How to control fleas and ticks in the home and yard?

Vacuum all carpets, rugs, upholstered furniture, and along baseboards before applying any indoor flea treatment. Vacuum again 24 hours after treatment and continue vacuuming every other day for at least two weeks. Dispose of the vacuum bag or empty the canister into a sealed outdoor trash bag each…

Install a 3-foot-wide barrier of wood chips, gravel, or dry mulch between your lawn and any adjacent wooded or brushy areas. Keep the barrier clear of leaf litter and vegetation. This is a CDC-recommended landscape modification for tick prevention.

If DIY treatment hasn't resolved the infestation after 4 weeks, or if fleas are present in multiple rooms throughout the house, hire a licensed pest control professional. Expect to pay $150-$400 for a full-home treatment. Most companies include a follow-up visit in the price.

Most tick-borne diseases (Lyme, anaplasmosis, babesiosis) require 24-48 hours of attachment before transmission. Prompt removal within hours virtually eliminates infection risk.

After indoor flea treatment, maintain an aggressive vacuuming schedule: every other day for two full weeks, then twice weekly for another two weeks. Focus on carpeted areas, pet resting spots, under furniture, and along baseboards.

On the same day, treat all three zones: apply flea preventive to all pets, spray indoor carpets and furniture with an IGR + adulticide, and treat shaded yard areas where pets spend time. Coordinate these treatments to happen within the same 24-hour period.

Wash pet beds, blankets, throw rugs, and any fabric where pets sleep in hot water (130°F/54°C or higher) followed by a hot dryer cycle. During an active infestation, wash weekly for at least a month. Include your own bedding if pets sleep on your bed.

Apply a pyriproxyfen-based yard spray (e.g., Martin's IGR) to shaded, moist areas where pets rest outdoors — under decks, along fence lines, under bushes, and in dog runs. Avoid treating open sunny lawn areas where fleas don't survive. Reapply every 3-4 weeks during flea season.

The adulticide kills existing adult fleas on contact. The IGR prevents eggs and larvae from developing into biting adults for up to 7 months, breaking the life cycle even as new eggs hatch from the existing population.

Put every dog and cat in the household on a year-round flea and tick preventive prescribed or recommended by your veterinarian. Options include oral chewables (NexGard, Bravecto, Simparica), topical spot-ons (Frontline, Advantage), or flea/tick collars (Seresto).