Fleas are annoying, because they'll ride into your home on your cat or dog, bite your pet, bite you (making you itch and giving you ugly rashes), and then lay eggs in your sweatshirt. Yes, there are different kinds of fleas (some only suck pet blood and some only suck people blood), but you shouldn't take any chances; they may pass disease and are incredibly hard to kill (because they're so small, so jumpy and so sturdily-built).
You can usually tell if you have fleas if:
* Your pets continually scratch themselves. There's an even greater chance if you let your pet outdoors a lot.
* You see little specks littered all over your sheets, floor, or socks. Those might be eggs or dead fleas.
* You notice that when you wake up in the morning, you have bug bites.
* You see little, uncrunchable bugs jumping on your pet and onto you.
* You can find flea activity "hot spots" by putting on a pair of white socks and walking around areas you suspect are infested; your socks might show you evidence of tiny eggs or flea carcasses (not to be confused with flea circuses). Also check where you cat or dog hangs out (under furniture, on shelves or on top of refrigerators,)
Getting rid of fleas
Fleas infestations are kinda iffy: They might be localized, or they might infest your entire house, and this will affect how you get rid of them. To figure out what your flea problem is like, place a pan full of water and a bit of dish detergent 5 to 6 inches below a light bulb. The fleas will jump toward the light at night, fall into the detergent solution and drown. Pretty nifty, huh?
1. Keep them from attacking your pet. Far and away, this is the easiest way to control your flea population. Here's how to handle it:
* Shampoos. Flea shampoos are a good start, but first ask your vet for a recommendation.
* Powders and all-over insecticide dips and sprays can be much more effective than rinse-off shampoos. The downside: You're leaving an insecticide all over your pet's body.
* Foams and pour-on options also coat your pet's body with insecticides, but in less invasive application processes for the animal.
* Pills. These can be expensive, but are usually incredibly, incredibly effective at removing an infestation from your pet! Call your veterinarian for details on brands, effects and how you can get a prescription.
* Flea collars are just plain ineffective, except for about a half-inch border of fur around the collar itself on your pseudo-child.
2. Foggers. You can get pressurized insecticides in "bombs" or "cans" that dissipate well over an open area, like a basement, garage or dance parlor. Foggers aren't the best solutions for homes, as they tend not to reach under beds and in areas where your pet might deposit fleas.
3. House sprays deliver directed sprays of insecticide to any area you choose. This kind of product might be dangerous to cats or children, so read labels carefully and talk to your vet and/or doctor.
4. To find some other information about flea control methods and products, follow the last link in Resources.
So good luck to you. If you get lost or discouraged at any point along this way, maybe you should consider living a Zen lifestyle with your pests. You have enough food and patience for everyone, right? And, if worst comes to worst, you can always move. Wait... pests live everywhere in the world. Drat. Back to square one.
