Don’t wait until it’s too late. Fix feisty flea problems now
before they infest Fluffy and
Fido.

If you think those cold winter nights killed the fleas, think
again.

“Flea larvae are very sensitive to cold weather, and we have had
some cold-enough
weather to kill flea larvae,” said Beverly Sparks, a University
of Georgia Extension
Service entomologist. “However, the adult fleas remain on the
host, and if the host comes
in out of the cold, so do the fleas.”

Flea pupae, Sparks said, can survive cold weather with no
problem.

If you feel like you are always playing catch-up in the yearly
frantic flea cycle, get a head
start this year and cover all the bases.

“It is necessary to treat the areas of the lawn where the host
animal(s) spends a great deal
of time,” Sparks advised. “Pay particular attention to where the
pets sleep, rest and feed.”

She recommends these tips:

* Before you treat, remove and destroy or clean bedding, and
remove food and water
dishes.

* Apply a registered insecticide according to label directions.
Allow the insecticide to dry
before letting pets back into the area.

* In heavy flea infestations, you may have to repeat the
application in seven to 14 days.

Remember: pets also serve as free flea transit. If your pets are
inside and outside pets,
count on them bringing their freeloaders inside your house.

To control fleas indoors, Sparks recommends:

* Thoroughly vacuum carpets and then replace the vacuum cleaner
bag. Sweep and mop
floors, too. Thorough sanitation and cleaning can remove a large
number of flea eggs and
larvae.

* Treat the house with a registered insecticide according to
label directions. This may be a
surface application with an insecticide or a total release
aerosol (people often call these
“bug bombs”).

“Again, pay particular attention to where pets sleep, rest and
are fed,” Sparks said.

Remember to treat the carriers, too: your pets.

“Protect animals by frequently inspecting them for fleas,”
Sparks said. “The pills that are
available now are effective and provide good control. They
contain insect growth
regulators that affect the immature stages of fleas.”

Other treatments include sprays and powders.

“They are most effective against the adult stage of the flea,
which is on the host animal,”
she said.

If you have a heavy flea population, take care to treat both
pets and their environments.

“Once a flea population is under control, you can go a long way
toward keeping them
under control through the use of the insect growth-regulating
pills and sanitation,” Sparks
said.

Start now to have a flea-free summer.