Stop the Cycle

So, why should you care about the flea life cycle? Because only 5% of the flea population in your home are adult fleas. The rest are eggs, pupae, and worm-like larvae that live in carpet and other dark places. So, 95% of any given flea infestation is made up of fleas you can’t see. The only way to get rid of flea eggs and larvae that lurk unseen in your home is to break the flea life cycle and prevent a new generation from hatching.

1. Eggs
Look closely, and you can see these pearl-white ovals with your naked eye. They are laid on your pet and fall from the fur wherever your pets like to spend their time. Female fleas lay up to 2,000 eggs in a lifetime. The eggs hatch within 2–7 days.

2. Larvae
Repelled by light, these white, maggot-like worms seek out dark areas such as carpets, where they feed on flea feces and debris. They shed their skins three times until they are ready to spin a cocoon.

3. Pupae
Fully formed adult fleas remain in the cocoon until stimulated to emerge. It could take a week or months.

The key to controlling fleas is to consistently break their life cycle at the egg stage so they don’t develop into adult fleas. While topical flea control products kill adult fleas, SENTINEL® (milbemycin oxime/lufenuron) Flavor Tabs® target fleas at the egg stage, before they ever develop into larvae. One of the active ingredients in SENTINEL® Flavor Tabs® is ingested by the flea in the blood meal and passed to the developing egg, where it kills the eggs and larvae. SENTINEL® Flavor Tabs® are the only oral once-a-month flavor tab that protects against five common parasites, including fleas. Combined with a short-term treatment with CAPSTAR® (nitenpyram) Tablets, SENTINEL® Flavor Tabs®  help you beat fleas at multiple stages of their life cycle, killing both the fleas you see and the ones you don’t.
 

Dogs must be tested for heartworm prior to using SENTINEL® (milbemycin oxime/lufenuron) Flavor Tabs®.  In a small percentage of dogs, digestive, neurological and skin side effects may occur.  In a 90 day safety study, the combination use of SENTINEL® Flavor Tabs® and CAPSTAR® (nitenpyram) Tablets was well tolerated.  Click here for a full product insert.