Share
This is crazy but, according to a report conducted by NBC News, Americans spent over $60 billion dollars on their pets in 2016.
So with all this money being spent on our pets....
What can you and I do to make sure that pets do not suffer from flea infestation?
One of the most important parts of preventing a flea infestation is to stop fleas from entering your lawn!
To learn how, we asked some of the best lawn care pros how they prevent flea infestations in their lawns.
Below are 5 pro tips to prevent fleas in the yard.
An Under the Skin Look at the Flea
Before we get into all of the great ways you can prevent flea infestations.
Let's start with what fleas really are, what they do, and where you need to eliminate them.
Fleas are very small wingless insects with a lateral flattened body and are around 1/8 inch long. They are usually golden or reddish-brown.
They tend to aggregate in areas around the house where pets spend most of their time and spread quickly to animals and humans feeding off their blood.
It gets worse, beyond causing irritation and severe discomfort for your best friend, they can also transmit deadly tapeworms and other diseases to pets.
Fortunately, there are many great methods you can use to keep them at bay.
What do lawn care pros recommend to prevent fleas in the lawn?
As loving pet owners, the GreenPal team set out to find professional lawn care professionals, who are also pet owners, to give us a few tips on how to get rid of and prevent flea infestation.
Who is ready to see some of the best tips to control fleas in the yard?
Tip #1 Mow your lawn correctly
Mike Cebulski of MJ Lawn in St. Louis, Missouri loves spending time with his Boston Terrier/Bassett Hound mix pooch named Hershey.
Mike recommends the following:
Mowing your lawn to the proper height and not letting it get too tall reduces flea and tick hangouts.
Fleas and other annoying insects hide in the longer grass.
On the other hand, by not mowing grass too short you can attract spiders and ants…. two major flea predators.
Tip #2 Use cedar mulch
Mike also recommends that instead of using your standard wood mulch, to use cedar mulch.
It's true, cedar is a natural repellent for fleas and ticks.
You can spread the cedar mulch in the border areas where your pets like to play or rest.
This will keep those insects from migrating to those areas.
It is also wise to spread cedar mulch around the edges of your yard to from another barrier.
Tip #3 Treatment with Pesticide:
Andy Smith with 2nd Look Landscapes in Concord, NC loves fishing on Badin Lake and bringing along his lab and his beagle.
What he does at home to get rid of fleas is the following:
Use a pesticide treatment. Something like Bayer Advanced Completed Insect Killer that is pet friendly can be applied to areas of the lawn that your pet frequents.
This serves as your first line defense and will stop pests before they enter.
Tip #4 Keep It Clean
Tyler Rowlinson with Prime Lawn & Property, one of the premier landscaping companies in Murfreesboro, TN, says that keeping it neat is a must.
Tyler suggests that:
Tidiness matters when it comes to eliminating habitats for fleas to hide and reproduce.
By not having debris surrounding your home, you can prevent fleas from making a home in your lawn.
You can limit places for fleas to live by removing things such as;
- Piles of timber,
- bricks,
- leaves,
- and stones.
Most people don't know this but leaving out items like pots and yard gnomes in the areas where you pets frequent, will also greatly increase your chances of flea infestation.
Tip #5 Use Flea Treatment If All Else Falls
With all those wonderful tips from our lawn care professionals.
Let's not forget about simply visiting your local vet and making sure that your pet is on some sort of flea treatment like Frontline or Advantage 11.
Although it is not ideal, sometimes it may be the only choice to kick the fleas back.
The Bottom Line on Preventing Flea Infestations
It’s true, preventing a flea infestation in your lawn often requires a multi-faceted approach. And in many places it's a battle that continues year after year.
Fortunately, being proactive about your dog's health will ensure that you have one healthy puppy and keeps enriching your life.
If you want to read more, check out these tips on controlling insects in the vegetable garden.
Powered by Froala Editor
