Can Fleas Become Resistant to Treatment?
WouterIf you are using a home flea treatment, you may be concerned about the possibility that fleas will become resistant to the product. It’s important to remember that fleas often develop resistance to drugs over time, but you can take steps to prevent this from happening to your pet. The first step to preventing this problem is to identify the source of fleas and treat them before they have a chance to reproduce.
One of the major causes of resistance is genetic mutation. Research has shown that a few mutations in the neural sodium channel gene (KDR) cause resistance to pyrethrins. These mutations are known as super-kdr and knockdown resistance and are widespread in both wild-caught and colonized fleas. To determine whether your pet’s fleas are resistant to a pesticide, you should perform a PCR test.
It is important to remember that most on-animal flea treatments are designed to kill adult fleas. Consequently, they do not include juvenile hormone analogs. In addition, testing larvae to establish resistance ratios can be difficult. This is because it is difficult to determine whether the insecticide is effective against larvae or not. For this reason, most studies focus on toxicity tests on adults. However, some reports on insecticide resistance are based on results from laboratory studies.
When fleas become resistant to insecticides, their life cycle is complicated. Typically, two or more follow-up treatments are required to eliminate the fleas at all stages of their life cycle. In addition, proper sanitation practices and vacuuming are important to keep your home free of flea eggs and juveniles.
