Flea & Tick Treatment

Flea Control - A new generation of flea and tick pesticides.

When fleas and ticks have got seriously out of control, you had really no choice but to flood your home with toxic pesticides, not knowing that you could have been exposing your pet to health risks. One of the widely used flea controls was, chlorpyrifos, used in Dursban and some other flea control products. These were on the market for some 35 years before finally being withdrawn for use. Other uses were also restricted because the Environmental Protection Agency decided that chlorpyrifos could be associated with neurobehavioral effects and chemical allergies.

Fleas and ticks have become resistant to almost all Flea Control pesticides used against them, this has prompted companies to develop new flea control products, in turn the pests are also developing a resistance. The new generation of flea control pesticides became available in the mid-1990s. Some of these flea control products acted as longterm controls which prevented the fleas from laying eggs. Others, low toxicity pesticides which you can apply once a month between your pet's shoulders, namely Advantage and Frontline, which kills the fleas quickly and steadily over a period of several weeks. These new flea control pesticides are less toxic than their counterparts, although it's worth remembering it took some 35 years for the problems with chlorpyrifos to come to light.

Advantage and Frontline flea control products are relatively safe and far superior to other flea control products used in the past. Some Advantage and Frontline can leave behind some pesticide residues where pets may have laid but the toxicity is below what the EPA recommends. Over the counter flea control products are widely available.

Here are some of the latest flea control products worth considering:

Lufenuron which is marketed under the brand name Program. Lufenuron is a flea control tablet you give your dog or cat once a month. When the flea or tick bites into your pet, the female fleas become exposed to the flea control insecticide, which in turn prevents their eggs from developing. Although rare, some adverse reactions to lufenuron can occur which may include vomiting, diarrhea and some loss of appetite.

Imidacloprid, also known as Advantage, this flea control treatment is applied between your pets shoulders, it then disperses slowly over it's body taking several hours. You should avoid stroking the animal for around 24 hours after the flea control has been applied. Advantage can kill around 97 per cent of fleas inside the home for at least 28 days.

Fipronil, which is marketed under the brand name of Frontline, this again is another flea control spot-on treatment (similar to Advantage). It mixes with the oils in your pet's skin, settling into the sebaceous glands, here it continues to be effective for a month or more. Frontline is known to control around 98 per cent of fleas, it will also kill ticks.

Ticks and Fleas will inevitably build up some kind of resistance with flea control products such as Advantage and Frontline, but when used regularily in conjunction with regular vacuuming and washing of your pets bedding, the flea and tick process will be considerably slowed.

Mark Woodcock
1 Flea Control

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