Perhaps you’ve heard before that you don’t need to worry about flea control in the fall—unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. In fact, thanks to the steady temperatures and increase in precipitation most areas see, fall can quickly become the worst season for fleas. In addition to continuing your flea control products during the fall, understanding how fleas reproduce and what you can do to prevent spread is crucial in keeping your pet safe.

How Fleas Survive

Steady warm weather and damp conditions create an ideal environment for fleas to mate, reproduce and thrive. Once fleas have found their way to your pet, they can breed within 24 hours and lay anywhere from 28-50 eggs per day. The eggs will be sticky at first, but will then fall off the animal and finish development somewhere in the home or yard. In two to five days, the eggs will hatch, and the new fleas can begin infecting your pets, as well.

How to Treat Fleas

Once infected with fleas, you will need to treat both your pet and your home for these invaders. Because the eggs are more likely to thrive in the household environment than just on your pet, it’s important to clean your entire home once a flea infestation has occurred. Remember to scrub and vacuum floors, wash bedding, and apply flea control to your pet, as well.

How to Prevent Fleas

The easiest way to prevent these itchy pests in the fall is to continue using flea control medicine past the summer. While you may think the occasional dropping temperature is enough to protect pets, fleas can be active year-round, leaving animals at risk in the fall. Keep your home flea-free and your pets protected by continuing flea control medicine through the fall.

Conveniently serving pet owners in Botetourt County, VA, Pet Health Clinic offers superior veterinary services. Whether you’re looking for more information on preventative services like flea control medicine or need behavioral counseling for your animal, the compassionate staff at Pet Health Clinic has the skills needed to treat your pet. Visit them online to learn more about what they do, and call (540) 992-4550 to schedule an appointment today.