By CLIFF NIPPER

Springtime is such a beautiful time of year. The weather gets warmer, flowers are blooming and the fleas get to biting.

Many people are surprised they have fleas in their home even if they are using the veterinarian-supplied flea control products. Interestingly most of these products contain the same insecticides your pest management professional uses to control termites, ants, fleas and other pests.

Having pets of my own, I know firsthand the challenges of flea control.

To understand flea control, it is necessary to briefly review the biology of a flea. The flea life cycle begins as an egg that is laid on your pet and soon falls onto carpet, upholstered furniture, or in cracks or crevices.

When a dog shakes he could be sending eggs all over the room. These eggs hatch, becoming worm-like larvae. The larvae feed on the fecal material, which contains dried blood, from the adult fleas.

As they grow, they morph into pupae with a protective cocoon. The cocoon is resistant to insecticides and you may see adult fleas for an extended period (3-4 weeks) after treatment. The flea pupae may remain dormant until it senses movement or activity.

The pupae then emerge as adult fleas to have their first blood meal on the most convenient host. They don’t care if the blood meal is from your dog, your cat, or you. Adult fleas spend most of their time on the animal, so your pet must be treated as well as your home and yard.

To control fleas, a three-step program is needed. First the pet is treated. Second the home’s interior, particularly furniture, carpet, and the pet’s bedding is treated. Third, the outside perimeter, particularly the pet’s habitat must be treated.

This treatment must continue until there is no remaining flea population. Outside, wild animals may serve as carriers for flea populations. You may have fleas even if you don’t own a pet.

In the U.S., coyotes, raccoons, rodents, skunks, rabbits, squirrels, ferrets, and the neighbor's dog or cat may all carry fleas.

To assist your pest management professional and ensure the fastest flea control outside, it is necessary to mow your yard and remove all weeds, grass clippings, leaf piles, and other debris to disturb the flea habitat. Fleas like to nest in warm, shady areas with plenty of organic debris.

Inside, the home must be thoroughly vacuumed daily before and within 24 hours after treatment. Vacuuming should continue daily for up to two weeks. Vacuuming also stimulates pre-adult fleas to emerge sooner from their insecticide-resistant cocoons, thus hastening their contact with insecticide residues in the carpet.

By raising the nap of the carpet, vacuuming improves the insecticide's penetration down to the base of the carpet fibers where developing fleas live.

Many of today’s newer vacuums don’t have a disposable bag. Simply empty the contents into a sealed plastic bag and immediately dispose of the debris (which may include flea eggs, larvae, and adults) in your closed trash can. All pet bedding should also be washed and rinsed in hot water to kill fleas. Consider disposing of bedding that cannot be washed.