This has got to be the worst year I can ever remember when it comes to fleas.The dog has a flea collar,the cat has a flea collar,the fish in the aquarium,ok I am exagerating but you get the idea.I have used every chemical I can think of,well the ones that are safe around children,and every time I turn around I am killing another flea.It seems they are getting imune to the (child safe)types of flea sprays and I am about ready to burn the house down and start over!Anybody got any home remedies that are safe around children?
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Diatomacious earth (chalk dust) available at swimming pool supply stores. Sprinkle it on the dog, the cat, the fish, the kids, the carpet, etc. It dehydrates the little suckers and kills them...unfortunately, not too quickly. A spray available at health food stores called Orange Guard is labled safe around food, humans and pets, uses orange peel extract as the active ingredient, smells like oranges. Haven't tried it on fleas, though it says it's effective against them, but I can say it knocks down ants pretty quickly. -TD
Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.
They say one of the best ways to check your carpet for fleas is to leave a tray filled with water on the floor overnight.The fleas are supposed to jump in and drown,yeah right!This morning,I inspected the tray with a magnifying glass and found little tiny lawn chairs and swim rings in there!So the last thing I would do is take them to the market,besides,where would I find a tiny station wagon or minature shopping carts?
And thanks TD,I will check out the Orange Guard,The chalk sounds good,but I just cant picture my kids running around looking like ghosts!
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Last edited by King Triton; 08-13-2004 at 01:20 AM.
I am having the same problem this year. Took my dog to the vet and they gave him a pill and put some drops inbetween his shoulder blades, cost 30 dollars, and it was suppose to keep him flea free for a month. Two weeks later the fleas have built condo's on him. I think they like the stuff. It is terrible. I can't sleep. I feel like the little #*%$#* are crawling all over me!!!!!! I am about ready to shoot the dog and burn the house down!!!!!!!
The diatomaceous earth might be a good choice. You don't really have to be covered with it. Harmless to humans unless inhaled in LARGE amounts. It's microscopic structure actually clings to the exo-skeleton of the bug and cuts holes in it as they move around. It's used as a pesticide in grain storage because the stuff just washes right off.
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Try Advantage or one of the other good single drop applications. I have 3 dogs and use Advantage on them. Works like a charm. Put one drop on the neck, 2nd on shoulder and third at the rear. Works good. Advantage claims it works for one month but I've had better results than that. Kills every flea. After a couple of treatments, we don't have a flea in the place. Good luck.
I agree that Advantage is the best to make the fleas flee! One drop on the back of the neck, and another on the base of the tail,(of the dog or cat ), and your good to go.
You need to go after the fleas on more than the pets if you get them too bad. You gotta vacuum your carpets every day for about a week after you treat the pets, otherwise they will just live in the carpet until they can hop back on the pets. Make sure you empty the vacuum cleaner after each time you vacuum, too. We did the bug bomb thing once in the house. I think that worked, but I don't recall for sure.
What ever you do stay away..I repeat stay away from any Hartz flea products. can be deadly to animals. (go to the hartzvictims web site it will floor you) I am waiting for Texas dog breeder to send flea recipe using fruit fresh from the grocery store. It is stuff you sprinkle on fruit so it wont turn brown. She has been using it on her 14 german shepards and has remained flea free since well forever. she also feeds her dogs garlic tabs as that helps too.
Here in eastern NC the fleas are beyond horrible. I use Frontline and it is working to about 80%. We cant get them out of the yards. even sevin dust didnt work.
Horse owners... i add a cup of apple cider vinegar to 25 gallons of my horses water and 1 teasoon garlic powder to their daily feed and they have remained fly free this entire season.
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For dogs the pill works best. What it does is change the genetics of the fleas so that they cant grow their "tooth". For cats, the drops work better but you need to get them both from your local vet. For your house try 20 Mule Dear Borax, available at any shopping center in the wash detergent isle. Sprinkle generously on all your carpets, fruniture, under beds, ect... Make sure you wash all your sheets and spray your matresses with flea and tick spray. When you sprinkle the borax they say let it sit anywherese from 3 days to a coulple weeks and then vacume it up. You need to vacuum your carpet often and make sure you throw away your vaccum bag after each time as they will live in the bag for a long time and reinfest your house again... Arg... As you can see I had a very bad problem with fleas in my house (enought to start a 3 ring flea circus) Also give your animals a flea bath with some good flea shampoo before you treat them. That will give you a very good start. Good Luck -Dave
For the fleas in the house, put down water with water and some soap or belach, it will kill them when they jump in, then put a light over it, they are attracted to the light. It will get them to jump in, then they die from the soap and/or bleach. I use advantage for the dogs and cat, but that doesn't stop the little #*%@#%&* from getting in on their own, just don't bite the pets. Mice can also carry the fleas in, we seem to have a bit of a problem with them, they've been getting fed some not so healthy food lately...
EDIT: I don't use advatage, it is frontline, my whoops...
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I've had very good success with advantage. You can get it online. It makes the pets toxic to the fleas. I agree with a bad infestation you've got to attack from several fronts. I've also had success with the flea spray in the purple can (I can't remember the name). Program (flea birth control) sucks and don't waste your money on it. Right now I'm trying Frontline. It seems to be working.
There is also a thing available, I can't remember what it's called, Flea trap or something like that, anyway it's a night light mounted in a large plastic frame that holds a replaceable piece of sticky paperboard. (Flea Paper?) Same idea as what fellro86 descibes, they are attracted to the light, and when they jump up to it they stick to the paper...just imagine them stuck there amidst the carcases of their bretheren, screaming , "Help me, help me!) Just warms the cockles of your heart! -TD
Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.
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