If you have ever been bitten by fleas or seen how frustrated your pets are by these bloodsucking bugs, you will definitely want to find out about ways to eradicate them. The thing is that fleas are not only found on animals’ bodies, but can be found almost anywhere indoors or outdoors where it is moist and sheltered from direct sunlight or heat.
Their life cycle consists of eggs, larvae, pupae, and adult fleas. This means that the task of treating fleas involves treating all stages of their life cycle, otherwise they will not stop infesting your living space and pets.
6 Tips To Treat Fleas In Your Yard
The place that we will focus on looking for flea control solutions in this article is the yard. As pets with fleas often use the yard as their favorite playground, fleas attached to their bodies could detach themselves anytime and hide themselves in cool, dark, cluttered places inside your home too. No matter where fleas may hide, the simple tips below will be useful to help you eliminate the pesky insects.
At first, don’t attempt to treat fleas all over the entire yard. Try to locate exactly where the fleas are hiding and breeding. They will not spread evenly everywhere or be present in dry, open areas with direct sunlight. Instead, dark, moist and warm spaces will most likely be where the fleas will congregate. Track fleas by watching where your pets hang out the most, and that should be the place where fleas are hiding. Alternatively, put on a pair of white socks and walk around the yard. If fleas are there, the chances are that they will jump onto your feet and ankles. The tiny dark brown or black fleas will be easy to see against the white background of the socks.
#1 – Treat Flea Hosts
Once you have identified the nest of fleas, spray thoroughly with a specially formulated flea spray, or sprinkle with a flea powder. As soon as this has been done, treat the original source of the fleas – your pet’s body. There is no point in removing fleas from the yard, but leaving them on your pet, because sooner or later the fleas will drop off again wherever your pet frequents. Flea combs and flea shampoos are common measures for treating fleas on pets. You can also obtain other flea treatments from your vet. Once the flea treatment on the host animals has been done, stop them from going into the yard until you’ve sprayed there.
#2 – Clean and Clear the Yard
Depriving the fleas of a favorable habitat is the simplest and most effective way to eradicate them. Any clutter in the yard should be removed or organized neatly so that fleas will have no room to hide. Trash should be emptied daily and stored in a dry location. Any debris or fallen leaves should be raked, collected and cleared away as well. The lawn should be mowed short and weeds removed. This will ensure that the yard is exposed to sunlight. Woodpiles should be moved to a sunny location.
#3 – Flood the Yard with Water
While adult fleas cannot stand the heat from the sun, neither can their eggs and larvae stand water. The clean yard now should be flooded with water to kill all fleas left. This will also wash away all pet feces, which is the larvae’s food source. If the yard is covered with lawn, it is recommended that you first cut the grass short and remove any debris so that the water can drown all fleas.
#4 – Apply Diatomaceous Earth (DE) or Nematodes
This is a non-toxic and safe method to deal with fleas. Diatomaceous earth is a kind of fine dust that acts as a dehydrating agent that will dry out fleas if they come into contact with the substance, killing them. You may spread it over the yard or sprinkle it as a barrier around the house. Remember, diatomaceous earth is the most effective in dry conditions, therefore, don’t try to use it on rainy days.
Nematodes are microscopic worms that feed on flea larvae. If you spray a solution of them onto flea populated areas in the yard, they will help to eat up the flea offspring. They will cause absolutely no harm to humans or pets as they are non-toxic. However, keep in mind that nematodes cannot tolerate the heat from the sun, so should only be applied in shady areas.
#5 – Use Pesticides
Using pesticides is a very effective method of controlling fleas. Because they are toxic, however, it’s important to keep pets and children away when you spray them in the garden. It’s also important for you to wear protective clothing such as gloves and a mask while spraying. Avoid spraying them near fish ponds.
#6 – Preventive Measures
Prevention is always better than cure. This is also true when dealing with fleas in your yard. There are several natural methods that you may wish to try to deter fleas from approaching your yard, one of which is cedar chips. The smell released by these wood chips is disliked by fleas, so if you spread the chips over the yard, no fleas will wish to be around. You could use them to make decorative pathways or spread them over flowerbeds and under shrubs as a mulch. Herbal plants such as peppermint, rosemary or lemongrass are also disliked by fleas, so you could plant these in the garden. They can also be grown in pots near the house. The scent of those plants is as unpleasant to fleas as cedar chips are, but is enjoyed by humans and pets.
To Sum Up
It is important to treat even a small flea infestation before it gets out of hand. If you don’t have the time to do it yourself, call in the professionals. We hope these tips will be useful to you. Remember that the number one way of preventing and treating an infestation of any pests is to keep your living environment as neat and clean as possible. Thanks for reading!