Killing Dog Fleas in Your House and Yard

By Emily Wexford

Many may believe the crisis is over when they've gotten rid of every single flea on the family mutt. Little do they know that a army of fleas are still around, ready and waiting to swarm in on their dog the next opportunity they get. Recognize that eliminating dog fleas doesn't cease with getting rid of the ones on your dog. After all, you have to look at where those fleas came from originally (yard)...and where else they could be hiding out (house).

This is why flea control for eliminating dog fleas in your present surroundings is equally as crucial as ridding your dog of the fleas - perhaps even more so. In its brief lifetime, a flea may lay hundreds to thousands of eggs. A single flea in the home or yard can cause an entire infestation, leaving your four legged family member receptive to problems sooner than later.

Numerous steps must be taken to prevent this possible dilemma, all of which are directed at treating dog fleas permanently.

Step One: Use a vacuum to remove the fleas from the dog.

When you've assured that your dog is flea-free, you should start ridding the home of any and all fleas. Cleaning is always effective, but vacuuming in particular may prove to be the most effective.

Fleas are by nature attracted to a list of things that might indicate a possible host is nearby. Heat, sound, vibrations and such are expected to arouse some activity in flea eggs and entice adult fleas away from hiding.

If all proceeds well, the vibrations made by your vacuum cleaner will stimulate fleas to hatch (a favorable thing, since they could remain dormant in that state until an actual host (i.e. your dog) passes along) and absorb the larvae before they get a opportunity to mature into adulthood. If you're fortunate, you'll be able to vacuum a couple of stray adults too.

Remember to always seal and throw the vacuum bag away once you're finished. Fleas might still be alive and well even after being vacuumed into your cleaner, and could multiply there if you let them be.

Step Two: Chemical warfare.

Naturally, there are times when you have no other option but to bring out the big guns. Regardless of how much cleaning you do, it might never appear to be adequate to altogether eliminate these pests.

There always appear to be a few adults who manage to escape, and a few eggs that manage to endure your efforts. But most, if not all, will perish once exposed to chemicals specifically made for treating dog fleas.

Adulticides and Insect Growth Inhibitors are the most accepted and confided weapons in the war against fleas. The former works by eliminating adult fleas, while the latter yields any left over flea incapable of reproduction, in effect interrupting the flea's life cycle.

Over and over again, these two have shown that they are not only adequate of flea control for dogs, but also of eliminating the whole flea population if applied correctly.

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