Fleas and ticks are a part of every pet owner’s life. Besides irritating your pets, these parasites cause excessive scratching in your house too. Further, they make your home unhealthy by passing stool or laying eggs on your furniture, carpet, and other surfaces. If you want to learn how to get rid of fleas and ticks, you’ve come to the right place. Follow these three steps, and say goodbye to fleas and ticks forever!

1. Troubleshoot your yard
Preventive housekeeping is the first line of defense against fleas and ticks. Always keep your yard’s grass mowed and shrubs trimmed. This simple task will make most of the fleas and ticks around your house homeless. Also, keep feral pets and wildlife away so that fleas don’t make a comeback with them. Seal off any openings to crawl spaces such as garages, sheds, or under decks. These are convenient places for wild animals or stray dogs or cats to nest. If you’re planting any shrubs, keep them away from your house and each other. Also, keep a yard flea spray handy and use it often. Troubleshooting your yard is the first step in getting rid of fleas and ticks.

2. Practice prevention
Prevention is better than cure. So instead of treating fleas and ticks after the attack, it’s better to prevent them in the first place. For example, many pet owners use spot-on flea and tick treatments on their pets. Besides, always run a flea comb or brush through your pet’s coat when they come home from outside. Don’t allow them inside without brushing their coat. If you have a long-haired pet, consider a save down during summer. Simple steps like these help keep your pet healthy and clean.

3. Keep your home clean
If your home is the favorite nest for fleas and ticks, it doesn’t mean your house is dirty. But you need to pay more attention to certain areas. Most commonly, fleas often live in carpeting or throw rugs. Therefore, ensure to vacuum your home at weekly intervals. You’ll be able to spot them and clean them more often. In your regular vacuum, don’t just cover the center of the room; try to touch the areas such as baseboards, under furniture, under cushions, and anywhere your pets spend time or sleep. Ensure that a flea collar is placed in the vacuum bag to kill emerging fleas and change the vacuum bags often. Vacuum your car, too, if your pet rides along. Regularly wash your pet’s bedding, crate, and toys. Preferably use hot water; it will kill flea eggs and larvae.

These are some of the tips and tricks on how to get rid of fleas and ticks. Remember that infestations can take weeks or months to control. But by taking a few precautionary steps, you’ll be able to prevent them from entering your house.