Flea/tick preventative: The first step in ridding the home and yard of fleas is to apply a flea and tick preventative to all the dogs and cats in the home. If ticks are not a problem in your area then you can get by with flea preventative only, but if you live in an area with a lot of ticks then consider using a flea and tick combo preventative.
Vacuum: Vacuum thoroughly including under furniture and couch cushions, don't forget the baseboards. (You could include this with your Spring cleaning.) Once you're finished with the vacuum discard the bag immediately. It will be tempting to shampoo the carpets, don't. Fleas thrive in humidity, if you shampoo your carpets you'll be giving them the environment they love.
Spray home and yard: You will now be ready to spray your home and yard for fleas and ticks. Concentrate the spray along the baseboards and in and around the furniture. Also, spray throughly around where the pets sleep and spend the most time. Don't forget to spray around door and window frames, especially if spraying for ticks. DO NOT USE HOME AND YARD SPRAYS DIRECTLY ON ANIMALS.
Spray, Again: In 3 weeks it will be time to retreat the area. Spraying the home and yard again in 3 weeks will kill any fleas and ticks that were in the larval stage during the initial treatment.
There are several products out there that can be used in and around the home. Read the labels before using to make sure they are animal friendly. Most products will recommend that all animals be removed from the area before using the products.
I generally use Virbac products. I really like the Knockout sprays and foggers, they also have a yard spray concentrate that comes ready with a garden hose attachment. These products contain pyrethrins as one of the active ingredients so be sure that ALL CATS ARE OUT OF THE AREA BEFORE USING THESE PRODUCTS. Pyrethrins can cause seizures and death in cats so be very careful when using this product. I generally board my animals for a long weekend before I use any of these products, that way I know they'll be safe.
There are other products out there but I have had success with this brand. Check with your veterinarian for their recommendations, a lot of veterinary offices will sale flea and tick area treatment sprays. If you use a product from your veterinary office your veterinarian will be more familiar with the product and be able to better inform you of any potential health risks to people and animals.
