Safe, Non-toxic Flea Control for Your Home

Fleas that jump into the glue are trapped and die without the use of any chemical toxins at all. In fact, these traps are completely non-toxic and odorless, and safe to use around kids and pets.

They can also function as an early detection device. In other words, if you leave them on in your house, you can check them from time to time to see if any fleas have been trapped. This is a great way to know about potential flea problems before they get out of hand.

Check out these great reviews for this product on Amazon.com

I must admit I was very skeptical about this, but decided to give it a try out of sheer desperation, and based on the favorable reviews on Amazon, I think this is a brilliant, safe, pesticide-free solution to dealing with those pesky little ankle-biting devils that hide in the carpet!
- W.P

I bought two of these traps. I had a similar product years ago so pretty much knew what to expect. My traps catch a lot of fleas, and I feel really good about the non-toxic approach. However, most flea infestations (in my experience) require other controls as well. I put flea control like Advantage on my cats (the product you put between their shoulderblades once per month). What I like about the flea traps is that I rarely have to spray or powder poisonous flea killing products in my house.
- A.D.

The Victor Ultimate Flea Trap is a great addition to your flea control program. You should still treat your pet with a topical medication, but this trap is hard to beat for home flea control and monitoring.

Click here to buy the Victor Ultimate Flea Trap from Amazon.com

Flea powders used for pets contained insecticides, and there were several reasons they were less than ideal for getting rid of fleas on pets.

• It was hard to distribute the powder evenly over the animal. Fleas had a tendency to linger in one or more areas of the pet’s coat, and re-infest them after the powder wore off.
• There was no real residual effect to the powder itself. It tended to fall away over time, and not offer any long-term protection.
• To be effective, flea control treatments need to be comprehensive, and kill not just the adult fleas, but the eggs and larva as well. Powders didn’t accomplish this.
• Powders created a toxic cloud during treatment, which could be inhaled by both the pet and the person treating them.

For these reasons, it’s actually much more effective, not to mention convenient, to use a topical treatment. These can be applied once a month and protect your pet from adult fleas, as well as eggs and larva.

Flea Powders for Use on Carpets

There’s one application for which powders are quite useful, and that’s to kill fleas and eggs in your carpets.

These powders, such as the Fleabusters Rx for Fleas Plus, contain borate. Borate is non-toxic to pets and humans, and will penetrate your carpets well. It’s a very fine powder, and has the added benefit of being statically charged.

Being statically charged means that once it penetrates the carpet, it will cling to the fibers and provide protection against fleas for a long time, even through repeated vacuuming.

Fleabusters powder is also Ph neutral, meaning it’s neither acidic or alkaline. Many insects, fleas included, can sense a high or low Ph and will avoid the area. With this powder, fleas have no such warning and will crawl through it and die.

But, stay away from toxic powder on your pets. It’s more trouble than it’s worth, and not particularly effective.

An Effective Way to Treat Your Pet for Fleas

It’s worth spending a little extra money to buy a good quality dog flea shampoo. The shampoo should contain both pyrethrins or some other insecticide, and an insect growth regulator (IGR).

As always, you should consult your veterinarian before using an insecticide on your dog. Although pyrethrins are usually quite effective and harmless to dogs, the breed, size and overall health of your dog should be considered first.

Some dog flea shampoos may also contain natural ingredients, such as tea tree and lemon oil, which act as insect repellants. Also, be aware that insecticides such as pyrethrins can dry your dog’s coat, so using a flea shampoo that contains a coat conditioner might not be a bad idea.

When bathing your dog, start by thoroughly wetting the neck, and lathering the area well. This will create a barrier to prevent the fleas from traveling from other areas of your dog’s body to the head.

Once the dog’s neck is lathered, wet and lather the rest of his body, particularly above the base of the tail, and any other areas where you’ve noticed him scratching or licking.

Finally, rinse the dog thoroughly so that there’s no residual flea shampoo left in his coat that he might ingest while grooming himself.

A Convenient and Safe Way to Prevent Fleas and Ticks on Your Pet

Flea collars generally work in one of two ways – either by emitting a toxic gas, or by releasing toxins (to fleas) that are absorbed into the layer of fat beneath the pet’s skin.

The toxic gas method is usually only effective in the immediate area of the collar, i.e. the pet’s head and neck. These collars are best used in vacuum cleaner bags, where the gas is contained, and can be effective against fleas that are vacuumed up.

Flea collars that release toxins that are absorbed into the fat layer are much more effective. These can contain pyrethrins, as well as IGR’s, or insect growth regulators that inhibit flea egg and larva growth. Remember, controlling the early stages of the flea life cycle is just as important as killing adult fleas.

Ask your vet for recommendations bout the best flea collar for your pet. Some ingredients, such as permethrins, should not be used on cats. Your vet should be able to recommend, and even provide, the best flea collar option for your pet.

The EPA has published a four-page pamphlet and Q&A which explains how to identify illegitimate products, and which types of products are most likely to be affected. Some of the most commonly counterfeited flea control products are the ever-popular Frontline and Advantage.

Here are some examples of what to look for when buying Frontline and Advantage.

Frontline:

• The lot number on the box matches the lot number on the individual applicators.
• An instruction booklet is included in the box, and includes first-aid information, emergency U.S. telephone numbers, directions for use, and instructions on how to store and dispose of the product.
• The applicator vial is child-resistant, and directions for opening are included.

Advantage:

• The applicator vials include an EPA Registration number.
• Applicator tubes include a reference to the labeling on the box for usage directions, and the manufacturers name (Bayer).
• Applicator tubes have an active ingredient statement that matches the ingredient statement on the box.

Counterfeit flea treatments can cause serious health problems for your pet. Please read the EPA warning carefully, and refer to it when purchasing flea treatments, especially Frontline and Advantage.

Quick and Convenient Flea Control

Is it really that easy?

Flea bombs often seem like the ideal solution, since they’re quite easy to use, and seem like a simple, low maintenance way to control fleas. However, the indirect application of insecticides to your carpets, pet bedding, or other areas that might be infested with fleas, is much less effective than applying them directly.

What’s a better way?

A better way to apply spray insecticides is directly to the areas infested with fleas. In most homes with pets, this usually means the pet’s bed and bedding, carpets, and any other ares the pet frequents. The advantage of applying insecticide spray directly is that you can use much less of the toxic substance.

In addition, when you apply the spray by hand, as opposed to setting off a bomb in the middle of your living room, you can move furniture and other obstacles, and apply the spray to the exposed area. Flea bombs do not allow you this flexibility.

Use a multi-pronged approach for best success

This website is dedicated to providing you with the most accurate and helpful information on flea control. As you will see, the best approach involves treating the infestation in your home as well as your pet. If doesn’t make much sense to treat one and not the other, since one will just re-infest the other if they’re not both treated.

Treating your pet with Program will cause the hormone lufrenol to enter the fleas system as well. The hormone will effectively sterilize the female flea, and prevent flea eggs from hatching. Novartis, the company the produces Program, states that this medication is also safe for breeding and lactating animals.

Program is quite effective for existing flea infestations because it will break the natural flea life cycle, and prevent flea eggs from hatching. Please be aware though, that all pets in your home must be treated with Program in order for it to be effective.

Advantage is very effective, and 98-100% of fleas are killed within 24 hours. However, since the medicine is not absorbed into your pet’s system, Advantage is considered safer than many other topical flea control products.

Frontline is probably the most popular of the topical flea treatments currently available. Generally, regular applications of Frontline during the flea season will eliminate fleas on your pet. Along with effective home flea control, Frontline is an effective way to keep your home free from fleas.

Frontline is safe to use on puppies over ten weeks, and kittens twelve weeks or older. It is also safe to use on nursing mothers. Additionally, Frontline is very effective on ticks, killing two birds with one stone.

Frontline flea control is applied to your pet’s back between the shoulders. The active ingredient, fipronil, dissolves into the natural oils of your pet’s coat and skin. It then distributes itself over the entire body, and provides long lasting, and waterproof protection from fleas and ticks. Frontline provides flea control for an entire month.

When Other Flea Control Methods Fail

Flea extermination with guaranteed results

Professional pest control companies, such as Terminix and Orkin will not only provide professional service, but they also usually offer a guarantee. So, once you’ve paid for the service, you can generally be assured that your flea problem will be solved. If not, the pest control service will provide another treatment free of charge. However, be sure to ask the provider about guarantees before purchasing.

Once you request the extermination service, the company will do an initial visit to assess your needs, and determine the type of pest in your home, and their means of entry. In the case of fleas, before the treatment begins, you will most likely be requested to remove or wash all pet bedding, vacuum carpets, and do the other non-pesticide related steps described in the home flea control section.

In addition to preparing your home for treatment, you will of course also need to treat your pet for fleas. See our section on flea control for pets for more information.

Preparing your home for professional flea control

Once you’ve requested the professional extermination service, make sure that all outdoor areas, crawlspaces, and shaded areas are available for treatment. You will also have to arrange to be out of the house for several hours after treatment. Also, all pets, including birds and reptiles will need to be removed from the home as well. Fish tanks can be covered with a damp towell, and the air pump turned off.