EFlea Control

Fleas

August 13th, 2008

Flea Information

Fleas are a very common problem in dogs and cats, especially during the spring and summer months. In addition to being an annoyance, flea bites can cause a condition known as “flea allergy dermatitis “, in which the saliva from the flea acts as an allergen and causes a severe dermatitis, requiring medical therapy. Fleas also act as vectors (carriers) of tapeworms, an intestinal parasite. Flea control is best achieved by having a thorough understanding of the life cycle and formulating a plan to disrupt it.

Flea Life Cycle

The flea life cycle is made up of the egg, larvae, pupa, and adult stages. The first 3 stages represent 95% of the fleas life. These 3 stages take place primarily in your house and yard. The adult flea represents only 5% of the life span. However, that 5% is spent entirely on the pet. Adult fleas bite your pet and receive a blood meal. The female fleas lay eggs (up to 60 eggs daily). The eggs fall of the pet into the environment and hatch over the next 2-12 days. The hatchlings (larvae) molt during the next 10-21 days (up to 200 days), to form a cocoon or pupa. The cocoon stage may last more than one year but is usually complete within 16-21 days.

The young adult flea that emerges from the cocoon then jumps on the pet where it can live 3-4 months. When a female receives a blood meal and lays eggs the life cycle is complete. One female flea can lay several hundred to several thousands of eggs in her lifetime .

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Flea Product Comparison

August 13th, 2008

Product	Advantage?	Frontline?
Active Ingredients	Imidacloprid	Fipronil
Do not apply to dogs under	Four months of age	Ten weeks of age
Dosage	Once a month.	One dose can last up to three months.
Application	Topical - apply drops between shoulders	Topical Spray or drops (Top Spot)
Mechanism	Kills adult fleas on contact; works on the fleas nervous system before they have a chance to bite.	Kills adult fleas and ticks; disrupts activity in the central nervous system of fleas before fleas have a chance to lay eggs or bite; kills ticks before they attach.
Claim	Kills adult fleas; prevents further infestation for one month.	Kills adult fleas and ticks; prevents further infestation for up to three months
Kills Adult Fleas?	Yes	Yes
Kills Ticks?	No	Yes
Fleas must bite pet?	No	No
Can pet be bathed?	No	Yes
Efficacy	Breaks flea life cycle by killing adult fleas; kills 98-100% of existing fleas in 24 hours; prevents re-infestation for at least 4 weeks.	Kills 96% of adult fleas within 2 hours of application, 100% within 24 hours; all parasitic stages of ticks killed within 48 hours of application.