When fleas become adults they go to the Big Dance?the Dog!?and spend most of the time there chomping and bugging your buddy. When they?re growing up, though, flea eggs, larvae and pupae are found around your dog?s environment getting stronger and waiting for their shot at the big time. The less inhabitable you make the environment, the fewer trainee fleas you?ll have setting their sites on your pet. A successful flea-control program includes the use of products and practices that target various stages of the flea life cycle.

Indoor treatment

Indoor methods of flea prevention and control include frequent vacuuming of floor and furniture surfaces, together with a regular schedule of washing pet bedding and furniture coverings to remove the immature stages (egg, larva, pupae). Vacuuming carpet helps remove immature fleas as well as the food sources they live on. To be most effective, you should run the vacuum every other day. If that?s not feasible, do it as often as you can. After vacuuming, make sure to place the vacuum bag in a large plastic garbage bag and discard outdoors. Get ?em up then get ?em out.

Biological

Insect Growth Regulators (IGR) can help break the flea lifecycle by directly affecting flea eggs or larvae and interfering with their development. Methoprene, the IGR ingredient found in Hartz Advanced Care Brand® Plus products, is a compound that mimics the action of an insect hormone. It interferes with the normal maturation process of the flea by stunting the insect?s development, so it never reaches the adult stages that make your dog so miserable.

Outdoor Prevention

Though inside is where you really want your house to be flealess, outside is where you?ll find your first line of defense. Flea larvae need to be in a humid environment and out of direct sunlight. Trimming lawns and weeds may help create an undesirable environment for flea larvae since there?s less shade to hide and grow in. Removing piles of leaves, sand, and gravel can also help. On top of the physical deterrents like cutting the grass, there are products for use outdoors for flea control that can be used to decrease outdoor flea populations even further.