Effects of Advantage Flea Control on Humans

How Advantage Works

The active ingredient in Advantage paralyzes and kills fleas almost immediately.

Each brand of flea control might use a different active ingredient. In Advantage, this active ingredient is imidacloprid. Imidacloprid interferes with insects’ nervous systems, causing a blockage that eventually leads to an over-abundance of a particular neurotransmitter. This causes paralysis and then death. It does not have the same immediate, toxic effect on humans because of differences in the nervous systems. The Extension Toxicology Network states that “imidacloprid is quickly and almost completely absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, and eliminated via urine and feces” in humans and animals. However, some people have reported side effects from Advantage.

Side Effects

Some pet owners have reported numbness after having contact with Advantage. According to the Extension Toxicology Network, in addition to irritating the skin and eyes, other symptoms can include “fatigue, twitching, cramps and muscle weakness, including the muscles necessary for breathing.

Symptoms of Poisoning

• The neurotoxins in flea preventives target nerve cells, muscles and brain tissue in pets. Some side effects of flea-preventive toxicity include hyperactivity, excessive salivating, dilated pupils, tremors, vomiting, diarrhea, hiding, shivering and skin irritation. Open sores on the skin where you applied spot treatments could emerge as well. More serious symptoms might include breathing difficulties, brain damage, heart attacks and violent seizures that could result in death. Afflicted pets might lose their appetite for food and water, and kidney failure could also occur.

Unknown Risks

It is not just the active ingredient in Advantage, imidacloprid, that can have toxic effects. All flea-control medications have “active” and “inert” ingredients. The EPA registers the active ingredients, like imidacloprid, after rigorous testing. The same comprehensive testing is not mandated for inert ingredients, and flea-control product makers are not required to list those ingredients individually on labels, even though many are toxic. Undisclosed ingredients could have unknown risks. Your best protection against any harmful side effects of Advantage is to avoid contact, so always wear gloves when applying. If you do come in contact with Advantage and experience side effects, remember that there is no first aid treatment and you should contact a physician or go to a clinic for medical attention.

Get Rid of Fleas in a House

Fleas can drive pets and their owners nuts. They can cause skin problems for animals and the people who love them. Treating the pet is not the end of flea control — it is only the beginning. Once fleas get in the house, you have to treat the entire dwelling. You also must time your efforts correctly, because fleas reproduce rapidly and their eggs are often present in the home long after the adult fleas are killed.

Instructions

1. • 1

     Bathe all pets with a flea shampoo and give them a dose of a systemic pesticide. Remove them from the house for at least eight hours.

   • 2

     Remove all sheets, towels, furniture covers, rugs and curtains from their places. Wash them all in very hot water and detergent. Dry them in a hot dryer and place them in tightly sealed lawn and leaf bags. Send anything that is not washable to the dry cleaners

   • 3

     Place all open food products in the refrigerator. Clean out the cupboards and place all sealed and canned foods into lawn and leaf bags. Remove them from the house. Vacuum inside all cupboards.

   • 4

     Vacuum the house thoroughly several times. Vacuum every room, every closet and all furniture. Change the vacuum bags frequently during the process. Remove filled bags from the vacuum and seal them in a refuse bag and remove the bag from the house.

   • 5

     Mix a citrus oil cleanser into very hot water in a bucket. Scrub all cabinets and drawers with the solution and leave the doors to them open. Scrub all baseboards and walls thoroughly with sponges dipped in the solution. Mop the floor with the solution. Change water frequently to make sure it is always hot.

   • 6

     Open all the interior doors in the house. Close all exterior doors and all windows. Follow the directions to set off flea bombs. This usually involves setting the bombs off in the center of each room and leaving the house for four to six hours without returning. Make sure all pets and people are out of the house before bombing.

   • 7

     Return to the house after the suggested time. Open the windows. Return food to the cupboards and pantries. Replace washed fabrics. Vacuum one more time just in case. Launder all clothing you have been wearing.