Practical Tips for Treating In and
Around the Home

Preparation and Cleanup

Pick up items from the floor:

• Magazines, shoes, children’s toys, pet’s toys, etc. Remove items from under beds and furniture. Dispose of cat litter and replace with new material. Launder your pet’s bedding or replace with fresh materials.
• Thoroughly vacuum all carpet, rugs, and upholstered furniture. Place the vacuum bag inside a plastic garbage sack and dispose of it outside. For “bagless” vacuums empty the contents into a trash bag and dispose of it outside the house. Pay particular attention to the areas where the pet eats, sleeps, rests, and walks. Remember to vacuum under furniture, floor cracks, stairways, and the baseboards along the walls.
• Use any cleaning solution and damp mop the linoleum, tile, and cement floors
• Remove pet birds from the house and cover fish tanks with a damp towel. Turn off the air pump. Birds may be brought back after the house has been well ventilated.
• Arrange to have your pet treated per the recommendations of a veterinarian on the day you treat the house
• Plan to be out of the house for two to four hours after the treatment is completed. The floors must be dry before you reoccupy the house. Leave the windows open so the floors will dry faster. You only have to close the windows if you plan to use an automatic room fogger.

Life Cycle (Egg to Adult: Average Time 12
to 28 Days)

Treatment Procedure

Always read and follow the directions on the package of the pesticide you are using.

• Use Mystic Home Pest Control Spray with a one ounce bottle of insect growth regulator added to the spray. One gallon of spray with the growth regulator will treat about 1500 square feet which is about an average 3 bedroom home that is 1/2 to 2/3 carpeted. Alternatively, you may use Precor 2000. One can of Precor 2000 (which contains the growth regulator) will treat up to 2000 square feet. Growth regulators prevent fleas from reproducing and act like a “birth control agent”. Apply the material with a sprayer adjusted to give a coarse fan spray pattern. DO NOT TREAT PETS OR HUMANS WITH THESE PRODUCTS. DO NOT SPRAY THE TOPS OF CUSHIONS OR SOFAS. DO NOT SPRAY BEDDING OR MATTRESSES.
• The carpet must be vacuumed and floors cleaned before you do the treatment. Begin in one room and direct the spray toward the baseboards especially where the carpet meets the wall all the way around each room. Spray under beds and furniture. Spray the surface of the floor in an overlapping pattern. Do not “soak” the floor. Spray only until the floor is lightly damp to the touch. In rooms where there are no carpets or rugs spray very lightly and concentrate on the edges around the perimeter. Do not puddle the spray on the floor.
• Thorough coverage and deep carpet penetration (that means getting the product to the base of the carpet fibers) are keys to effective flea control. Thicker shag and plush type carpeting will require more material and a very thorough treatment.

• Work from room to room until the job is completed. Pay special attention to the areas where the pet eats, sleeps, rests, and walks. This is where the flea infestation is likely to be the highest.
• Be Careful: The floors will be slippery. Keep off the treated area until the surface has dried.
• Upon returning to the house make sure the floors have dried and the house is well ventilated before re-occupying. A slight odor from the spray may persist for several days especially if it is very hot, damp, or humid. Keep windows open and allow fresh air to circulate just as you would in a room that had been freshly painted.

Special Situations

• Basements: Arrange items in the basement so that you have as much exposed basement floor as is possible. It may be necessary to use a room fogger if there is a lot of clutter or personal possessions
  in the basement.
• Garages: If the garage is attached, plan to treat the garage floor just as any other room.
• Crawl Spaces: If there is a crawl space under the house and the animal was known to frequent this area, plan to treat this area with spray or an automatic room fogger. Window Sills and Ledges: If your pet (especially a cat) rests on a window sill or ledge remember to treat this area.
• Yards: If your pets spend time in the yard or you have a designated run or a pen in the yard then the lawn may need to be treated. Use Bonide Yard Spray with the convenient hose end sprayer. Read and follow the directions on the label. Pay particular attention to the shaded areas around the perimeter of the house.
• Cars: If your pet spends a lot of time in the car, it may be necessary to treat the carpeted areas. Use the liquid Mystic Home Pest Control, Precor 2000, or Enforcer Flea Aerosol for Upholstered Furniture and Carpets on the surface of the car rugs. Spray very lightly.
• Upholstered Furniture: If your pet spends time on the furniture it may be necessary to treat the
  cushions. Use Enforcer Furniture Spray or Precor 2000 and lightly treat the cushions, arm rests, base of the
  furniture, etc.
• Beds and Bedding: Even if the pet sleeps on the bed, there is no need to spray beds or bedding. Rather, launder the sheets, pillow cases, etc. in hot water.

When Will the Fleas Be Gone?

Expect to see adult fleas for up to 14 days. This is normal as the hidden cocoons hatch. Continue to vacuum carpeted areas several times a week. If the fleas persist after two weeks you may need to retreat a localized area or repeat the entire treatment.