Flea infestation: two words that will give most pet parents a major case of the heebie-jeebies. Though this may seem like the stuff of nightmares, rest assured that the sneaky little devils can infiltrate even the cleanest of clean houses.
Let’s get the bad news over with: If you’ve spotted fleas on your pet, they’re also likely to be in your home. That’s right - while 5% of fleas live on your pet, the other 95% of fleas are happily setting up camp in your carpets, sofas, curtains, skirting boards and bed sheets. Oh, and probably your car too.
If you’re reading this wondering if you should just burn it all down and buy a new house, don’t. The good news is that we can help you get rid of those pesky critters once and for all!
How long can flea infestations last?
Fairly new infestations can be eradicated within a month or two, but if you’re dealing with something more extreme, it could take three or even four months to fully get on top of the little blighters. They’re stubborn, they breed like crazy, they hide in places that you might never have thought about, and they outnumber you a million-to-one. It’ll take time and patience – but you will get there. And it’s important to remember that there is no quick fix that will eradicate them all in just one treatment.
To take control of an infestation you’ll need to launch a tactical assault on the critters from every angle as well as cut them off at the source. This means you’ll need to treat your pet, home and garden at the same time to get on top of the little suckers, and then use your four-legged friend’s Itch flea treatment every month, without fail, to keep them at bay. You got this!
How to get rid of your pet's fleas
- Order your first month’s supply of flea treatment - the quicker you apply it to your pet, the quicker you’ll be saying sayonara to those teeny trespassers! Itch Flea’s double-action, spot-on treatment kills adult fleas on your pet in 24 hours, keeping your pet protected until their next monthly treatment. Plus it serves a double whammy by killing ticks and lice too! Bear in mind that your pet can’t get wet for 48 hours after the treatment has been applied, so keep them out of the rain (this can be easier said than done, we know). And don’t let them sleep near you that night either. It's important to treat all cats and dogs in the house, even if they don’t appear to have fleas - they'll take any chance they can to latch onto an unprotected pet.
- Give them a going over with a flea comb. Dip the comb in a bowl of soapy water after every couple of strokes. This will help to remove any eggs or fleas that are trapped in the comb, and stop them from falling back onto your pet. Get into the habit of doing this regularly. Not only will it alert you to any new creepers on your pet, but you’ll remove them before they have a chance to infest your home. Your furry friend will probably quite enjoy the fussing as well!
- Wash your pet’s bed and blankets in really hot water (we’re talkin’ 60 degrees, folks) every couple of days. Dry them on the highest heat setting after each wash. You can also take their bedding to a dry cleaner, but make sure they use pet-friendly cleaning chemicals.
How to get rid of fleas in your home
- Give your house a proper hoover. Get the nozzle into all the nooks and crannies, including upholstery, mattresses and skirting boards, and don’t forget to empty the bag after each use – you don’t want them hatching in your hoover, either! Give your car a good going over with the vacuum, too.
- Hire a steam cleaner and blast carpets, upholstery, your pet’s beds and their favourite chilling spots with every flea’s top pet peeve: a combination of extreme heat and pet-friendly detergent.
- Wash all cushion covers, blankets, sheets and bedding (especially the ones that your pet likes most) on at least 60 degrees and dry on a high heat setting.
- Use a household flea spray. Sometimes with severe infestations, we need to reach for the big guns. A one-off treatment will kill adult fleas for up to two months after application and prevents fleas at other life stages from developing, stopping the blighters coming back in force for up to 12 months.
A word of warning! Never use a household flea spray directly on pets - we have other flea treatment products for that! Any pets should be removed from the area being treated, including birds, fish, insects and reptiles, as well as dogs and cats, as the spray may be toxic to them.
How to get rid of fleas in your garden
- Regularly mow your lawn because fleas like to hide in tall grass. Make sure to dispose of the dead grass in a bag and throw it away rather than add it to your compost pile.
- Rake and remove debris like dead leaves and twigs and expose as much of the shady areas to sunlight as you can. Again, they don’t like it when it’s too hot.
- Spread cedar chips, diatomaceous earth or sulphur granules in places that are shady, humid, and warm (like under the bushes and on flower beds) and where your pet likes to lie down. They’ll have plenty of options and advice at your garden centre.
- Spray your garden with flea-killing nematodes - tiny worms which eat fleas and their eggs. Savage.
Why you need to get rid of fleas quickly
We know, it sounds like a decent amount of work - and it is - but fleas can make your pet's life a downright misery.
Aside from unbearable itchiness, fleas transmit tapeworms and diseases that not only affect pets but people too - so it’s worth eradicating the microscopic mingers completely.
Once you’ve followed our steps, make sure that your pet and your home stay flea-free forever with an Itch flea subscription delivered through your letterbox, every month. Easy-peasy, no-more-fleasy!
