Fleas often gather at the neck and shoulder blades of your pets. The base of the tail and along the back of the legs is a favorite hangout for them, too. Those are also places animals will bite to get to the fleas. That can take its toll on a pet's coat.
An oral fast-acting tablet that contains Nitenpyram is the safest way to kill fleas on dogs instantly. You can also bathe your dog in hot soapy water with Dawn to kill adult fleas, but this is not a good long-term solution.
During daylight hours, House Flies will rest on floors, walls, and ceilings indoors. Outdoors they will rest on plants, on the ground, on fence wires, garbage cans, and other similar surfaces. At night, they will rest principally on ceilings, electric wires, and dangling light cords indoors.
Flea Eggs Hiding in Carpet
To check for eggs, put on gloves and run your fingers through the carpet. Eggs tend to very small and white. Because they are so small, you may need a magnifying glass. Finding eggs throughout your house means you have a fairly serious flea infestation.
Adult fleas are parasites that tend to live on the back, neck and underside regions of cats and dogs, with the eggs, larvae and pupae living off the host.
I've Got Fleas – Won't They Just Go Away? Unfortunately, no, they won't. Most fleas can live for between two and three weeks on a host organism, but some flea eggs can survive unhatched for up to an entire year. So even if the fleas you have are dying off, there will be plenty of eggs left to replace them.
During the day, fleas avoid the sun so they are most active at sunset and least active at sunrise. At dusk, the pests would lay more eggs, respire more, and move around in the yard more. Although the fleas are not completely inactive at any time of the day, they have increased activity at dusk and night.
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.
Fleas Prefer Areas That are Shady, Moist, and Humid
The other problem is that a lot of wildlife carry fleas. Raccoons, opossums, deer, coyotes, skunks, stray cats, and various rodents all commonly carry fleas and can deposit eggs and larvae in your yard.
Use a lamp to attract fleas.
The fleas will be attracted to the light and warmth, and when they jump toward the light, they'll land in the trap below. Use an incandescent or other heat-producing bulb for your trap to attract the most fleas possible.
Not just carpets, even if you don't have carpets! Fleas can and do exist in homes that don't have carpets, as they like crevices, such as baseboards, gaps between floorboards, as well as carpet flooring, ventilators, under furniture, and anywhere else, fur and lint accumulate.
Citronella, eucalyptus, peppermint, tea tree, and rosemary will all naturally repel fleas. If your dog doesn't mind a spray bottle, dilute a few drops of your chosen essential oil into a 300ml-400ml of water and spray directly onto your dog's coat.
The most common product used to kill fleas on dogs instantly is Nitenpyram, more commonly known as Capstar. This single-use tablet is administered orally and kills fleas within 30 minutes. It is recommended that you contain your pet in a small area when using Capstar.
Vinegar. Combine 1 quart of water, 1 cup of white vinegar or apple cider vinegar, and 1 cup of baby shampoo or liquid dish soap. Use this mixture to bathe your dog once or twice a month. Vinegar kills fleas and ticks on contact and can prevent future infestations.
Seeing even a couple of fleas on your dog can be a sign that an infestation is underfoot. If you spot a few, run a flea comb through your dog's fur to see if there are more.
Fleas are a common problem and it is very easy for your dog to pick up fleas, usually from the environment accessed by other infested pets, or wildlife. However, there are some simple measures dog owners can take to reduce the risk of your hound being taken for a ride.
Fleas generally cannot live in human hair. While most species prefer to live on the furs of animals, they can use humans as temporary vectors. In such cases, fleas can infest and bite humans. You may get infected if there is a serious case of flea infestation in your environment.
Dogs can get fleas in many ways. One way is through contact with other flea-infested dogs during a walk, romp at the dog park, or playdate at another pooch's home. Fleas can also “hitchhike” their way into your house by attaching to socks, pant legs, and shoes. Fleas can also jump tremendous distances!
To put it quite simply, yes, your dog can get fleas from the grass. Fleas jump onto an animal to feed on their blood and then as soon as they have fed tend to jump right back off, which is how they end up in your grass to start with. There is no doubt that trying to get rid of a flea infestation can be a royal pain.
Flea season starts in May and runs all the way into the winter when temperatures begins to drop below freezing. The worst time of the year is during late summer to late fall, from September through November.
Symptoms of Fleas on Dogs
Your dog may have hair loss or “hair barbering” (when the hair is chewed off leaving stiff or rough ends), changes in its coat color due to chronic licking or chewing, crusts, scales, redness, and “hot spots” (moist, ulcerative, and often inflamed lesions that appear suddenly).
Among the most common causes for compulsive dog licking, chewing, or scratching behaviors are fleas, ticks, and mites. Although ticks are often visible to the naked eye, fleas often go unseen until there is a large infestation, and mites are microscopic.
In just 30 days, 10 female fleas can multiply to over a quarter million new fleas in different life stages. Female fleas start producing eggs within 24 to 48 hours after taking their first blood meal and can lay up to 50 eggs per day.