Electronic Flea collars may be the newest weapon in the war on dog fleas. Dogs have been mans companion for thousands of years. Dogs serve mankind in ways that cannot be duplicated by technology. Unfortunately the parasites that our dogs carry have plagued mankind as well. Fleas are a constant irritant to man and dog as well as vector for disease. In the past the best way to get control fleas on your pet was to wash and comb them on a regular basis. The development of pesticides like DDT went a long way in treating our dwellings and animals for many years. However many of these pesticides also had side effects or were damaging to the environment. In addition many of these pesticides were ineffective on fleas.
In the early 1960s time release pesticide technology was married to plastics to make the modern day flea collar. They were hailed as the cure for all flea problems. They did a good job of reducing flea bites on most animals that were under severe and constant attack. They did not solve the problem of flea infestations in homes or kennels. In addition the chemical caused skin irritation or dermatitis on many animals that was worse than the flea bites. Also the collars were most effective only on the front half of the dog causing some people to place a second collar around the dog’s waist and belly. One thing the new collars did was to kill the dreaded ticks. Tick will crawl the highest point on a dog before taking in the blood meal. This mean they will try to crawl past the flea collar on the way to the dogs head placing them in contact with the insecticide. This makes the collar a great way to stop ticks but leaves much to be desired when it comes to controlling fleas. All of which cause many people to consider using an electronic flea collar.
Before you lay out the money for an electronic flea collar you should consult with your dogs Vet. Most Vets will tell you that the most effective method of controlling fleas is through the use of topically applied flea medication. Most dog owners are familiar with Advantage, Frontline and the Program brands of flea medication. They all use a chemical growth regulator methoprene that prevents flea larva from developing into an adult. These medications have been shown to be very affective in solving flea problems. In fact a dog that has the medication on it can literally remove all the fleas in a house over a month long time period. Adults bite the dog and then drop off to lay eggs then die. These eggs hatch and the larva die. So why would you consider using any other method of flea control?
Many dog owners are concerned about the side affects of methoprene on their animals and as a result are looking for flea control alternatives. Electronic pest control devices are divided into several different types. Some use high pitched or ultrasonic sound to repel all insects and spiders while others use devices that produce an electromagnetic field to repel pests. Recently a new technology was developed that using ionic air cleaning. Basically they all claim to drive the pests away from the area that they are placed in. Electronic flea collars use the same technology to achieve to drive the fleas away. The bottom line question is does these device work? Entomologists and other researchers have determined that these electronic flea collars do not perform as claimed. Electronic flea collar manufactures have not, to date, provided any scientific proof that their products perform as claimed. They all use of customer testimonials as a selling point for their products which future makes their claims less than credible. It appears that it is far better to use the topically applied flea medications to protect the health, comfort and well being of your dog. Given the facts I would assert that it is unwise to depend on any electronic flea collar to protect your dog from fleas.
