Flea control products are easier to review if you take the time to categorize them first. Some products only attack adult stage fleas, while others focus on the larvae and egg stage. Still, there are a few that are capable of targeting the entire flea life cycle, even the hard-to-destroy pupa stage. Depending on how you feel about handling insecticides versus trying more organic pest control methods, you may want to look at some of the items listed below.
Flea Control for Adults Only
Liquid insecticide by Conquer is considered an adulticide, meaning it is in the family of pest control products that focus only on exterminating adult fleas. This water-soluble insecticide can be sprayed inside or outside the home, but the label says care should be taken to avoid shrubs. Conquer can be purchased by do-it-yourself pest control enthusiasts in most states and has the following attributes:
- Conquer (1 Pt.) insecticide yields 8-16 gallons
- Will treat up to 40,000 square feet outside
- Active ingredient: Esfenvalerate 3.48%
- Flea control product for use in and around home and food and non-food areas for homes, schools, kennels, warehouses, apartment buildings, food service establishments, food manufacturing and food processing.
Flea Trap by BioCare is a non-toxic form of flea removal. These flea control products work by attracting adult fleas with heat and light. The pest leaps for the light source and is eventually trapped in the capture pad below. Some specifics for this particular type of flea trap are:
- Light and heat attracts fleas 24 hours a day
- Draws fleas from up to 25 feet away
- 6" x 5" capture pad holds up to 10,000 fleas
- Attractive, durable, patented design
- Only operates on 110V AC
- One year limited warranty against breakage
Victor M231 Ultimate Flea Trap is another trap option that comes highly rated. Victor, the manufacturer, says its flea trap is non-poisonous and odorless, thus enabling safe placement of the flea trap around children and pets. Flea control products like this trap system are often found in any local department store or neighborhood hardware store.
Flea Control Products for Those Awkward Teen Years
Insect growth regulators (IGR), like Martin's I.G. Regulator and Bengal's Full Season Flea Killer, work as a form of flea birth control in that they prevent the flea larvae and eggs from ever reaching maturity. Flea eggs and flea larvae that are exposed to an IGR will never develop into the adult reproducing fleas. Nylar is the active ingredient in both of these IGR products.
Martin’s I.G. Regulator
- Interior and exterior insect growth regulator
- Active ingredient: Nylar
- 1-ounce bottle covers 1,000 square feet of carpet,1,500 square feet of hardwood floors,1,500 square feet outside
Bengal’s Full Season Flea Killer
- Fast-acting aerosol spray
- Active ingredient: Nylar
- Does not stain furnishings
Flea control products called desiccants are another good selection for do-it-yourself pest control. Flea Stoppers kills both eggs and larvae by drying them out from the inside. Flea Stoppers does not target adult stage fleas, but it carries a one-year guarantee that it will fight off immature fleas for a full year.
Stopping the Cycle
Precor 2000 and Ultracide Aerosols are two examples of flea control products that contain both an IGR and a residual insecticide or adulticide. With either one you will get a pest control product that shuts down the growth cycle at the larvae stage, preventing fleas from going into that tough cocoon at the pupae stage, as well as killing off adult-staged fleas with its formulated insecticide. The active ingredients in these two products differ, but both are very well-known flea control products.
Precor 2000 Active Ingredients:
- Methoprene 0.09 %
- Permethrin: 0.50%
Ultracide Aerosols Active Ingredients:
- Pyrethrin 0.05%
- Permethrin: 0.4
- 0.1% pyriproxyen (IGR) and 0.4% synergized formula.
First Defense Flea Treatment is a powder that you sprinkle on your carpet to kill fleas in their various stages. The First Defense pest control product company says its product is safe enough to walk on, which is good because you need to leave the powder on the carpet for a few days before vacuuming. While this product is effective at killing fleas, it is only useful on carpets so you still need to handle other areas of the home, like bedding, in a different manner.
- All-natural in-home pesticide eradicates fleas, roaches, ants, silverfish and more
- Made from 100-percent boric acid, an environmentally friendly, salt-like mineral
- Single treatment prevents infestations for a full year
- Safe for family, pets and the environment
Earlier we spoke of flea control products called desiccants; diatomaceous earth is a member of this family but unlike some desiccants, it works to rid your home of all stages of flea infestation. Diatomaceous earth, or DE, is an odorless and nontoxic powder that is getting recognition as a viable organic pest control solution. Composed of finely milled fossilized shells, the razor sharp edges desiccate the insects' exoskeletons upon contact, and the pests dehydrate and die within hours. The larvae stage fleas also die when they try to eat the dust left behind by the dying adults. Several dustings may be needed to finish the job but eventually diatomaceous earth will do the trick.