The Effectiveness of Flea Collars
You've found fleas on your pet. You know they're in your house. You know they carry disease and parasites.You need to get rid of them.Time for a flea collar--but do flea collars work?
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Types
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There are two basic types of flea collars: chemical and electronic.
Chemical Collars
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Chemical collars come in two varieties. One kind is impregnated with insecticide, and kills adult fleas. The second kind is impregnated with insect-growth regulator (IGR), which prevents flea eggs from hatching.
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Electronic Collars
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Electronic collars emit an ultrasonic sound that drives fleas away.
Effectiveness
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Insecticide collars aren't very effective.The flea must get right up around the collar to be killed.The rest of your pet is fair game. IGR collars are more effective, but still have limited range and don't kill adult fleas. Moreover, there's no evidence that electronic collars work at all.
Warnings
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Flea collars can be dangerous. Insecticide collars can cause skin irritations, sores and toxic reactions in your pets. They can also be toxic to humans. IGR collars and electronic collars are nontoxic; however, pets, especially cats, can get collars caught and can be injured or killed.
Bottom Line
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Flea collars may help prevent fleas, but don't work well against an active flea infestation. They can also actually be dangerous to pets and people.
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