07/16/2026
In most parts of the country, fleas are found in the environment, especially in the summer. But if there are too many fleas and your colony cats are always scratching, you’ll want to take action.
Here are some helpful tips for fighting fleas:
🐈 For cats you can handle, apply topical medications like Advantage, Frontline or Revolution. They’ll kill fleas and their eggs, usually for about 30 days, though some versions last longer.
🐈⬛ For cats you can’t handle, put the OTC medication Capstar into the cats’ food (or its generic equivalent - the active ingredient is nitenpyram). Be sure to only dose one tablet per cat. This will kill all the adult fleas within 15 minutes but does not kill eggs or provide any ongoing protection.
🐈⬛ Sprinkle food-grade diatomaceous earth (DE) around feeding areas, in shelters, or places where fleas typically live, like cracks in walls. It must be “food” grade and not “pool” grade. DE kills fleas without harming cats. Make sure to reapply after it rains, and wear a mask while spreading so you don’t inhale it!
🐈 In grassy areas, consider beneficial nematodes. They’re microscopic worms that eat flea larvae (but are safe for cats). Find them at https://arbicoorganics.com and spray them onto your lawn during a cooler time of day.
🐈⬛ Most community cats naturally have some tolerable level of parasites, like fleas. If the fleas become overwhelming and a cat becomes infested, there could be an underlying issue. Is the food too low quality? Or is the shelter inadequate? If so, these can weaken cats’ immunity to pests like fleas.
