The methoprene and pyriproxyfen-impregnated collars are virtually 100% effective at preventing new flea eggs from hatching for at least 6 months (essentially season-long) on both dogs and cats.
Insect growth regulators (IGRs) keep flea eggs from hatching by mimicking flea hormones. They may or may not affect pupae, and they have no effect on adult fleas. Some IGRs are topical -- pets absorb them through their skin, and fleas ingest them with the hosts' blood. One IGR, methoprene, is often used as a spray.
Many different products are available for home flea treatment. The most effective ones contain ingredients such as permethrin, imidacloprid, or dinotefuran that are lethal to the biting adult stage, and an “insect growth regulator” (e.g., methoprene, pyriproxyfen) that halts development of flea eggs and larvae.
Adult fleas will be killed within a few days but the floor should not be vacuumed, swept or washed for at least two weeks after treatment because there will still be eggs which will continue to hatch.
Summary. In homes, flea eggs live for 2 to 3 days before hatching . Most eggs and larvae live in carpeting. The microclimate within the carpet fibers is near ideal for developing fleas.
In humid and hot temperatures, about 50% of the flea eggs may hatch in about 36 hours. In cooler temperatures, flea eggs will take days to hatch. Many flea eggs can lay dormant for weeks to months. As soon as the hot, humid weather arrives, the hatching will increase.
It can take up to 3 months to break a total flea life cycle by using monthly flea treatments. For indoor flea control, vacuuming all floors, carpets, baseboards, pet bedding and furniture will help remove adult fleas and eggs.
When the temperature and humidity are right flea eggs will be constantly hatching out. New adult fleas will also constantly emerge from the pupae stage when the conditions are right. The new adult fleas will only hatch when a host animal is close by, as they need a blood meal to survive.
Vacuum Your Carpet
Vacuuming sucks away fleas, along with eggs, larvae, and pupae. It also removes flea blood and feces, which can serve as a food source. Vacuum the carpet several times, and don't forget to use the attachments to get into corners and crevices along the baseboards.
On average, a flea can live for two to three months in the carpet. But without intervention, they can stay in the carpet without end if they have a host. If a blood meal isn't consumed the flea may only survive for a few days. Flea eggs live for two to three days before hatching.
Salt dries out fleas just like diatomaceous earth, but it's less messy, and unlike diatomaceous earth, it doesn't pose a respiratory threat when used indoors. Borax powder is also effective against fleas and their larvae.
Using a DIY flea spray of apple cider vinegar on a rug or dog bed will not kill fleas of any life stage. That's because the acid in vinegar is not strong enough to penetrate the shell of flea eggs or larvae.
Fleas that are dying often come to the coat surface and move around excessively – making them more visible.
Mopping and steam cleaning can help to kill flea eggs, and washing linens, bedding, and pet beds in the washing machine on the hot cycle is also advisable. If possible, declutter your home so it's easier to clean and there are fewer places for flea eggs to hide.
If you can see them, flea eggs on a dog will often appear as tiny white specks, small white flecks, or tiny grains of salt. They're usually clustered together.
Vacuuming daily and machine-washing pet bedding can help eliminate flea larvae. You can make a flea spray out of vinegar, water, lemon juice, and witch hazel. Get flea larvae off your dog with a bath with shampoo and apple cider vinegar rinse. Pest control professionals can help with flea infestations in the home.
Vacuuming does work, at least in terms of reducing the severity of the infestation. But fleas breed quickly, and in the case of severe flea infestations it's unlikely you'll be able to remove all of the fleas from the carpet. In addition, flea eggs are sticky and attach themselves to carpet fibers.
After finding an animal or human host and taking a blood meal, adult fleas will mate and begin laying eggs in the fur and surroundings of the host. Eggs will hatch in one to ten days depending on environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity.
The time it takes eggs to fall off your pet depends on how long their fur is and how active they are, but most of the eggs will fall off within a few days. The itchiness from flea bites naturally encourages scratching, which contributes to faster shedding of dry eggs.
Flea eggs need a warm, moist environment with a temperature of about 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) and 70 to 85 percent humidity to develop. In these conditions, the eggs hatch in about 12 days.
A recommended chemical product to control fleas on pets would be Petcor and Martin's Prefurred. Petcor 2 Flea and Tick Spray is a pyrethroid-based chemical product that has an IGR (Insect Growth Regulator) that will kill the undeveloped stages of fleas (eggs, larval, and pupal) for a month on cats or dogs.
In most cases, it takes three to four months to completely get rid of a flea infestation since it takes fleas this long to go through their life stages, according to the American Kennel Club.
Getting rid of fleas is a difficult process due to the long lifecycle of a flea. Moderate to severe infestations will take months to control and require a four-step process for complete elimination: Sanitation.