Flea Control in the Outdoor Environment

Flea control in the outdoor environment is the next step in eliminating a flea problem and generally involves treating the yard and kennel areas with outdoor sprays. Fleas tend to like areas that are moist, warm, shady, and where there is organic debris. They will also tend to be where pets spend more of their outdoor time so be sure to concentrate on areas such as patios, under porches, dog houses, etc. Rake away any organic debris such as leaves, straw, grass clippings, etc., to disturb flea habitat and allow any flea and tick product you use outdoors to penetrate. You may need to treat the yard every 7 to 14 days depending on the product. Regardless of the product used, remember not to spray where runoff could go into lakes, rivers or fish ponds. Read the label on all insecticides thoroughly and apply them as directed.

Flea Control on Your Pet
Now that we've taken care of the fleas in your home and treated the "hot spots" in your yard, it's time to eliminate the fleas that are on your pet. There are a number of flea control products for use on pets, including once-a-month topical products, sprays, dips, shampoos, collars, and oral products. With any product applied directly to the pet, please remember that you may see some live fleas on your pet for a short time after spraying, shampooing, dipping, etc. In order for the fleas to die, they must come into contact with the insecticide, and absorb it.

Keep in mind that until all of the fleas in your home have died, you will probably still see some fleas, even on a treated pet, since some immature forms may continue to develop. This is especially true if you had a big flea problem to start with. Persistence is the key here. It is essential to keep following an effective flea control program for a long enough time to get rid of all of the fleas, in all life stages. This may take several months to a year, depending on your particular situation.

Once-a-month Topicals: Once-a-month topical insecticid