Any one up for a quick flea lecture? Early planning and action are keys to tackling flea problems. Our knowledge of fleas and their life cycle has come a long way in 5 years. We now know that adult fleas are only about 5% of the total flea problem. They can lay about twice their body weight in eggs. An adult female lays about 2,000 eggs in her 6 week life. She deposits small white eggs on dogs, cats, and ferrets 1-2 days after biting your animal and taking a blood meal. Pet's then act like living salt shakers and deposit eggs in their environment as they go about their daily business. Eggs hatch into flea larvae about 10 days later if temperature and humidity are high enough (July and August). The larvae or maggots are free living and crawl into nooks and crevices and the base of carpets to find food. Warm, damp conditions trigger larvae to make the sticky pupal cocoon that is virtually indestructible. Pupal cocoons can last in the environment for 6 to 8 months. Physical pressure, carbon dioxide and warmth cause the new flea to emerge. There you have it... the four stages of a flea life cycle.
Ciba Geigy Corporation is currently running a national television advertising campaign to introduce a product that has revolutionized flea control....PROGRAM (Lufenuron)..... PROGRAM is highly effective and safe for dogs and cats over six weeks of age. You give the product orally once-a-month. It is very tasty (according to the pet survey) and a convenient way to break the flea life cycle. Lufenuron is an insect development inhibitor and has no effect on adult fleas or mammalian tissue. It breaks the life cycle by preventing flea eggs from developing into larvae and then adult fleas. With severe flea infestations, your veterinarian may instruct you to use flea sprays, powders, and dips (conventional insecticides) along with PROGRAM.
PROGRAM can be used any time of the year and in some cases should be used year-round. It is best to start using PROGRAM before the flea season begins. I recommend starting as early as March but hopefully by May or June. Continue through December. We have had many success stories with PROGRAM in the last 12 months. A flea-egg collar is available for those who aren't interested in using oral medication. This approach works but is not as predictably successful because animals lose collars easily.
Battles against pesky fleas are far from over, but treatment alternatives in the 1990's have emerged as environmentally friendly and safe for humans and animals. Remember that no single treatment or product will resolve every problem. Although it is tempting to fill your shopping cart with flea products at the pet store, history shows that it's more economical in the long run to purchase flea products from your veterinary hospital. Technicians are trained as to what products work best and their proper use. We are more than happy to share successful flea and tick control strategies with you. Good luck...
Mark W. Richards, MS, PhD, DVM