Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2020 Sep 29;11(10):668.
doi: 10.3390/insects11100668.

Recent Advancements in the Control of Cat Fleas

Michael K Rust  1
Affiliations
Review

Recent Advancements in the Control of Cat Fleas

Michael K Rust. Insects. .

Abstract

With the advent of imidacloprid and fipronil spot-on treatments and the oral ingestion of lufenuron, the strategies and methods to control cat fleas dramatically changed during the last 25 years. New innovations and new chemistries have highlighted this progress. Control strategies are no longer based on the tripartite approach of treating the pet, the indoor environment, and outdoors. The ability of modern therapies to break the cat flea life cycle and prevent reproduction has allowed for the stand-alone treatments that are applied or given to the pet. In doing so, we have not only controlled the cat flea, but we have prevented or reduced the impact of many of the diseases associated with ectoparasites and endoparasites of cats and dogs. This review provides an update of newer and non-conventional approaches to control cat fleas.

Keywords: Ctenocephalides felis felis; essential oils; insecticide resistance; isoxazolines.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The author declares no conflict of interest.

References

    1. Dryden M.W., Rust M.K. The cat flea: Biology, ecology and control. Vet. Parasitol. 1994;52:1–19. doi: 10.1016/0304-4017(94)90031-0. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Rust M.K., Dryden M.W. The biology, ecology, and management of the cat flea. Annu. Rev. Entomol. 1997;42:451–473. doi: 10.1146/annurev.ento.42.1.451. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Blagburn B.L., Dryden M.W. Biology, treatment, and control of flea and tick infestations. Vet. Clin. Small Anim. 2009;39:1173–1200. doi: 10.1016/j.cvsm.2009.07.001. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Beugnet F., Franc M. Insecticide and acaricide molecules and/or combinations to prevent pet infestation by ectoparasites. Trends Parasitol. 2012;28:267–279. doi: 10.1016/j.pt.2012.04.004. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Boase C., Kocisova A., Rettich F. Fleas and flea management. In: Dhang P., editor. Urban Insect Pests Sustainable Management Strategies. CAB Int.; Reading, UK: 2014. pp. 86–98.

LinkOut - more resources