Winter fleas: be prepared!

Our friends at FRONTLINE® love your pets as much as you do but know that fleas can be a problem for some pet owners. Here, they share their top tips for helping you have a flea-free winter.

Brrr! It’s dark and cold outside. Thoughts of cosy nights in, snuggling on the sofa with your nearest and dearest – your pet, of course – are tempting you to reach for the heating switch……. stop! Before you flick that switch, here’s some information and must-dos to ensure it’s just you and your pet sharing that sofa…
Fleas can be a problem all year round, particularly in our temperate climate. But central heating does present us with an extra challenge. Fleas like warm breeding grounds, and our cosy winter homes provide just the right environment for these creatures. A ‘hitch-hiker’ flea carried into the house will lay eggs. The warmth encourages these eggs to hatch into microscopic larvae which burrow themselves into the carpets, fabrics, and crevices around the house. From there they develop into pupae with their very own protective cocoon until a meal comes along – usually in the form of a pet, or yourself!

Taking these steps will help ensure you have a flea-free winter:

1. Get your flea treatment in place before the heating switch on. That means treating your dog and/or cat with FRONTLINE® Plus or FRONTLINE® Spot On at regular 4-week intervals. These products will kill fleas on your pet within 24 hours, before they can lay eggs.

2. Get your BISSELL PowerLifter Pet Vacuum out, put on a good track and get boogying! You may have fleas and eggs in the house already (see our flea-spotter blog), so you’ll need to tackle these at the same time as your pet. The vibrations from your vacuuming will also dislodge and disturb cocooning pupae and encourage them to emerge, making them easier to suck up and to kill.

3. Wash your pet’s bedding at 60°C. This will kill any fleas, eggs or larvae that might be lurking. Or perhaps invest in a new cosy set for the winter season!

4. If you’ve been using FRONTLINE® Plus, then your home environment will be protected. Its active IGR (insect growth regulator) technology will prevent any stray eggs and larvae from developing in your home. For an extra layer of home protection, spray FRONTLINE® Homegard around your home. This will kill adult fleas and prevent eggs and larvae developing for approximately 12 months.

*BISSELL products do not claim to remove/solve the problem of flea infestations but can instead help manage the problem