Lufenuron
Do these
flea control pills really work? What is the best way to control fleas
this summer?
An effective flea control program includes environmental agents for long term perimeter protection, and products applied directly to your pet for immediately relief and short term repulsion of fleas.
Your basic attack plan depends on the precise nature of your home, yard and pets. It may include house and yard sprays, carpet powders, shampoos, dips, flea combing, foggers, collars and repellents. Households with outdoor cats and dogs may need all forms of control simultaneously. Those of us lucky enough to have only strictly indoor cats, my get by this summer with a good flea bath and dip, and pyrethrin spray on the doorway thresholds. Certain tricks of putting carbaryl powder in the carpet and vacuum, putting a flea collar in the dog house and cleanliness are always helpful.
When shopping for products, be careful to read labels. If you have a cat, kitten or puppy, the label must say it is safe for these pets. Also, more expensive or all natural is not necessarily better, and really cheap products are often over diluted. This year, pyrethrins and methoprene in sprays and foggers, pyrethrin derivative shampoos, carbaryl powders, and chlorpyriphos in yard sprays are perhaps your best bets. Keep in mind chlorpyriphos is not safe to use directly on cats.
Lufenuron, sold as Program in stores, is an oral pesticide used in dogs and cats. This medication is administered as a pill or suspension once a month. It should not be given to other animals not specifically mentioned on the label. The Lufenuron is absorbed into your pet's body, and infiltrates the skin. Lufenuron is a benzoylurea pesticide, with fungicidal properties. Fleas that eat enough of this chemical by chewing on your pet's skin, pass the pesticide onto the next generation of fleas in their eggs. The larvae of these eggs are abnormal, and fail to develop a proper exoskeleton. Lufenuron works by blocking the production of chitin in the insect's external hard protective covering. Such fleas are not killed, and continue to pester your poor pet. The flea population is reduced by decreasing the survival of subsequent generations of fleas. Program is only helpful when used in conjunction with other flea control products. We have found it to be ineffective alone, and not worth the effort with the many better flea products on the market. We have found it completely ineffective in pets that go outside.
You should consult your veterinarian for more advice on flea control products. Many of the best products are available by prescription only.
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