Fleas are not just a nuisance, but a plague for all living beings on this Earth. The very thought of the small, awful-looking insects feeding on your blood can make you cringe. As pet lovers, we make sure to keep our four-legged babies as comfortable as possible. However, sometimes we fail to look into the deepest of problems and overlook the cause of their fleas. A closer look at what’s attracting fleas and how to prevent fleas will help your pet, and your family.

What Attracts Fleas?

Often we find that the prevalence of fleas on our long-haired furry companions is greater than the ones who bear short hair. This is due to the fact that long hair gives these blood-sucking insects more room to hide and build families.

Fleas and ticks aren’t just irritating and loathsome; they also spread diseases on our pets which could be severe rashes, itching or skin diseases. Most importantly, fleas are highly prone to live in the insides of ears and small crevices on the body. That is definitely not good for our innocent beings. Apart from the long fur, there are several other instances which attract fleas into your premises.

Things That Attract Fleas Other Than Fur:

• Source of Light– Fleas are attracted to light sources. Because they feed on living hosts, they choose to be in areas with enough light that living things will be present. Flea eggs roll off of the host’s fur and quickly take shelter into the shadows to avoid detection. Once they reach their maturity, the pupae now transformed as adults seek for light sources and latch onto the nearest possible host available.
• Movement– It’s a common misconception that pests such as fleas would prefer to hitch on to a stationary subject. Several reports suggest that fleas are more attracted to objects which have a solid momentum rather than those who prefer to stay still. Sounds strange right? And you know the kinds of mind-boggling mischiefs our pets run into right!
• Body warmth– Like most pests, fleas seek out warmth and they prefer to reside in places which exhibit warmth for their cozy habitat. And what better than to set up shop underneath the lustrous fur of our pets! Body warmth from our pets serves as the ideal atmosphere for these irritants and that’s what they live for!
• Exhaled Breath– Yes, you heard that right! Carbon dioxide released from the exhaled breath is of the very prominent sources which attract fleas. Since fleas are parasitic creatures which require a living host body to live off on, they are in perpetual search for subjects and carbon dioxide exhaled by pets makes them the primary target.
• Unsanitary conditions– Unsanitary conditions imply irregular bathing of pets, proper application of flea-removal medications, infrequent brushing of fur and not maintaining the proper hygiene of the pets. All of the above-mentioned situations trigger an attraction for fleas and so, you must ensure to keep your pets clean and healthy at all times.

Now that you are aware of the various reasons why fleas choose their host, let’s talk how we can prevent them!

Flea Prevention Practices:

Regulate your Garden–

If you have a garden or lawn, it is best to take all necessary measures to keep it in check. By that, it simply means regular mowing of your lawn, trimming the grasses and the shrubs, timely spraying of insecticides, and keeping wild animals away from your garden. Possums, wild cats or any other wild animal can carry fleas along with them. Giving them entry into your premises creates scope for a possible flea infestation of your pets.

Oral medication–

The easiest and the most hassle-free ways of getting rid of fleas is to administer oral flea-removal medicines to your furry friends. These oral tablets are great because once consumed, you can kiss your flea worries away. If you find it difficult to get them to swallow it, stick it in with their foods. Flea-removal tablets also come in various flavors and essences to make them appear more appetising.

External Application–

Sometimes, we can’t get the pets to consume the medicine, or they continuously throw it back up. In such cases, external applications work as the best solution and there’s no worry about whether your dog has consumed the medication or just spit it right out of his mouth in hindsight (Oh, we understand their mind tricks so well)! Fipronil sprays or any other such flea-preventive talcum powders or sprays work best for removing fleas. You can buy Fipronil spray on Amazon here.

Sanitize your home–

Any kind of pest is immensely attracted to unsanitary conditions and an unclean environment. Flea eggs or pupae will hide in some of the nooks and crannies of our house, and are too small to notice. It’s obviously not possible to search for every last one of these dreadful insects. It’s best to sanitize your house and keep your surroundings clean to take away the great living conditions for fleas.

Take care of your pets–

Finally, it goes without mentioning that paying attention to and taking care of your pets is of the upmost importance for flea prevention. Often times, even after applying for the flea medicines, you find your four-legged creatures still scratching and biting his/her skin. This implies that fleas have not completely left their body yet.

Here are some of the ways by which you can ensure that fleas leave your pet’s body and never return again:

• Regularly bathing your pets with flea-removal shampoos.
• Combing and brushing through their fur with a flea comb or brush.
• Making them wear flea-repelling collars and vests
• Cleaning them thoroughly after they have been outdoors
• Allowing them to play under the direct sun since sunlight is known to kill these bloodsuckers

Fleas are one of the most highly feared insects to passionate animal lovers. We are in constant fear of these insects sucking the blood out of our gentle pets. That is why it is extremely important for us to know the specifics of these insects and take every appropriate measure to eradicate them not only from our pet’s bodies but also from our very vicinity so that they do not have the ability to return again.