Best Flea Collars for Dogs

Imidacloprid is a pesticide that was created to mimic nicotine in insects and disrupts normal nerve functioning, shutting down the nervous system. Flumethrin is a form of pyrethroid insecticide that specifically attacks ticks. Pyrethroids are a form of man-made pesticides comparable to the natural pesticide pyrethrum or pyrethrins.

Cedar oil blocks octopamine, which is needed to regulate heart rate and metabolism in ectoparasites like fleas and ticks. A mosquito study conducted in Thailand found that lemongrass essential oil at 10 percent concentration killed 100 percent of these three types of species of mosquitoes within 24 hours of exposure. Citral is considered the primary component of lemongrass with biological effects on insects.

The Center for Disease Control recommended lemon eucalyptus oil as being an effective alternative to DEET, therefore strong enough to compete with potent toxic chemicals. While some essential oils may work better than others, if the CDC officially states some are a worthwhile substitution for DEET, they’ve been proven effective.

Ticks are associated with many diseases, not only for your pet, but that also pose a threat to you. Every time you go for a hike or spend time in grassy areas of your yard, you could encounter ticks. While flea collars may be focused on fleas, ticks are repelled by many of the ingredients in these collars as an added perk.

Most often, ticks carry the illness Lyme disease. Lyme disease can be transferred to humans and animals through bites from ticks. Symptoms most often include fever, excessive fatigue, headaches, and a skin rash. Untreated, Lyme disease may spread to you or your pet’s joints, heart, and nervous system.

Especially in specific regions, ticks can be a problem even within your own backyard. Keeping a barrier between your lawn and any forested areas can also help prevent tick infestation on your property. Gravel, a pebble moat, or mulch can be used between woods to minimize tick movement into your yard. Treating your property with tick-repellant sprays or powders is an extra safety measure that does not cost much but is well worth the effort. Especially if you live in a heavily tick-infested area.

Fleas are wingless insects pose numerous health risks. Not only can they make you and your pet itch all over, but they can also be a conduit of some frightening illnesses. When bitten, you will often see a small reddened spot encircled by a red halo, typically without much swelling with fleabites. Persistent scratching can result in patches of hair loss or irritated skin.

If the fleas fed off of infected squirrels, rats, or other rodents, in some areas, they even pose the threat of plague. This is a danger in the United States, not just exotic parts of the world. Particularly in the western United States, bubonic plague is still present.

Some people and pets suffer from allergic dermatitis thanks to fleabites. Allergic Dermatitis is notable by acute itching, hair or fur loss, inflamed skin, and sometimes secondary infections from scratching. It takes just one tiny flea bite to start an allergic reaction. Itching can last nearly a week after the bite occurred.

Once fleas take root in your home, eliminating an infestation requires an intensive program to destroy every last flea. Clearing your house or apartment of fleas demands steps that include daily vacuuming, washing all fabrics, bedding, and curtains if they touch the floor, and terminating the tiny pests on pets with medicines and shampoos. If needed, you might also need to apply treatments to shaded outdoor places where your pets—and fleas—rest.

Preventing fleas with a collar can be far less hassle than dealing with hundreds of insects taking over your home. Not all collars will work for all pets and pet owners. However, if you try one and it doesn’t work, you can always switch to an essential oil collar or one with more potent flea-killing ingredients.