Control. In some rural situations, inspections must include pig sties, barns, barnyards, and other places domestic animals are kept in addition to the home. Flea infestations found in these additional areas must be treated with an appropriately labeled pesticide. Also, any infested animals will have to be treated by a veterinarian or the owner at the same time the premises and outbuildings are treated.

Control of fleas in and associated with the house is a 4-step process.

1. Wild creatures such as rodents, opossums, etc., which are nesting in or frequently visiting the structure must be prevented from entering the structure and controlled with appropriate trapping devices or baits.

2. If the pet has fleas at the time of treatment, the pet owner must arrange for the pet to be treated. Treatment may be done by a veterinarian, grooming parlor, or by the pet owner, but must be done on the day of treatment and either before or while the premises are being treated.  Most commonly done is to “dip” the animal.  And with the advent of pesticides such as Advantage, Frontline and the like, flea control has been taken away from most pest control professionals.  These products work extremely well controlling the flea and use the animal as the vector in controlling them.

3. Indoor control. The homeowner or occupant must do the following just before the flea treatment: Remove all items such as toys, pillows and anything covering off the floor or carpet; remove all articles from under beds, on closet floors, and from under furniture; vacuum all upholstered furniture, floors, and carpeting, paying particular attention to the feet of the furniture (the depression in carpet) on which the pet rests, under furniture, and wall-floor junctions. The vacuum bag must be immediately removed and put into a plastic garbage bag, the top sealed, and then placed in an outside garbage receptacle or burned. Thoroughly clean all areas frequented by cats, e.g. table tops, refrigerator tops, window sills, counters, etc. Cover aquariums and turn off the pumps prior to the treatment. Be sure to remove all pets, including birds.

4. The pest control operator's treatment consists of applying an appropriately labeled pesticide and/or IGR as per label instructions with thoroughness being the key to success. It is recommended that an IGR (insect growth regulator) be used on the initial treatment and reapplied as per label instructions every 3-6 months throughout the flea season. For problem accounts, it is recommended that the IGR alone be applied prior to the beginning of the next flea season as a preventative measure. Regardless, after any carpet and/or floor treatment, do not allow humans or pets back into the house until the treatment has completely dried. This will prevent pesticide pickup and possible staining

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