Cat Flea
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See
ag.arizona.edu/urbanipm/insects/fleas.htmlYou need to realize only 1% of the fleas are in the adult stage. The adults are the only stage that bites. Fleas can remain dormant for months in an area until a suitable host is present. These suitable hosts include any warm blooded mammal such as people, domestic pets, and wildlife animals including squirrels, skunks, opossums, raccoons, rats, mice, and birds. This scenario could be returning to a vacation home or other area that is not used on a regular basis. Suddenly the fleas become active by sensing the sounds and movement of new activity. The fleas had no host until you arrived. If you have a flea infestation and no pets, look for any of the other hosts mentioned above that might be unwanted residents in the attic, crawl space, under porch areas, or other areas.
To begin treatment follow the “Preparation For Flea Treatment” task sheet. Remember to vacuum first to remove loose fleas in all stages. Have the pet dipped at the vet or treat with
Petcor Flea Spray 1 pt. btl to control fleas on the pet itself.
For severe infestations use a fogger or total release aerosol such as
Pro Control Total Release 6 oz. can to kill the adults present. Be careful not to use in any area with an open pilot light. This includes gas water heaters or stove areas. If you have this type of unit turn off the pilot light and shut off the gas for treatment. After treatment is completed turn the gas back on and relight the pilot lights. The use of foggers is normally not necessary except in extreme cases. Remember the fogger only kills the adults and will not work by itself because it cannot control the earlier development stages.
The idea of treatment is to apply a residual material that also contains an insect growth regulator. This combination works by stopping any further reproduction, limiting the population to what is present right now. The residual works to control the fleas as they develop from the previous stages. It will take about 30-35 days under normal circumstances for the infestation to be controlled. Every other day vacuuming removes the adult fleas to help so there won’t be as many present.
Products for control include
PreCor 2000 Plus Aerosol 16 oz. can and
Demize Nylar IGR Flea Carpet Spray 16 oz. can. Both of these are easy to use aerosol products that contain both an insect growth regulator and residual in the same can. One can of PreCor 2000 will treat about 2000 sq. ft. and one can of Nylar Carpet Spray will treat about 500 sq. ft.
Interior concentrate materials include
Demize E. C. 16 oz. btl which is a liquid concentrate that kills fleas in all four stages
(egg, larvae, pupae, and adult) with a botanically derived insecticide called Linalool. All the other products work when the fleas develop to the adult stage. Another good interior combination would be to use
Suspend SC 1 pt. btl with
Archer IGR 16 oz. btl or
PreCor IGR Concentrate 1oz. btl mixed together. This would have the residual and growth regulator effect in one solution. These materials are applied with a
1 gal. Poly Sprayer or
2 gal. Poly Sprayer. A lot of people who do their own treatment forget to treat the non-carpeted rooms and/or areas. These areas can also be infested due to the animal rubbing against a wall or doorway edge or framing and fleas fall into these areas. The animal could also remove fleas in to these areas by scratching. Then the next time the host is around this area they can be bitten if adult fleas are still present. Small area rugs can easily be overlooked and the same situation could develop.
Remember you will see fleas for about 30-35 days after treatment as they progress through their developmental stages. As they hatch out to the treated surfaces they will be controlled. Regular vacuuming every other day is critical for relief and should continue through the process. If the fleas are still present after 35 days you will need to repeat the complete process.
For exterior control remember the fleas are going to harborage where the dog sleeps and rests which are in shady areas or right against the house. Liquid residual concentrates are mixed with water at label rates as needed. This method gets the treated area to a “neutral” condition where no fleas or insects are present. The drawback is that after 2 or 3 sprinkler cycles, a rain, or heavy dew the material is diluted to the point of ineffectiveness and nothing is there to provide continued control. If you use this method to control cat fleas and ants or other insects at the same time, afterwards you may want to treat with a weather resistant particle bait such as Niban to provide continued control. For control in these areas you could use residual concentrate products such as
Demand CS 8 oz. or
Demand CS 1 qt.,
Suspend SC 1 pt.,
Tempo SC 240 ml,
Tempo Ultra WP 420 gram btl,
Talstar Pro 1 pt. or
Talstar Pro ¾ gal,
Viper 4 oz.,
Demon WP 4-9.5 gram bags per pk,
Demon WP 1 lb. jar,
Demon EC 1 pt.,
Cy-Kick CS 1 pt. or
Cy-Kick CS 120 oz.. These materials can be applied with a
1 gal. Poly Sprayer or a
2 gal. Poly Sprayer. For foundation perimeter application or yard application use a
Gilmour Hose End Sprayer Model 486 or a
Gilmour Hose End Sprayer Model 362.
Viper RTU is a ready to use pre mixed product in a 1 gal. Container with a handy sprayer attached to a 1-foot hose.
Use these Niban products for the foundation grass line, landscape areas, and/or yard areas. This is good for non-flea pests. These sizes more suited to outside applications
Niban Insect Bait 5 lb. Shaker Bag, or
Niban Insect Bait 40 lb. Bag. Remember the particles are weather resistant through up to 4 inches of water. This bait works well through sprinkler cycles, rain, or heavy dew.
Another control method is insecticide granules. These materials include
Talstar PL 25 lb bag and
Delta Gard 20 lb. bag. These products are applied with a hand spreader such as a
Scotts Handy Green 2 Hand Spreader. These materials work well when applied and even better when watered in. They are applied at the foundation perimeter and yard areas.
Always read and follow label directions. For additional information call Do It Yourself Pest Control Supply at 972-562-9999, 903-891-8818, or 866-562-8999 for all your do it yourself pest control supplies.
