Treating the Home
Cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis) ( Figure 1 ) are the most common fleas found on both cats and dogs. Flea eggs and adult feces fall off the host and accumulate where the pet rests, making these the prime flea breeding foci. Flea breeding in these areas can be reduced by establishing one sleeping area for the pet, choosing an area that can be cleaned thoroughly on a regular basis, and using bedding material that can be laundered weekly or thrown away as often. If human flea allergy is the cause of the complaint, pets should be excluded from areas of the house frequented by the person(s).
Figure 1. Cat flea adult.
CREDITS: N. Hinkle, University of Florida
Vacuuming flea breeding areas is also beneficial. In addition to removing the juvenile stages, vacuuming will also remove adult flea feces, the essential food source for the developing larvae. Pupae appear to be unaffected by vacuuming, because their silk cocoons are tightly bound to carpet fibers. Attachments should be used to vacuum cracks, crevices, and upholstered furniture where pets rest. Vacuuming alone will not remove the entire flea population but will help keep them reduced. The steam-extraction carpet cleaning method should effectively destroy all stages of fleas present.
Flea traps will capture some fleas, but there is no evidence that they do anything to control flea populations. They may have some small value as a sampling tool to confirm infestations. The use of leaves from waxmyrtles, such as the southern bayberry, have been repeatedly recommended for flea control.
Treating Your Pet
Combing the pet with a flea comb is an effective but time-consuming method of controlling fleas on pets. It is most effective on cats, especially since cats do not normally tolerate baths. Fleas removed with the comb should be disposed of by dropping them in soapy water. Our experiences have shown that many cats find combing enjoyable.
Bathing a dog with soap, shampoo or a mild detergent can also remove fleas. This method drowns fleas and the lipophilic (oil attracting) nature of detergents should have a drying effect on the surviving fleas.
The mixing of essential oils into shampoo is not recommended and may prove to be lethal to the pet. For example, pulegone, the active ingredient in pennyroyal oil, has dose related toxicity to mammals and may induce lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, nose bleeds, seizures, and, possibly, death due to liver failure. There is no antidote to pulegone poisoning
Footnotes
- This document is ENY-229, one of a series of the Entomology and Nematology Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Revised: March 2003. Please visit the EDIS Website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.
- P. G. Koehler, professor, Department of Entomology and Nematology, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611.