Part Two of Three Just joining us? Start at Part One

The best defensive strategy against fleas–believe it or not– is a vacuum cleaner, a washing machine, and hot water. A dryer helps, too.

Extra vigilance during the warm months is important, and that not only means thorough, regular housecleaning, it also means examining your dog or cat frequently, especially if your dog takes walks, visits dog parks, or plays in a yard where other critters visit, or if your cat is an indoor-outdoor cat.

Why is a vacuum cleaner so important?

When a flea lays eggs, they drop off the animal. When they hatch, the larvae live in the dog’s or cat’s bed, in your bed, in the carpet, in the cracks of a hardwood floor, and anywhere they can find an organic food source such as crumbs or dead skin and—best bet for them—fecal matter from other fleas, which is recycled blood (also known as flea dirt).

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