Interesting Facts and Remedies for Fleas

I wanted to discuss some interesting facts about fleas with you all and some home remedies for fleas. Fleas are an extremely bothersome creature and are super tiny. In fact it’s quite hard to even see them with the naked eye if you’re not really looking for them.

Even though fleas and their habits are quite interesting, they’re something that no one wants to keep around their home, unless you run a flea circus of course. But not many of us are flea circus ring masters. So the question is, how in the world do you get rid of them? And at the very least, what can you do to control a flea infestation.

Have you ever been sitting on your couch and it feels like someone is pricking you with little pins every now and then? Or do you seem to catch something out of the corner of your eye jumping past you and simply dismiss it as your mind playing tricks on you? If you’ve answered yes to either of these questions, then you may have a problem with fleas.

Fleas aren’t always only associated with pets in the home. But if you do have pets and they’re wrestling with themselves all over the house, you may want to consider they have fleas.

Attacking Fleas with Insecticides

It’s an unfortunate fact that commercial insecticides are extremely smelly and poisonous to your pets and household members. The fact is, they really aren’t that effective when it comes to flea control. Fleas similar to mosquitoes in that they are blood suckers, and they have the lively hood and will to survive similar to that of a cockroach.

Fleas have pretty much become immune to most pesticides like bombs and flea collars, so those may not offer much of a solution. If you ask most veterinarians, they will probably tell you not to waste your money on such things, but the good news is there are other remedies to controlling fleas than insecticides and poisons.

6 Ways to Control a Flea Problem

1. Always be sure to keep rugs, carpets and upholstered furniture vacuumed and clean. Fleas love to lay their eggs in these places and if not cleaned regularly, you may have the fleas eggs and larvae incubating. Contrary to popular belief, fleas actually spend most of their time somewhere other than their host. They can actually survive for up to weeks at a time without feeding. So it’s quite important to vacuum regularly. Plus it’s important to keep any outlets in your vacuum blocked so the fleas can not jump back out and escape back onto your carpet or furniture. And if possible, try to run a quick vacuum hose over your pets, they will probably hate you for it, but it work quite well in ridding them of fleas.
2. By adding fresh minced garlic, or garlic powder to your pets food, it will help to repel fleas almost like deep woods off. For more interesting info about Garlic check out my great new post on Garlic Spiritual Meaning, Folklore and Superstitions
3. If you feel like getting creative, try to construct a flea trap. Keep in mind, fleas are attracted to light and they can’t swim either. These two facts about fleas can help you build a successful trap. Something simple like filling a dinner plate or bowl with water with a squirt of dishwashing liquid can make a perfect trap. Be sure to place the plate or bowl near a spot that your pets frequent often. Another thing you can do is to place  a lamp over the bowl about six inches above the waters surface, this will make the trap much more enticing. This works especially well at night when everything else is dark, it will attract them like the plague. You may be wondering what the dishwashing detergent is for. Well, it helps to lower the surface tension of the water which will cause the pests to sink until they’ve drowned.
4. Ask your veterinarian about a nonaerosol flea spray for pets. It should consist of the chemical pyrethrum, this is something extracted from the dried heads of chrysanthemums. The vet may also be able to supply you with a nonaerosol spray that contains small amounts of an effective insecticide.
5. Your pets are quite sensitive to fleas saliva, not the actual flea  bites. So a treatment with a cortisone type medication can help.
6. To battle the them effectively, try to start early in the spring with these practices and you may just have the problem licked before it starts.

4 Facts About Fleas

1. A flea is able to jump vertically or horizontally more than 150 times their own length. This is similar to a human being jumping 1,000 feet.
2. A fleas body is capable of withstanding huge amounts of pressure. This is how they survive the scratching and biting inflicted by your pets.
3. A flea is actually covered with tiny bristles and spines that are pointing backwards. This makes it quite hard to pick them out of your pets fur.
4. Fleas have actually been responsible for more deaths than all the wars ever fought. This is because they are carriers of the plague, which was transmitted to them by rats and then humans.

Dealing with fleas in the household is a terrifying problem, but doesn’t have to seem like an impossible task. Take these tips to heart and you can successfully control your problem without having to tarnish your home with stinky pesticides and poisons.