Flea & Carpet Spray

Controlling fleas can be an overwhelming process involving the treatment of your pet and your home. Fortunately, there are a wide variety of products on the market to help you effectively address the problem. Most flea-killing carpet sprays use insecticide chemicals and insect growth regulators to kill adult fleas, larvae and eggs in your carpets and to interrupt the flea life cycle. Flea-control insecticides can be hazardous. It is important to follow directions closely.

  1. Why is it Necessary?

    • Killing the fleas on your pet isn't enough to stop an infestation. According to the company Fleas? Never Again!, one hibernating flea egg can survive in its dormant state for over a year. These eggs can survive extreme changes in temperature and can hide out in cracks in the floor or corners of the carpet. Treating your carpets is an important measure for preventing future cycles of infestation.

    Mechanism

    • In addition to chemical insecticides, most effective flea carpet sprays include an insect growth regulator (IGR). IGR chemicals interrupt the flea life cycle by preventing the flea from reproducing or by preventing the development of larvae and eggs. According to Pest Products, IGR chemicals are not insecticides but are man-made proteins that are targeted to affect specific enzymatic processes in fleas.

    Chemicals

    • Nylar and methoprene are the active IGR ingredients in most carpet sprays for flea control, according to Pest Products. They are typically combined with insecticides like pyrethrins that kill adult fleas. Nylar inhibits the growth of fleas. Methoprene prevents eggs and larval fleas from developing.

    Flea Life Cycle

    • According to the website Cats of Australia, flea populations typically comprise 50 percent eggs, 35 percent larvae, 10 percent pupae and 5 percent biting adults. An adult female flea can lay up to 600 eggs in her lifetime. When eggs hatch they become larvae. Larvae go through four molting stages in which they feed on the feces of adult fleas, skin cells and organic material. Eventually larvae spin a cocoon in which they can survive for many months, waiting until conditions are right before hatching. This cocoon is called a pupa.

    Warning

    • According to Pet Amore, flea sprays can be very hazardous to your pets. The insect growth regulating ingredients are typically less dangerous than the insecticide ingredients. For example, pyrethrins (a class of insecticide chemicals found in many brands of flea carpet spray) can cause muscle spasms, seizures, tremors, lethargy and even death in cats and dogs. It is important to always follow directions carefully, keep the room you are treating well ventilated, and keep pets out of the room for 24 hours after treatment.