Johnson's 4fleas Igr Flea Household Spray

A flea problem in the house rarely starts and ends on the animal. By the time you see one on the dog, the carpet, the sofa and the dog's own bed are already carrying eggs and larvae, which is why treating the pet on its own so often fails to finish the job.

This is a household spray, not a pet product: Johnson's are explicit that it is not for use on animals. It contains an Insect Growth Regulator alongside its active ingredients, which works differently to a straightforward insecticide — it stops flea eggs developing into adults rather than only killing the fleas already present. It comes as a 600ml aerosol, described as extra-large and sized to treat an average house, and Johnson's say the protection on carpets, soft furnishings and pet bedding lasts up to several months.

• 600ml aerosol
• Contains an Insect Growth Regulator
• Kills fleas, larvae and other insects
• Stops flea eggs developing into new fleas
• Protects carpets, soft furnishings and bedding for up to several months
• Not for use on animals

On where it goes. This is for the house, not the dog or cat — Johnson's state plainly that it is not for use on animals, so it belongs on the carpet, the sofa and the pet's bedding rather than sprayed on the pet itself. A flea treatment that goes ON the animal is a separate product entirely.

Who it's for: owners tackling a flea problem at the source — the carpets, soft furnishings and bedding an infestation actually lives in — rather than looking for something to put directly on the pet.