Question
My cat has fleas and I tried using anything short of a bug bomb to get them off the cat and out of the house. However, all previous attempts have failed. Now I stumble on this idea that you can kill fleas using a dehumidifier. Is this true or am I falling victim to the internet?
Answer
No, Dehumidifiers do not kill fleas.
The most effective way is to use a topical or oral chew flea product on all pets (excluding reptiles and birds) in the household for a minimum of 3 months. If you live in an apartment/condo building or a hot climate you should treat your pets 12 months of the year. Areas that get snow and stays cold in the winter months the treatment starts from March until December.
Some recommended products are:
- Advantage Multi
- Bravecto
- Revolution (southern USA this product is no longer effective for fleas)
Extra tips:
- Wash bedding.
- Vacuum everything daily.
- Flea comb pets to remove fleas and flea dirt (flea larva eat flea dirt).
- Bathe your pet to help remove fleas.
Fun flea facts
- A female can lay 40-50 eggs per day and 50% of these eggs will be female.
- The female flea begins producing eggs within 24-36 hours after its first blood meal and continues to produce eggs for >100 days if she remains on the host.
- Fleas carry tapeworm that can be transmitted to your cat once eaten.
- Fleas can be vectors for infectious organisms, such as Yersinia pestis (aka Plague), Rickettsia spp., Bartonella spp., and hemoplasma (Mycoplasma) spp.
Note When bathing pets do not bathe while on topical flea treatment and wait 2 days before applying a topic flea treatment AFTER a pet has been bathed.
Answered By - Rebecca RVT