With the sun shining bright outside, a cool and fresh breeze, and beautiful blossoming flowers, you’re bound to feel refreshed and rejuvenated. But, the same this might not be the case for your pets.
The reason? Fleas.
Summertime is also flea infestation time. So, if you find your cat or dog constantly itching or getting too restless, you need to act fast! You see, your adorable furry companions might have caught fleas, and as you already know, fleas are definitely no fun.
Thankfully, you can take some measures that can prevent fleas and keep your pets protected from any unsuspected attacks.
Detoxing your house
You might have noticed how the word ’infestation’ always follows fleas. So, it’s always a fleas infestation or a ticks infestation.
This is basically because these pests spread at an astonishingly fast rate that can make them hard to control if you don’t take quick measures. Fleas lay eggs that hatch equally fast and hence, can be a real pain to curb. So, you need to become more diligent to get the situation in control.
In addition to buying flea treatments for dogs or flea treatments for cats, you should thoroughly clean your house to keep the infestation at bay. For example, any towels or tools that you have used to clean your dog or cat to remove fleas should always be thoroughly washed and screened. You should also be on a lookout for eggs that might hatch later.
Install a flea collar in your vacuum
We get it: sometimes, you can get lethargic to empty the contents of your vacuum right away. After all, cleaning the entire house can be a task in itself. There is also nothing wrong with this provided you have a flea collar installed on your vacuum.
We highly recommend opting for a natural flea collar as they contain herbal oils that act as an insect repellent. If you don’t, you can easily purchase one online as they are quite pocket-friendly as well.
Enrich your pet’s diet with Brewer’s yeast and garlic
Brewer’s yeast and garlic have natural flea repelling abilities that can be great news for pet parents. And, this isn’t an exaggeration as there are actual studies with anecdotal evidence that proves the same.
You can either rub this yeast and garlic directly onto your pet’s skin but, since the smell might be too much, you can simply add them to their diet.
Start detoxing your yard
You might already be aware of how dogs love to roam in the backyard if you own one. Hence, to prevent fleas, detoxing your yard should be a high priority on your checklist.
You see, fleas and ticks don’t naturally grow on animals. It’s just that our naive pets end up carrying them from outside. While you cannot stop this in the usual park, you can definitely reduce this infestation risk by inspecting your yard. You should include regular grass cutting and trimming as a part of your long and maintenance as fleas and ticks generally recite in tall grass due to a high level of moisture and heat.
Make a point to remove dead trees, plants, or any excess brush from your yard as soon as possible. The faster you remove them, the better too. These are actually a hotspot for parasites and bugs to thrive.
Remember, this is not a once in a while process, you need to be vigilant and do this on a regular basis to protect your pets.
Clean your pet’s bedding on a weekly basis if not more
The bedding of your cat or dog should always be laundered at least once a week. However, if you have the flexibility to carry this out more frequently, you are more than welcome to do so.
Always wash the bedding in hot, soapy water. This will act as a sterilizer and kill any fleas and prevent them from spreading. While washing can be limited to once a week, you should vacuum the beds on a daily basis.
Don’t kill ants in your home
It’s almost a natural instinct to use and killer whenever we see these tiny organisms dotting our kitchen surface or cobblestone. However, you can actually control fleas if you simply encourage or at least, don’t eliminate ants from your yard.
Ants tend yo eat the eggs and larvae of fleas, which is more than welcomed as this is exactly what you want.
Invest in a high-quality flea treatment for your pet
Buying the best flea treatment for dogs or cats can be helpful if your pet has already been infected by fleas. For this purpose, you should survey the market to find a treatment that you feel would be the best suited according to your preferences and needs.
These treatments have different applications as well. You can take your pick from collars, topical creams, sprays, and so on. Look for waterproof flea treatments as they are more lasting and can get the job done more effectively in comparison to non-waterproof flea treatments.
Another recommended flea treatment would be investing in flea shampoos. These shampoos fast-acting and its effects also last for a longer time when it comes to reducing the constant itching that your pet might be suffering from.
Identify when it’s time for the flea season and take precautionary measures
Prevention is always better than cure, which is why you need to keep an eye out for the flea season before it strikes.
As mentioned above, summers are generally the season where you need to be prepared for the attack of fleas and ticks. A flea cycle lasts for 20 weeks and averages about two weeks during summertime give or take. If you are successful in controlling this onslaught, you need not worry about carrying out the more effort and time-consuming curative steps at a later time. Frankly, this is also a much more preferable way of tackling a flea infestation.
Resources – Eco Watch, HomeoAnimal.com, Pets WebMD
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