Fleas

The products sold by PestFix are for treatment of the built environment i.e. homes, offices, schools, hotels etc. However, the infestation is most often caused by animals transferring fleas in to the environment affected, acting as a host. Treatment of the host is essential for successful control and veterinary advice should be sought for animal treatments not available through PestFix.

Since more than three-quarters of a flea's life is spent somewhere other than on the host animal, it is not adequate to treat only the host; it is important also to treat the host's environment. To start with thorough vacuuming, washing linens in hot water, and treating all hosts in the immediate environment (the entire household, for example) are essential and if possible must be performed on a regular basis. Following which the application of both a knock-down and also a residual action insecticide are essential to gain full control.

All PestFix flea-control products are recommended to be used at least half-yearly because the lifecycle of flea and tick can last to up to 6 months. Although all these products are effective in fighting against flea and tick infestations, they have different active ingredients and, because cats cannot metabolize some of the compounds of the product, care must be taken in their use. We recommend the use of organic products where possible

Home Treatment

A three pronged, integrated approach is necessary :

• Find the host and treat it
• Treat infested area with an immediate “knock-down” insecticide to kill adult fleas.
• Treat whole property with a “residual” effect insecticide to protect against unhatched larval-stage fleas to prevent re-infestation.

Combating a flea infestation in the home takes patience because for every flea found on an animal, many more could be developing in the home. A spot-on insecticide will kill the fleas on the pet and in turn the pet itself will be a roving flea trap and mop up newly hatched fleas. The home environment should be treated with a fogger or spray space treatment to kill the adult fleas, following which a surface treatment insecticide containing an insect growth regulator, such as pyriproxyfen or methoprene to kill eggs and pupae, which are quite resistant against insecticides, should also be applied.

Frequent vacuuming is also helpful and can kill up to 96% of all adult fleas. The vacuum must be used around everything the animal frequents, to pick up all the larvae and eggs. Empty the vacuum cleaner in a sealed bag in an outside bin, give vacuum a spray using Insectrol or similar

Bathing can dramatically reduce the flea population on a badly infested animal, especially when in combination with a mild detergent or shampoo, and brushing or combing.

Fleas cannot withstand high temperatures, so putting bedding or clothing through the dryer on medium or high will kill the fleas.

To collect & destroy living fleas from a room or space without the use of chemicals, eliminate lighting as much as possible while focusing a single source of light just above the floor and directing the light downward. This is best done at night or by covering windows.

Lower temperatures slow down or completely interrupt the flea lifecycle. Fleas thrive at higher temperatures, but need 21° to 32°C (70 to 90°F) to survive

The Flea Life Cycle

The flea life cycle goes from egg to larva to pupa before the final adult stage.

The process can take anywhere from two to three weeks to several months, depending on the conditions.

Adult cat and dog fleas can live up to one year in ideal situations, but only about one to two weeks if no host is present.

Ground zero for any flea infestation is almost always your pet and their bedding / immediate surrounding area