life cycle of the flea

Since Frontline and Advantage require the pet to come into contact with the product to kill them, it is MY BELIEF that there is a maximum number of fleas it will kill. That is why there are some people who see fleas again in two weeks versus and entire month. If the infestation is SEVERE it will take more of the topical solution to kill them.

Think about it for a minute. Every flea that comes into contact with the product HAS to soak some of it up and when they fall off or wash off the animal it goes with them. Therefore it is not on the animal any longer to work on the fleas that remain.

That is why I tell my clients that the minute they start to see fleas again they should re-apply the product, even if it has only been a week! Usually within a month or so they find the frequency with which they have to apply the product diminishes greatly, and they are back on the manufacturers suggested schedule.

I also encourage them to get their dog groomed prior to application so that there will be fewer adult fleas the product must try to kill.

It is important for those battling fleas to understand that the entire life cycle must be broken in order to remove the pest from their environment.

We as groomers only deal with the problem of the ADULT flea which by some estimates is only 1% of the flea problem with the remainder being in the pupa or larvae stage.

Adult fleas can live for  as long a s one year, prefer temperatures from 75-90 degrees, and a single female flea can produce as many as 1000 eggs in her lifetime, averaging 30 a day!

It is no wonder that they are such a hard bug to kill!

Educating the consumer to the fact that the fleas live in their homes and yards not just on the pet that we are treating is KEY to the treatment of infestations. 

Some of the topical flea products, like Frontline, Advantage and Revolution actually kill the larva and pupa stages of the fleas as well as the adults. They act as a topical CONTACT killer and kill the different stages of flea life before they grow into adult fleas and lay eggs.  Many companies claim that you do not have to treat your home and yard if you use their product, but I recommend it is done anyway to speed up the process of infestation elimination! These products are approved now for sale at pet stores, feed stores and grooming salons, where before they were only available through a licensed veterinarian.

Program actually sterilizes the fleas preventing them from reproducing. There is also some research that suggests it is an effective fungal fighter in the cases of ringworm and yeast. it is a TRUE Insect Growth Regulator. It does not kill fleas, it simply prevents them from reproducing. ONLY by using it in conjunction with other products will the pet owner see results.

Revolution is a product available only through a vet that is supposed to treat, repel and prevent flea infestation, ear mites, skin mites and heartworms.

Capstar only kills the adult fleas present on the dog at the time the pill is administered, but together with a topical can be the difference between failure and success in breaking the cycle of the flea. It begins working in just a half hour to kill ALL the adult fleas on the pet. When used with a topical which kills the larvae and pupa of the flea and a good grooming schedule, Capstar is invaluable in the control of flea populations in the home.

Topicals
Frontline
Advantage
Revolution
Capstar

Environment
Treat yards
Treat homes
Treat ALL pets
Bombs

Health  issues
Tape worms  Hair loss        Skin allergies Anemia   

Non-pesticide control
SHAMPOO!         
WHY it works
HOW it works
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