Healthy pets are less susceptible to pests. Feed your pet a diet that is free of allergens and promotes healthy skin.
Flea larvae feed on dust and debris. Regular cleaning helps remove eggs and biting adults: Vacuum and wash floors, rugs, carpets and upholstery at least once a week and consider keeping your pets out of hard-to-clean rooms. Discard the vacuum bag in the trash or place it in a plastic bag and freeze for 24 hours to kill fleas. Steam-clean carpets first if you have a flea infestation and want to remove larvae.
Establish one sleeping area for your pet and wash bedding regularly. Always wash bedding whenever you bathe your pet.
Comb your pet with a flea comb regularly. Dip the comb in hot, soapy water to drown fleas. Bathing and combing are especially important during flea and tick season, spring through early fall.
Outside: Since fleas prefer damp, shady places, let your lawn go dormant in the summer. Mow regularly to reduce flea-friendly shade and allow the grass to dry out between waterings.
Monitor for ticks
Ticks can carry Lyme disease, which can be quite serious if left untreated. Brush pets and inspect skin thoroughly (behind ears, between toes) after they have been in areas where ticks are common. If you find a tick embedded in the skin, remove it carefully and kill it.
Consult with your veterinarian about the safest choices for your pet. Always read product labels thoroughly before you make a purchase.
- Avoid over-the-counter flea and tick collars. Pesticide levels from some flea collars can be many times higher than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's acceptable levels for adult safety.
- Growth regulators prevent eggs and larvae from developing. They are nearly nontoxic to mammals but hazardous to other insects and marine life, so apply carefully. Formulations are available at pet stores.
- Consider keeping a low-toxicity herbal flea collar on your pet.
- Use flea soap or a citrus extract product (without other insecticides).
- Dust rugs, upholstery or pet bedding with diatomaceous earth or silica aerogel, leave for a few days then vacuum up. These products are relatively nontoxic to humans or pets, but should be applied wearing a mask and goggles. (Never use "pool grade" diatomaceous earth for flea control.)
- Apply beneficial nematodes to your lawn, especially in moist shady areas. These microscopic worms eat flea larvae and do not affect humans, pets, wildlife, soil or waterways. Purchase nematodes in garden stores and some pet stores.