weather, and this summer is no exception. Untreated pets are scratching like mad, and so are their human caretakers. People with pets are returning from holiday to find their closed-up homes seemingly over-run with fleas.

Sales of anti-flea paraphernalia -- powders, sprays, shampoos, collars and the like -- are booming at present, and veterinarians are busy dispensing treatment to animals afflicted with allergic reactions to flea bites.

Fleas are one of the most exasperating and irritating of pests, and it is probably of no comfort to know that they have been around forever. Aesop mentioned them in two of his fables, and Shakespeare made similar reference in at least six of his works. In 1450 a steward for the Duke of Gloucester even wrote a code of manners for dealing with fleas, including the admonition that one should not search one's person for them in company! Diagrams and drawings of fleas exist from the 1600s, and they were also one of the first objects to be examined under a microscope.

But how do you get rid of them? Unfortunately, the process is not simple and requires all-out war to bring them under control. To be successful, treatment must be total and comprehensive. It is no good ridding a pet of fleas without treating the pet's home, bedding and favourite haunts. Nor does it make sense to de-flea a dwelling and not treat the pet.

Before tackling the issue of flea control, it is it is first necessary to understand the flea's life cycle, and how it breeds and survives.

The entire life cycle takes from two to five weeks, and consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult.

The eggs are small, glossy, white and oval, and can be seen against a dark background with the naked eye. Because they are loosely laid in the animal's coat the eggs fall easily onto floors, carpets, grass or soil -- wherever the animal happens to be. Eggs hatch into larvae two to four days later, depending on the temperature.

The larvae are small, worm-like, and covered in hairs and bristles. They live where they hatch and are not parasitic on an animal. They have chewing mouth parts and feed on organic debris (such as food crumbs), and partly digested blood excreted by adult fleas.

The larval stage lasts eight to 24 days, after which an oval cocoon is spun.

Cocoons will adhere to any debris such as pet hair, dust, carpet fibre or grass cuttings. Within the cocoon, the larva moults to moults to the pupal stage before emerging five to seven days later as an adult flea.

The adult flea is tiny -- about 1/16th of an inch long -- brown, hard-bodied, wingless, and laterally flat so it can travel easily through an animal's coat.

It also leaps great distances which makes it particularly difficult to control.

Food for the adult flea is blood, which it draws from the skin of its host through its piercing, sucking mouth parts. On human skin, flea bites produce a small, red, slightly raised, itchy spot with a tiny puncture mark in the centre.

Unfortunately, fleas are hormonely oriented and will attack women more readily than men.

Fleas like living where dust and organic debris accumulate in yards and under buildings. In homes, they prefer carpets, floor boards, cracks or crevices in concrete, and around tiles.

Fleas breed very rapidly. Given favourable growth conditions, in just 30 days ten adult female fleas can multiply to more than a quarter of a million.

Pre-adult populations can linger anywhere the host has been. They quickly mature into the blood-sucking adults which lay more eggs after each blood meal.

This means a sizeable and persistent battle to control infestation. Here's how to get started: Animals There are special shampoos, sprays, dips, powders, collars and oral insecticides, all designed to kill or control fleas. It is important to consult with a veterinarian on which course of treatment is best for your pet and to follow instructions carefully.

Don't be tempted to devise your own combinations when treating pets as you could set up an irritation. When using flea dips and shampoos, be sure to rinse the animal properly to prevent skin irritation.

Never treat dogs with cat preparations or vice versa. Insecticides which are safe for dogs are very often poisonous or fatal to cats.

Equally, products used on floors, grounds and buildings are often unsafe to use on animals.

Some animals develop an allergy to fleas. Even though very few of these parasites may actually be on the animal's body, they will produce frenzied biting, scratching and licking. Animals with a flea allergy will often have little or no hair on the rear third or half of their bodies. Continued irritation contributes to primary or secondary skin infections, making the pet more irritable and depressed. Heavy infestation can also lead to anaemia. To add insult to injury, fleas are also capable of transmitting a type of tape worm to dogs, cats and sometimes humans.

Pet areas All areas an animal inhabits -- pet basket, kennel, yard, bedding -- must be treated. If the pet sleeps on a throw rug, blanket or cushion, make sure it is of the type that can be laundered every three to four days. Remove and burn any debris which may be infested, particularly around a kennel area.

Treat baskets and kennels with anti-flea spray or powder according to directions on container.

The Home There are foggers, sprays, powders and dusts especially designed for treatment of the home. Read all instructions before use and follow directions carefully.

Remember to treat carpets, baseboards, floorboard seams, upholstery, cushions and basement areas. Also, spray about one foot above floor level.

Alternatively, ask a professional service to de-flea your home.

Vacuum Cleaners If you have vacuumed flea-infested carpeting, the bag will automatically become a breeding ground. Stop the process by either putting a few moth balls into the bag, or half of a new flea collar. (Wrap the other half in the foil it came in and use later).

Control programme Because of the various stages of a flea's life cycle, one treatment won't be sufficient to get rid of fleas. Persistence should, however, pay off -- provided the treatment is repetitive, comprehensive and includes the home, the yard and the animal(s).

CAT FLEAS magnified 45 times. On the left is the female, on the right the male. FLEAS make household pets miserable. Left untreated, fleas can cause anaemia, tapeworm or allergies.