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There is nothing worse for pet lovers than watching the pet struggle with a flea infestation. When you see your pet itching, you want to eliminate the fleas as fast as you can. The biggest problem is that they multiply so quickly and spread in the entire home.
A common method to deal with a flea infestation is buying chemical-based shampoos and ointments but exposing your pets to such chemicals is not always desirable. Moreover, they are limited in terms of effectiveness and need reuse again in some days. The fleas develop a resistance to chemicals over time and would need more powerful treatments.
Fortunately, a safe option exists in the form of nematodes. They work differently from chemical-based products and combat the problem before it starts. These small organisms can be applied around the yard to kill insect larvae to reduce the risks of pets picking up flea.
In this guide, we try to understand everything about nematodes for fleas and consider some of the best options available.
Best Nematodes For Fleas – UPDATED 2020
Nematodes have been used for decades to control fleas in yards and lawns and they are available today in the form of high-quality products that replace chemical-based alternatives for flea control. Here are some of the best nematodes for fleas worth considering.
Lawn Flea Nematodes
Containing a mixture of natural nematodes, this product can kill the flea in different stages in the soil. It comes as a packet of three sachets that treat up to 50 square metre of lawn.
You can treat the risky areas or entire lawn for seven days using these nematodes by mixing them with water and using sprayer can.
Biologic Ecomask Spray
Suitable for dry and hot climates, Ecomask is effective at killing fleas. It can be applied easily using watering cans or sprayers.
This product contains a strain of S. Carpocapsae selected for a thicker body to work more efficiently than other strains. It can control a wide range of insects and pests along with fleas.
Flea-Away
Designed to kill fleas in an environment-friendly way, Flea-Away consists of beneficial nematodes that kill insects but are safe for pets, humans and plants.
It not only controls flea larvae and pupae but also works for a large number of other infestations. As they act at such an early stage, they are effective at preventing future population once controlled.
Beneficial Nematodes For Fleas – What You Should Know?
Beneficial nematodes are extremely small, microscopic, non-segmented organisms that seek insect hosts to feed and reproduce.
The soil in your garden or yard already has these organisms and you can add more to get a chemical-free method of keeping your pets safe from flea infestation. Beneficial nematodes are different because some nematodes can even cause harm to the vegetation whereas the beneficial ones help the yard in some way or the other.
While there are many types of beneficial nematodes, the best ones for fleas are Steinernema and Heterorhabditis which are used for commercial purposes for years. Once applied to the yard, these nematodes kill fleas in their larvae, young or adult stage in less than 48 hours. They have a special gut bacteria that is fatal to different types of pests including fleas. The organisms use the flea bodies to multiply and seek more fleas in the yard.
Application of nematodes varies with pests and species but water sprayers and sprinklers are great ways to use them. When you introduce a batch of flea eating nematodes into the soil, they start looking for prey and enter their bodies through the openings they can find. They get inside and start releasing the gut bacteria that kills their host. You start seeing a diminishing population of fleas within 24 hours of application.
This gut bacteria is not harmful to pets or humans so there is no risk to the safety and health of your pets. Moreover, repeated use of nematodes does not produce resistance in the insects, making them an effective solution for pest control. Beneficial nematodes are quite versatile and effective at getting rid of different species of insects, protecting pets from these dangers of infestation.
How To Apply Nematodes For Fleas? A Complete Guide
As nematodes live in soil, you should use the treatment outdoors even if your pet lives indoors. Firstly, you should get enough of these to cover the area you want to treat. About 5 million nematodes are required to cover 1500 square feet of space.
If the product does not come with a sprayer bottle, you can purchase it separately. You can even use a watering can instead. As nematodes die in high temperatures, it is recommended that you apply them before dawn.
Before applying nematodes to the yard, you should dilute them with water according to the instructions on the packaging. It is essential to mix them in the right ratio. Before starting the application, use the hosepipe to wet the entire area because nematodes need a moist environment to thrive. You can then use a sprayer or water can to spray the nematodes across the yard.
If you live in a dry environment, you can water the area every three days for up to two weeks to ensure that beneficial nematodes don’t die and get the right moisture to find fleas and destroy them. Undertaking this process in the early hours of the day or late in the afternoon can give the best results.
Nematodes For Mosquito Control – Does It Work?
There are many nematode products used for mosquito control in the yards. Live nematodes like heterorhabditis megidis effectively kill mosquito larvae in less than 48 hours. They are quite efficient at eliminating mosquitoes in highly infested areas.
They can be sprayed on different parts of the plants in the yards and gardens to kill mosquitoes. Mosquitoes often used standing or stagnant waters for breeding. Nematodes applied in such waters can control mosquito infestation quickly and effectively.
Nematodes seek mosquito larvae and start infection. Once they locate the hosts, they penetrate the body cavities of the larvae through openings. They release gut bacteria inside the body cavities into the blood of mosquitoes to kill the host mosquitoes within 48 hours of application. This is a highly safe and effective method for mosquito control as pesticides need days or weeks to kill these insects.
