Treatment Dog owners have access to a plethora of flea control products from herbs and electronics to biological controls. Electronic collars are not effective. Electronic traps can be. Powerful chemicals such as Dursban and diazinon and systemic insecticides such as […]

Flea bite dermatitis When a flea bites your dog, proteins (antigens) in the insect’s saliva can cause an immune system reaction — the release of immunoglobulin that in turn causes itching. Depending on the type of cell involved (mast cells, […]

Signs of infestation Fleas are masters of their universe. They can hide in a forest of pet hairs, especially on long-coated or double-coated dogs, and can zig-zag among and between hair shafts faster than an Olympic skier on a slalom […]

In the Midwest, the flea life cycle (adult flea to egg to larva to pupa to adult flea) takes about 35-40 days in early spring and 17-21 days in mid-summer. They thrive on warm weather, from about 70 70 to […]

Is that itch an itch, or a flea? Ah, warm weather at last. And with the warmer weather, longer days, budding trees and shrubs, bright-colored flowers come . . . and fleas. By late spring, fleas begin to emerge from […]