A flea infestation can be notoriously difficult to overcome because of their flexible life cycle. Being able to jump over 80 times their own height and conceal their eggs well means you will inevitably find fleas everywhere once your pet plays host to them.

If you’re facing a flea infestation, you will need to be thorough in order to successfully get rid of them. This means killing the fleas on your dog or cat, in the house, and in the yard.

Kill fleas on your pet

You can use a flea comb and bath on your pet, but this only tends to be effective for light infestation. To quickly and efficiently kill the fleas on your pet, you will need to use a flea treatment.

Capstar is a fast-acting tablet that kills adult fleas within 30 minutes of administering and can be given to both cats and dogs.

Other products such as Bravecto (which comes in both chews and topical treatments), Nexgard, and Revolution, are also very popular and effective methods to get rid of fleas, eggs, and larvae.

Bravecto Chews

NexGard Chewables

Revolution

Kill fleas in the house

Flea eggs and larvae are often hidden deep within the crevices of the house, so be sure to give your home a good vacuum, and wash all your linen, pet’s bedding, and toys in a hot wash. Depending on the severity of the infestation, you may also need to spray or fog your home to kill all the eggs and larvae, ensuring no fleas can re-infest your home.

Kill fleas in the yard

Fleas can often survive in dark and hidden areas outdoors, ready to jump back onto your pet or clothes, and re-infest your home. Clear all the debris in your yard, mow your lawn, and trim back all shrubs and trees to expose your yard to as much sunlight as possible, to kill all the fleas. Be sure to wash any pet bedding and outdoor soft furnishing in high temperatures as well.

If you are facing a particularly persistent infestation, you may want to implement strategies such as flooding the yard, dusting diatomaceous earth, or spraying nematodes or commercial insecticides.

Flea prevention

Fleas are not only difficult to kill, but they can also cause some serious pet health problems as well. Use flea and tick treatments such as Nexgard, Revolution, and Frontline Plus monthly (or every 12 weeks for Bravecto) to ensure maximum effectiveness, and prevent your cat or dog from facing a flea infestation. They should be given flea prevention medication all-year-round because fleas are active and can cause infestation whether in spring, summer, fall, or winter.