Thursday, July 3, 2014

3 Flea Facts to Consider When You Visit Florida #Seresto

Vacationing in Florida with your dog?  From St. Augustine to Tampa and all the way down to Key West, there are so many dog-friendly places to visit.  Florida has a lot of dog-friendly parks, campgrounds, hotels, restaurants and beaches for you to enjoy with your dog.


The only bad thing:  the fleas are dog-friendly too!  But that doesn't mean you shouldn't vacation in Florida with your dog.  You just  need to remember your flea preventive and some basic information:

Florida Flea Season is Year-Round
Florida does not have the normal seasons of Spring, Summer, Autumn and Fall.  No, we have Rainy Season, Hurricane Season, Snowbird Season (the timeframe when Northerners live here to avoid the cold weather), and Tourist Season.  Occasionally, we have Winter but that cold weather generally doesn't last more than two weeks. 


Florida's consistent warm temperatures and higher relative humidity make for the perfect breeding ground for fleas.  It is why our Flea Season is year round when other places up North are getting a break from the pesky critters.

Florida Provides Many  Means of Transportation for Fleas
No, the fleas aren't riding the rails or hopping in a cab to get around but that doesn't mean there aren't many ways for them to travel throughout Florida.  Sure, a flea-infested dog could've crossed that same path you're hiking on and now fleas are waiting to hitch their next ride on you!


But since the most common flea that infests dogs and cats is the Cat Flea, feral cats are a great way for fleas to get into your neighborhood or your yard.  The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission estimates the Florida feral cat population may be 6.3 to 9.6 million (Feral Cat Colonies in Florida, Pamela Jo Hatley).  And did you know, an investigation of the feral cat population in Florida found that 92.5% of them were infested with fleas?  

There are many other critters in Florida who like to roam and who can provide a great vehicle for flea travel as well.  The Cat Flea has also been found on the Florida Panther, skunks, raccoons, opossums and rodents.

Fleas are Everywhere in Florida
From Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve to the State Parks where I go camping and the dog parks and dog beaches so many go to, there are fleas.  Like I said, they have a super-highway network on which to travel that lead right to your neighborhood and/or yard.


So what is a Florida dog to do?  Aside from monthly visits from pest control and almost-obsessive cleaning of your home, you need to use flea preventive all year long. 


For the past few weeks, I have been testing the new Seresto collar.  You may remember it from my Flea Bite Allergy in Dogs post.  The Seresto collar achieves 100% efficacy against fleas within 2 days of treatment and maintains efficacy above 90% for over 7 months.  That's right...no missed monthly applications or doses for up to 8 months!

The Seresto collar has two active ingredients to kill fleas and ticks - imidacloprid and flumethrin.  The collar is designed to slowly and continuously release those ingredients in low concentrations.  


Since first putting on my Seresto collar, I have had less itching and my possible FAD (Flea Allergic Dermatitis) has started to heal.  I did take one bath since putting on my new collar, and I left the collar on since it is water-resistant, and it is still working.  I'm going to keep using the collar and I will let you know how long it lasted for me.

Do you live in an area where Flea Season is year round? 
Do you want to try the new Seresto collar to prevent fleas and ticks?  If so, there is a $20 rebate available on your Seresto collar purchase HERE.

This post is sponsored by Bayer/Seresto and the Pet Blogger Network.  I am being compensated for helping spread the word about the Seresto product, but Oz the Terrier only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers.  Bayer/Seresto is not responsible for the content of this article.


24 comments:

  1. It does sound like a great idea that collar but the only time we wear collars is when we go out because colors Matt our long fur if we leave them on and can cause sores on our necks.

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  2. We have fleas all year round too . We are very happy we never have any
    Lily & Edward

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  3. I did not know that the most common flea was the cat flea. And that sure is a lot of feral cats!! When my daughters lived down there one of the inside cats got fleas very badly, it was a nightmare for her to get rid of them.

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  4. AnonymousJuly 03, 2014

    Wow, thanks for this information, Oz. I hope with a good flea-treatment we can spend our howliday on every place. I would like to visit Florida...when the gator's have their resting day :o)

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  5. No thanks. I'll stay in the desert Southwest where there are no fleas and ticks.

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  6. That was great advice Oz and those little boogers are sure nasty! Have a fun and safe Independence Day!!!

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  7. Bravo Oz....we have fleas or fleas eggs year around too. It is rarely cold enough to kill the eggs.
    Even though my feets never touch the dirt I get a month flea and heartworm preventative.
    Hugs madi your bfff

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  8. We are lucky to not have a flea problem at all. Years ago (before us three) mom took her first pug with her for a visit to California. you guessed it - brought home fleas and it took awhile to get rid of them. But Mom & dad do worry about ticks when we go camping. Hope the bad weather is not going to affect you.
    hugs
    Mr Bailey, Hazel & Greta

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  9. I have seen these collars before, and wasn't sure if they wouold work or not, so thanks for sharing, and I look forward to seeing how long one lasts!
    ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!

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  10. We would love to find a new flea and tick system, but not sure we want a second collar. Most fleas and ticks die out over the winter (lots of humans too) with the extreme cold, but we still need flea and tick protection.

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  11. We are thankful that WE only have fleas from late spring until FROST...

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  12. Hey Oz..... FURTS... here... lettin you know that YOUR buddy TURTS just gotted himself in TROUBLE with a Capital T.
    He watched mom pic a green pepper from the garden... put it on the DECK.. to have fur supper... and then went to pick some sugar snap (snow peas). While she had her back turned.... TURTS... grabbed the Pepper and RACED to the GARDEN and BURIED it in the row of Corn... When mom looked fur the pepper... I (the FURTS) RATTED the TURT out!!! YES I did.

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  13. We know about feral cat as we were reminded by our vet. Oh OZ, we really want to visit FL especially when its cold here in Chicago. Golden Thanks for all the great info. Sugar is also wearing a seresto collar for a year protection. Golden Woofs

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  14. Fleas are the worst. Glad you found something to protect you.

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  15. I'm so glad we don't really have to worry about fleas here. I do wish it was more dog friendly here though, like Florida.

    Happy Fourth of July!

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  16. Them fleas and ticks are pesky little creatures, great advice.

    Happy 4th July from across the pond, stay safe.

    Sheba.

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  17. Wow that is a lot of feral cats and a whole bucket load of fleas. Glad you are protected buddy. Have a great holiday weekend.

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  18. I'm glad there's at least something bad about living down there where you only have two weeks of winter (says the jealous northerner....LOL).
    This collar seems like a good solution for you....having to do a spot on treatment or whatever for a full year seems like it would get old quickly, and too easy to miss a dose as well.
    Jan, Wag 'n Woof Pets

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  20. I've read quite a bit about this collar and everyone seems to love it. I'd love to bring Bentley to the Gulf and let him experience the beach! Did you get my letter about the Writer's Hop?

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  21. AnonymousJuly 05, 2014

    Thankfully , thankfully we are not only indoor only kitties, but the flea problem is not quite that bad here...hope all woofies furriends remain flea free in Florida

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  22. We wunce had da flee infestayshun in ower lawn Oz my pal…took ages to get rid of den blyters……we was furry worried they dud get into da howse too but they did not...

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  23. Beautiful pictures Oz. That is an interesting collar. Of course brown dawgs swim so much I am not sure the collar would stand up....lol. I do like the idea of a collar though. Might be something for non-swimming season.

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  24. The last 2 times we went to north cebtral FL, 12/16 & 3/17, our terrier mix was a magnet for fleas, WITH Seresto collar (new). Are those cat fleas now immune to Seresto? Very frustrating.

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Cairn cuddles,
Oz the Terrier