moon306 asked 7 years ago
I ended up with an infestation due to untreated pets. All are treated now but differently. One had the seresto collar, one advantix (dogs), and frontline plus for the cat. We are almost at the three week mark of treatment and all of the indoor and outdoor attack based on this sites guidance. Understanding the pet treatment is key, how do I know if it is actually working? They scratch and bite everyday, and I can find live fleas with a comb. I don’t know how to tell if I am actually making positive progress or not. It feels like I am not since the pets are not showing as much relief as I am expecting
Adam Retzer Staff answered 7 years ago
It takes time to know if treatments are effective, at least a few weeks, and sometimes longer. This is because 95-99% of the fleas are eggs, larvae, and pupae living in the environment. As they mature and emerge, they will jump onto the pets. The pet treatments kill the fleas quickly enough to stop them from laying eggs, but not immediately (can take up to 24 hours). As a result, it’s not uncommon to find fleas on pets even after they’ve been treated. Those fleas are likely newly emerged and just haven’t succumbed to the insecticide yet.
The products you’ve used all have an excellent track record. There isn’t any recorded fleas resistance to the modern insecticides used in these products. And Advantix and Frontline Plus contain an insect growth regulator which will sterilize the females even if they survive the adulticide. So, in all likelihood, they are working, but it just may take some time to be noticeable.
It can be frustrating to not see immediate relief after pets are treated, but this is normal. It’s due to the fact that only 1-5% of the infestation consists of adult fleas at any given time. This is why vacuuming and other environmental control methods help speed up the eradication process.
Warm regards,
Adam
