How can I safely use flea control products ?

FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE PACK........How can I safely use flea control products ?
Here is a nonchemical method of removing fleas. Take a small lamp and set it on the floor (turn the light on) and place a pie tin on the floor under the light. place in the pie tin water with a drop or two of dish soap. The next morning it will have dead fleas in it. Repeat every night till there are no more fleas in it. this may take a while and if your animals keep bringing in more fleas it will be a never ending process.How can I safely use flea control products ?
Fleas can be a major problem for pet owners. Not only are these tiny creatures a nuisance, they are also the cause of many diseases such as flea anemia, flea bite dermatitis, and tapeworm infestation. Therefore, strict flea control is a necessary step in the health care of many pets. The eradication of fleas from our animals and our homes necessitates the use of products containing insecticides, either in the form of a mousses, spot-ons, oral suspensions, powders or spray mists. While there are many safe insecticide products available for use on pets, caution still must be observed. Pet owners should be extremely careful when using flea products on or around their animals. Products should ALWAYS be used strictly according to their label directions. There are several new products on the market that are only available from your veterinarian. Call your veterinarian to find out more. The following are some guidelines for dog and cat owners to follow when choosing and applying a flea control product: Never use insecticides on very young animals, pregnant or nursing pets, debilitated or elderly animals without consulting your veterinarian. With such pets, you may want to consider avoiding the use of insecticides directly on your pet. Instead, you could comb the fleas off the pet with a flea comb then submerge the captured fleas in a small container of soapy water. This would also be a good alternative for those pets who love being groomed but who violently refuse baths or the application of a spray. Before using any product on your pet, read the label instructions completely. If you do not completely understand the instructions, you should contact the manufacturer or your veterinarian for clarification. Observe the species and age requirements listed on the label. Never use a product labeled ';for use on dogs only'; on your cats. Cats react very differently than dogs to some insecticides. Some dog products can be deadly to cats, even in tiny amounts. Use caution when using products that contain organophosphates in your house or on your cat. Cats seem to be sensitive to certain organophosphate insecticides. Currently, there are few flea products in the United States labeled for use on cats that contain organophosphates as an active ingredient. The few that can be used on cats contain a small concentration of organophosphate. However, many household sprays and products that are specifically labeled ';for use on dogs only'; are widely available. Again, never use ';dog only'; products on your cats! Never use flea control products that contain permethrin on your cats, unless they are specifically labeled for use on cats. There are some products that are labeled for use on cats that contain small concentrations of permethrin, usually less than 0.1%. When used according to the label instructions, these can be used safely in cats. Always use caution when using shampoos, sprays, topical spot-ons or mousse near your animal's eyes, ears and genitalia. Accidental exposure could cause mild irritation to these sensitive tissues. When using a fogger or a home premise spray, make sure to remove all pets from the house for the time period specified on the container. Food and water bowls should be removed from the area also. Allow time for the product to dry completely before returning your dogs or cats to your home. Open windows or use fans to ';air out'; the household before returning your pets to the treated area. Strong fumes can be irritating to your pet's eyes and upper respiratory system. If you are uncertain about the usage of any household product, contact the product's manufacturer or your veterinarian to explain the directions before use of the product. Insect growth regulators like lufenuron, methoprene, and pyriproxyfen can be used in combination or alone with flea control products. They can help break the flea life cycle by inhibiting flea maturation. Growth regulators have minimal adverse effects and can improve the efficacy when used in combination with adult flea insecticides. You should consult your veterinarian or pest control specialist for advice concerning proper use of these products. Just because a product is labeled to be a ';natural'; product does not mean that the product is completely safe. Many such ';natural'; products can be harmful when used inappropriately on cats. For example, d-limonene and linalool are citrus extracts that are used as flea control agents. Though they are natural products, they still can cause harmful side effects if used improperly. Observe your animal closely after using flea products. If your pet exhibits unusual behavior, or becomes depressed, weak, or uncoordinated, you should seek veterinary advice immediately. Once again, ALWAYS read the label. This could save the life of your pet!
I need more details, do you want to use it on your animals or your house or yard ????
If you are talking about products like advantage (the topical treatment) here is my advice depending on the size of your animal





for a large dog (German shepard size) put 1/2 of the tub on the base of its neck (make sure to get it directly on the skin or else it wont be as effective), and the other 1/2 at the base of it's tale.


Do the same for a medium size dog


For small dog just put the whole tube on the base of the neck


For cats, just on the base of the neck, no matter what size.


Remember, do not bathe your animal prior to or 3 days after application, it will wash off. And dont freak out if your animal licks the area where you applied it and there is white foam from it's mouth, nothing bad will happen.





Now, people say flea collars are good, WRONG! Total waste of money.





For the carpet in your house use Borax (kind of like comet and much cheaper then the stuff at the pet store) and just sprinkile it on the carpet, on the couch, under cushions. Leave it a while and then vacuum it up.





Good luck
You do not need to use any kind of product.... keep your house completely cleaned all the time... after a week, no more fleas...





It's guaranteed !!!





Happy 2007
PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH FLEAS





The cat flea is suspected of transmitting murine typhus to humans, but its primary importance is in its annoyance to people and pets. Cat fleas readily try to feed on almost any warm-blooded animal. Some people are bothered by the sensation of fleas walking on their skin, but bites are the major nuisance. Bites tend to be concentrated on the lower legs but can also occur on other parts of the body. The bite consists of a small, central red spot surrounded by a red halo, usually without excessive swelling. Flea bites usually cause minor itching but may become increasingly irritating to people with sensitive or reactive skin. Some people and pets suffer from flea bite allergic dermatitis, characterized by intense itching, hair loss, reddening of the skin, and secondary infection. Just one bite may initiate an allergic reaction, and itching may persist up to 5 days after the bite. Cat fleas may also serve as intermediary hosts of dog tapeworms. Cats or dogs may acquire this intestinal parasite while grooming themselves by ingesting adult fleas that contain a cyst of the tapeworm.


MANAGEMENT





The best approach to managing fleas is prevention. New, safer, and more effective products aimed at controlling fleas on the pet have made flea management without pesticide sprays feasible in many situations. Management of fleas on the pet must be accompanied by regular, thorough cleaning of pet resting areas indoors and outside. Once fleas infest a home, control will require a vigilant program that includes cleaning and treating infested areas indoors, eliminating fleas on pets, and cleaning up and possibly treating shaded outdoor locations where pets rest.


HANDLING A FLEA EMERGENCY





On the Pet





Several types of products are available to control fleas on dogs and cats. The most effective and safest products inhibit normal growth or reproduction of fleas. Use of these products must be supplemented with good housekeeping in areas where the pet rests. Contact your veterinarian for advice and assistance in selecting the best flea control product for your situation.





Preferred On-pet Flea Treatment Products. New product innovations have made it possible to effectively, conveniently, and safely prevent flea populations from building up on pets. These products are more effective and safer than the traditional insecticide dusts and sprays, which until a few years ago were the only choices for pet owners. The new products contain insect growth regulators (IGRs) such as methoprene (Precor) or pyriproxyfen (Nylar), and insect development inhibitors (IDIs) such as lufenuron (Program). The IGRs are available as flea collars or spot-ons applied to one or two places on the pet's coat. IDIs come formulated as a systemic treatment that must be administered orally and are available from veterinarians. These products work by either preventing the larvae from turning into adults (IGRs), or the eggs from hatching (IDIs), and are virtually nontoxic to pets and people. Two other new types of safe and effective chemicals are fipronil and imidacloprid, which are used as spot-ons. If properly applied before flea season begins and reapplied as necessary, any of these products can prevent a flea infestation.





Spot-on Formulations. Imidacloprid (Advantage) and fipronil (Front-Line) are available from veterinarians and are applied to the animal's skin; a single application provides flea control for 1 to 3 months. These spray and spot-on formulations are much easier to use than baths and are more acceptable to the animal. A few drops of the spot-on formula applied to the animal's shoulder blades move through the animal's coat, providing whole-body treatment. Both materials kill adult fleas within hours of the flea jumping on the animal. Also, these compounds have lower mammalian toxicity than traditionally used flea control products containing carbamates and organophosphates and are safer to use on pets. Generally the spot-on formulations can withstand bathing; check the label for specific instructions.





Systemic Oral Treatments. Several flea control products are internal medications that are administered on a regular basis in the form of a pill or food additive. Older types of medications contained insecticidal materials, mostly organophosphates, that were transported to all skin areas through the animal's blood. Newer products contain insect development inhibitors that do not have the toxicity of the older materials and are much safer to use. The insect development inhibitor lufenuron (Program) can be given as a pill (dogs) or as a food additive (cats) once a month to suppress flea populations. It can also be administered as an injection every 6 months. While this compound does not kill adult fleas, it does prevent flea reproduction. If its use is initiated early in the year before flea populations begin to build, it can prevent the establishment of a flea population in the home, though an occasional adult flea may be sighted on the animal.





Flea Collars. Flea collars containing the insect growth regulators methoprene and pyriproxyfen are virtually nontoxic to pets and humans and can be used on both cats and dogs. The growth regulator is released by the collar and distributed throughout the coat of the pet. Adult fleas coming in contact with the growth regulator absorb it into their bodies where it accumulates in their reproductive organs. Eggs laid by the adult female do not hatch. Flea collars may contain the insect growth regulator as the sole active ingredient or it may be combined with an insecticide. If the collar contains only the insect growth regulator, use another treatment, such as a spot-on product, to control adult fleas if necessary. Flea collars containing methoprene are effective for 4 to 6 months on dogs and up to a year on cats.





Traditional Insecticide Products. Until recently, pet owners had to rely on products containing conventional insecticides (pyrethrins, permethrin, d-limonene, chlorpyrifos, or carbaryl) to control fleas on their pets. These products were formulated as soaps, shampoos, powders, dusts, spray-on liquids, and dips. Although many of these products are still available, they are not as effective or as safe to use as the products listed in the section above titled ';Preferred On-pet Flea Treatment Products.'; Some products are not safe for some pets, such as permethrin products on some cats, and small children and infants should be kept away from animals treated with any of these materials for at least a day or two.





Nonchemical Treatments. Special combs are available that help remove adult fleas from the coat of a shorthaired pet. Removing fleas may provide comfort to the animal and reduce flea breeding. Combing pets at regular intervals is also a good way to monitor the flea population and help you decide when other control measures may be necessary.





Studies have shown that neither Vitamin B1 (thiamine hydrochloride) supplements nor brewer's yeast prevents fleas from feeding; also, herbal collars and ultrasonic devices are not effective flea repellents.


Indoors





Controlling cat fleas in buildings requires a variety of approaches. Before starting a control program, look through each room in the building to determine areas where larval development occurs. Flea populations are highest in places where dogs or cats regularly sleep. Flea larvae are not usually found in areas of heavy pedestrian traffic or locations that receive exposure to sunlight; they are likely to be present in areas where adult fleas have left dried blood and feces.





Sanitation. Thoroughly and regularly clean areas where adult fleas, flea larvae, and flea eggs are found. Vacuum floors, rugs, carpets, upholstered furniture, and crevices around baseboards and cabinets daily or every other day to remove flea eggs, larvae, adults, and food sources. Vacuuming is very effective in picking up adults and stimulating preemerged adults to leave their cocoons. Flea eggs can survive and develop inside vacuum bags and adults may be able to escape to the outside, so immediately destroy bags by burning or by sealing them in a plastic trash bag and placing them in a covered trash container. Launder pet bedding in hot, soapy water at least once a week.





Thoroughly clean items brought into the building, such as used carpets or upholstered furniture, to prevent these from being a source of flea infestation.





Insecticides. Several insecticides are registered for controlling fleas indoors. Sprays are only needed when you detect an infestation in your home. The most effective products contain one of the insect growth regulators: methoprene or pyriproxyfen. Fleas are known to build up resistance to insecticides, so always supplement sprays with other methods of control such as thorough, frequent vacuuming.





Use a hand sprayer or aerosol to apply insecticides directly to infested areas of carpets and furniture. Total release aerosols (';room foggers';) do not provide the coverage and long-term effectiveness of direct sprays unless they contain an insect growth regulator. Treatments with insecticides other than IGRs often fail to control flea larvae because the treatment material fails to contact them at the base of carpet fibers where they develop.





Spray carpets, pet sleeping areas, carpeted areas beneath furniture, baseboards, window sills, and other areas harboring adults or larvae. Use an insect growth regulator (methoprene or pyriproxyfen) that specifically targets the larvae and has a long residual life. As soon as the spray dries, vacuum to remove additional fleas that emerge from the pupal stage in carpets and upholstery. Fleas will continue to emerge for about 2 weeks after treatment because pupae are not killed by sprays. Continue to vacuum and do not treat again for at least several weeks. Always seal and discard vacuum bags so fleas don't escape.


Outdoors





Outdoor flea populations are most prevalent in coastal localities and other places with moderate daytime temperatures and fairly high humidities. In Central Valley locations, populations can become very numerous in shaded and protected areas such as sheltered animal enclosures, crawl spaces where pets may sleep, or vegetated areas adjacent to buildings. If an infested outdoor location is not treated, the flea problem may reoccur if pets are reinfested. However, treatment of the pet with any of the preferred pet treatment products listed above will normally prevent reinfestation.





Outdoor sprays are not necessary unless you detect significant numbers of adult fleas. One way to do this is to walk around pet resting areas wearing white socks pulled up to the knee. If fleas are present, they will jump onto socks and be readily visible.





The best products for elimination of fleas outdoors are formulations that contain a knockdown material such as pyrethrin or permethrin plus an insect growth regulator (pyriproxyfen) to inhibit larval maturation. Avoid products containing diazinon or chlorpyrifos as these materials pollute waterways when they are washed into storm drains by rain, hosing, or irrigation.





Apply sprays directly in locations where pets rest and sleep such as doghouse and kennel areas, under decks, and next to the foundation. It is seldom necessary to treat the whole yard or lawn areas. Flea larvae are unlikely to survive in areas with sunlight exposure or substantial foot traffic.





Regular lawn watering will help destroy larvae and prevent development of excessive flea populations. If possible, open pet sleeping areas to sunlight by removing low-hanging vegetation.





Handling a Flea Emergency





If your home is heavily infested with fleas, take these steps to get the situation under control.


Inside the Home





1. Locate heavily infested areas and concentrate efforts on these areas.


2. Wash throw rugs and the pet鈥檚 bedding.


3. Vacuum upholstered furniture. Remove and vacuum under cushions and in cracks and crevices of furniture.


4. Vacuum carpets, especially beneath furniture and in areas frequented by pets. Use a hand sprayer to treat all carpets with an insecticide that contains an insect growth regulator.


5. Allow carpet to dry and vacuum a second time to remove additional fleas that were induced to emerge.


6. Continue to vacuum for 10 days to 2 weeks to kill adult fleas that continue to emerge from pupal cocoons.








On the Pet





1. Use a spot-on treatment, which can be purchased in pet stores or from vets, or a systemic oral treatment, which is available from vets only.








Outside the Home





1. Sprays are only necessary outdoors if you detect lots of fleas.


2. Locate and remove debris in heavily infested areas, especially where pets rest. Concentrate treatment in these areas with a spray containing a residual insecticide and the insect growth regulator pyriproxyfen. Open areas to sunlight by removing low hanging vegetation.