Question about flea cycles

Palanggingging · 01-09-2005, 09:04 PM

When we got our kittens last summer, we promptly got a horrendous flea problem. Even with Frontline and obsessive vacuuming, fleas were still all over the house. Then one day, around the beginning of october, all signs of fleas disappeared literally overnight. I was glad to see them gone, but not entirely sure why they disappeared so quickly. This happened towards the end of their 2nd month on Frontline, which previously had been killing fleas on them but they were still around the house.

Do fleas "go dormant" as the weather gets cooler? BTW, we live in Massachusetts if that helps any. Obviously this would affect fleas outside but what about the fleas in the house? We do have heat, you know.

I'm asking this because I'm wondering if in the spring whether flea eggs are going to start hatching again and fill our house with fleas. Does this happen? Should we be concerned? If so, what can we do to counteract the situation proactively? We're going to switch to Advantage (which we are currently not applying because there are no signs of fleas), so what month is good around here to start applying it again?

Puma · 01-10-2005, 12:18 AM

Yes, yes and yes.

Fleas go dormant in the winter and yes if you are having flea problems the eggs will hatch in the spring and summer months.
Do you cats go outside? or do you have dogs that go in and out? My suggestion to you would be to not slack off on the cleaning and treatment of fleas in these cold months, try to keep up on it and get them when they are down. I suggest using Advantage instead of Frontline. I use Advantage and it works wonders.

Palanggingging · 01-10-2005, 08:45 AM

Uh oh, I was afraid of that. No, we don't have a dog and the cats don't go outside. Since Advantage is toxic and essentially poisons the kitty, I'm not going to put it on until there's a chance a flea could get on them.

So, what controls the flea cycle then? Humidity? We keep it from 60 to 70 degrees in here during the winter.

Obsessive vacuuming wasn't working so what else can we do now to harm the eggs before they hatch??

Puma · 01-10-2005, 09:52 AM

Just because it is warm in your house does not mean the bulk of flea eggs would hatch. It is just a cycle really, maybe try getting your carpets cleaned and furniture etc. Sometimes if they go away and you keep up on it they will stay that way. But I don't know what else to suggest to you...
I mean I have heard from many people who use Frontline that they still have flea problems. I have no factual or reputable evidence that Advantage is poisoning my cats, and I am not sure what the difference between the two, last time I checked they are both topical treatments. So now I am going to have to go do some research on that topic.

But I would say just keep up on it and I don't see how you should have any problems.

Palanggingging · 01-10-2005, 05:57 PM

Thanks Puma. By the way, both those products are indeed poison; that's how it works. So, I only want to use as necessary. I forget what Advantage has for its active ingredient, but Frontline's is fipronil. I'm familiar with this because I have used it to kill ants -- comes in this "ant bait gel", expensive stuff. Ants eat it and bring it back to the nest and that kills more ants. One time a mouse licked up the gel and then died right under our bed -- YUCK, that smelled so bad!! Not to mention all the maggots crawling out of its corpse. Took a couple weeks to get the smell of dead mouse out.

Anyway, my point is that this stuff kills mice, which are quite a bit closer to being a cat than they are an insect. So, must be careful with it.

01-09-2005, 09:04 PM	#1 (permalink)
Palanggingging Cat Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 186	Question about flea cycles When we got our kittens last summer, we promptly got a horrendous flea problem. Even with Frontline and obsessive vacuuming, fleas were still all over the house. Then one day, around the beginning of october, all signs of fleas disappeared literally overnight. I was glad to see them gone, but not entirely sure why they disappeared so quickly. This happened towards the end of their 2nd month on Frontline, which previously had been killing fleas on them but they were still around the house. Do fleas "go dormant" as the weather gets cooler? BTW, we live in Massachusetts if that helps any. Obviously this would affect fleas outside but what about the fleas in the house? We do have heat, you know. I'm asking this because I'm wondering if in the spring whether flea eggs are going to start hatching again and fill our house with fleas. Does this happen? Should we be concerned? If so, what can we do to counteract the situation proactively? We're going to switch to Advantage (which we are currently not applying because there are no signs of fleas), so what month is good around here to start applying it again?

01-10-2005, 12:18 AM	#2 (permalink)
Puma Tom Cat Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: California Posts: 461	Yes, yes and yes. Fleas go dormant in the winter and yes if you are having flea problems the eggs will hatch in the spring and summer months. Do you cats go outside? or do you have dogs that go in and out? My suggestion to you would be to not slack off on the cleaning and treatment of fleas in these cold months, try to keep up on it and get them when they are down. I suggest using Advantage instead of Frontline. I use Advantage and it works wonders.

01-10-2005, 08:45 AM	#3 (permalink)
Palanggingging Cat Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 186	Uh oh, I was afraid of that. No, we don't have a dog and the cats don't go outside. Since Advantage is toxic and essentially poisons the kitty, I'm not going to put it on until there's a chance a flea could get on them. So, what controls the flea cycle then? Humidity? We keep it from 60 to 70 degrees in here during the winter. Obsessive vacuuming wasn't working so what else can we do now to harm the eggs before they hatch??

01-10-2005, 09:52 AM	#4 (permalink)
Puma Tom Cat Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: California Posts: 461	Just because it is warm in your house does not mean the bulk of flea eggs would hatch. It is just a cycle really, maybe try getting your carpets cleaned and furniture etc. Sometimes if they go away and you keep up on it they will stay that way. But I don't know what else to suggest to you... I mean I have heard from many people who use Frontline that they still have flea problems. I have no factual or reputable evidence that Advantage is poisoning my cats, and I am not sure what the difference between the two, last time I checked they are both topical treatments. So now I am going to have to go do some research on that topic. But I would say just keep up on it and I don't see how you should have any problems.

01-10-2005, 05:57 PM	#5 (permalink)
Palanggingging Cat Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 186	Thanks Puma. By the way, both those products are indeed poison; that's how it works. So, I only want to use as necessary. I forget what Advantage has for its active ingredient, but Frontline's is fipronil. I'm familiar with this because I have used it to kill ants -- comes in this "ant bait gel", expensive stuff. Ants eat it and bring it back to the nest and that kills more ants. One time a mouse licked up the gel and then died right under our bed -- YUCK, that smelled so bad!! Not to mention all the maggots crawling out of its corpse. Took a couple weeks to get the smell of dead mouse out. Anyway, my point is that this stuff kills mice, which are quite a bit closer to being a cat than they are an insect. So, must be careful with it.

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