they cannot smell something, thinking that pesticides must stink if they are going to work. The times have changed, though, and odors were usually associated with the oil and kerosene solutions that are not used anymore.
Just remember do not walk on the carpet if it is still damp. This way you make sure that it does not contact your skin. Once it is dry it will last year very tightly to the carpet fibers. You may have to be gone from their homes several hours so be prepared for that. Test the carpet when you return by placing the tissue on the carpet and stepping on. If tissue shows a wet spot then you will have to go away for a little bit longer.
Now you will need to vacuum again and every day if possible. Do not worry; it will not remove the chemicals from the carpet. Once the adult fleas emerge from the pupa state they will be killed by the freshly placed spray, even if it is dry. Make sure that you dispose of the vacuum bag so that the flea eggs just vacuumed out will not hatch in the vacuum cleaner and becoming another problem.
And finally you need to be patient. It is going to take approximately 3 weeks for the fleas to completely go through their lifecycle, from egg to adult. For the next 2-4 weeks you will see an occasional flea and until they are all emerged from their pupae you will continue to see them. You can speed the process by vacuuming regularly and adding more chemical applications on top of what you already have done. You do not want your pest treatment to be for nothing.