📋 Step-by-Step
1
Treat pet on Day 1 — same day as home
Apply a vet-recommended flea treatment to all pets on the same day as the home treatment. Don't do these on different days — you need to interrupt the cycle at every stage simultaneously.
2
Vacuum thoroughly before treating — trigger pupae
Vacuuming stimulates flea pupae to hatch (the vibration mimics an approaching host). Vacuum every carpeted surface, all upholstered furniture, and under furniture edges. This causes a hatch wave that the treatment can address. Dispose of the bag immediately outdoors.
3
Apply IGR + adulticide to all carpet and furniture
Apply a product containing both an IGR (insect growth regulator: methoprene or pyriproxyfen) and an adulticide to all carpet, rugs, and upholstered furniture. The IGR prevents larvae and pupae from maturing; the adulticide kills adults. Precor Plus is a combined product.
4
Treat the yard — especially shaded areas
Apply bifenthrin to all yard vegetation, under decks, and in any shaded areas where pets rest. Fleas in the yard will reinvest treated pets within days if the yard population isn't addressed.
5
Retreat at 2 weeks and 4 weeks
Flea pupae are completely immune to all insecticides. After the initial treatment, protected pupae continue hatching for up to 6 weeks. Retreating at 2-week intervals kills each new wave of emerging adults before they can reproduce.
💡 Pro Tips
💡 The 2-week and 4-week retreatments are non-negotiable — skipping them is the #1 reason flea treatments 'fail' and infestations recur
💡 During treatment, new adult fleas jump on humans more aggressively because pets are treated — this is temporary and expected, not a treatment failure
💡 Prevent reinfestation: apply monthly flea prevention to pets through December even in northern states — flea populations peak in fall and continue in heated homes year-round