Having Problems with Fleas? Part 1

SUCCESSFUL FLEA CONTROL TRIANGLE

Having pets and keeping them can bring great results. They keep us company; they lighten our mood; and they make us responsible owners. The list of benefits goes on and may be endless. However, with every pleasure comes a corresponding responsibility. There must then be a balance between the taking and the giving.

Owning pets can sometimes lead to letting in some pests. You may well agree with me on this. Animals can be lovely and enjoyable creatures but they need tender loving care (TLC). If they are left on their own, they may become foul-smelling, parasite-infested, ugly beings. Pet owners must exert extra efforts to make life for the pets, as well as the owners, happy and healthy.

One of the worst parasites that our pets may acquire are the fleas. They can easily get into our households and are very difficult to get rid of. They are such nuisance that it is detestable to have them around. Consequently, skin diseasesfor both owners and pets can result from flea infestation.

A successful flea control is illustrated like a triangle. We have to consider the animal which is the victim, and the environment which consists of the interior of the house and the exterior like the yard and the premises beyond it.

The Animal 

The animals are actually the victims, not the culprit for flea infestations. Animals with hair and feathers are the ones which are susceptible to fleas. Aside from their blood being sucked, pets suffer from itchiness and discomfort and eventually from simple to serious skin diseases and hair lose. It is then important that the pets are freed from these pests.

Fleas thrive beneath the hair and suck blood from skin pores and hair follicles. In addition, fleas need a host in order to reproduce but they can survive for a long time in a favourable environment.

These pests do not necessarily dwell on hairy pets alone. The most conducive places for fleas are warm and moist places like beneath carpets, cushions and floors or ground which are kept idle for some time. A single flea on your pet may then mean several others surrounding the pet.

The Environment: Interior of the House

Since many families allow their pets to stay inside their houses and sometimes sleep with them, the fleas and eggs may accidentally fall on carpets, floors, cushions, beds and beddings. Fleas may even get into clothes and closets and multiply rapidly. These areas and objects will then become fertile grounds for flea infestation.
So anywhere the pet with fleas is allowed to tread can become a territory of these pests.

The Environment: Exterior of the House

The outside of the house is the most flea-prone area because other animals and carriers can go through these places. The yard and beyond can be easily accessed by pests through other animals and even strangers, so these places may pose a great threat to pets.
Although one cannot fully take charge of his/her environment, awareness can be a good start in solving problems related to this matter.

First published in: http://rakz105.expertscolumn.com/article/having-problems-fleas-part-1