Steps to prepare to treat fleas, ticks

Dr. Chris Keefer, technical services manager at Syngenta Professional Pest Management

Fleas and ticks can be difficult to control, but proper preparation can enhance your success. Consider the following steps:

1. Inspect. Interview clients. Identify and inspect all potential flea and tick harborages.
2. Focus on structure interior. Have customers clear their floors to maximize the treatment area. They should clean all flooring and pet bedding and wash bed sheets prior to treatment. They should bathe pets and have them treated by a veterinarian. Treat all cloth furniture and rugs, following all product labels.
3. Focus on structure exterior. Have customers pick up debris and clear the yard of toys; remove pet food and water bowls, as well as any firewood, brick piles, etc., next to the structure; and mow the yard to ensure your treatment penetrates the thatch. They (or you) also should clear any debris and remove animals in crawlspaces prior to treatment.
4. Treat appropriately. Use an adulticide and IGR for best results. Apply products in harborage sites, like shaded areas, where pets rest outside or in areas that transition from grass to shrubs, trees or thick vegetation.
5. Communicate with customers. Explain treatment in detail before making applications. Let them know when they can return to treated areas and when they should expect to no longer have active fleas or ticks.