Fleas: what to use?

[frankenchick]

Our 4.5 y/o Lab/AmStaff has fleas for the first time. I know we'll have to treat her and everything else, but what is good stuff to use?

I hate the thought of spreading chemicals around the house (not to mention on Pepper), but I know these buggers must be dealt with.

Any suggestions?

 

[ladycrotalus]

Try spreading 20 mule team borax around the house and i would use frontline or advantage on the dog.

 

[mekasmom]

If you put a couple of boxes of borax on all the carpets and floors then just leave it lay for a couple of days, it will kill the fleas. You have to do the same thing again in ten days to kill any newly hatching fleas. It's safe, and it does work.

Frontline works the best (in my opinion) on the dog itself. You can buy the Advantage chemical imidacloprid very inexpensively in another bayer product too. That is a tenth of the price per year that the vet canine product is.

 

[Sissy]

why not use the same as you do for
your chix. it would be safer then those harsh chemicals.
I also fed our dog a teaspoon of Brewers yeast mixed in his food it keeps the fleas away. at least once a week.

 

[Chicken Rustler]

I have not tried it myself but my neighbors use food grade DE just like ya would fer yer chickens. Here are a couple of links to check out.

http://www.earthworkshealth.com/

http://perma-guard.com/fossilshell.html

http://www.dirtworks.net/Images/permagard/ALL%20DIATOMACEOUS%20EARTH%20IS%20NOT%20THE%20SAME.doc

 

[Hoosiermomma]

This year is a really bad year for them. Fleas are becoming resistant to the effects of Frontline, advantage etc.Been there done that. Various things you could try are shampooing in dawn or ivory. You could also use baking soda or borax on the carpets. There is alot of debate as to how long it should be left on there though. If your dog goes outside then you more than likely have fleas in the yard so that would need to be treated as well, sprayed with sevin or speading sevin granules around helps. I would also suggest using products with IGR in them b/c they interrupt the flea cycle. Of course you can use the brewer's yeast and garlic on the food. I put some acv in the water as well. Good luck with the battle of the fleas!

 

[frankenchick]

thanks, Ironimagery, for the links. I've used DE for the chickens in the past, but got away from it. Well, we'll be back on!

 

[patandchickens]

To me, the crucial battle is to prevent fleas from REPRODUCING in your house (and any outdoor housing the dog may have -- as distinct from the yard in general, which you have little control over). If even one flea off your dog manages to have her eggs hatch and larvae grow up into new fleas, you've got a flea explosion on your hands.

So, I am a big fan of the premises sprays with IGR (insect growth regulator) compounds. In fact, that and fly-spray for the horses are the only pesticides I really use around here.

The key to getting it to work -- and fully suppressing reproduction -- is to go full-bore gonzo about it. First, CLEAN EVERYTHING, vacuuming every square millimeter and damp-mopping hard surfaces and sweeping accumulations of crud and laundering all linens/slipcovers/throws and vacuuming under and between all your sofa cushions and chair cushions and under the edges of the mattress and under the bed. Seriously *everywhere* below about knee level, plus any furniture that you or your pets get up onto. It is a pain in the butt but pretty much neccessary IME and you only have to do it once.

Then apply the IGR-containing premises spray according to label directions, on every square millimeter of floor and under/between your sofa cushions and *on* the cushions and under the bed and in the doghouse and basically every darn place whatsoever, exhaustively. It may take 2-3 bottles to do a largeish house (I've never lived anywhere that needs more than 1

).

Finally, VACUUM EVERYWHERE EVERY SINGLE DAY and DO LAUNDRY EVERY COUPLE DAYS, without fail, for at least 3 weeks. After that, you can back off to a couple times a week, but I would not stop the laundering and vacuuming til you have been flea-free for several months... and with an outdoor animal, that may never happen, so you may just need to accept that you need to vacuum more often.

You can reapply the premises spray as needed, up to every few months, but honestly with indoor cats I've never had to use it more than once in a given dwelling, no matter how bad the initial infestation.

Good luck,

Pat

 

[Appytaz]

I have been extremely pleased with Comfortis. It is a monthly pill you give and it continues to kill any new fleas the dog picks up for 30 days. It has eliminated our flea problem. We are happy and the dogs are happy. Our dogs are indoors but do like to play in the back pasture of 2 acres. Frontline and Advantage was only effective for about 2 weeks (if that long).

 

[michickenwrangler]

What Patandchickens said.

When my dog gets them, we have a whole regimen we go through. She gets bathed in flea shampoo (or baby shampoo mixed with Avon's Skin-so-Soft). While she dries, we vacuum everything in the house and wash her bedding in HOT water--fleas can survive through cold. We also add garlic to her kibble during this time. Vacuum every day if needed and if the fleas are persistent, we'll put Bio-Spot on her. If they're not, put Skin-so-Soft in a pump bottle and mist the dog once or twice a day--ours usually makes a beeline for a pile of deer droppings or the pond once we get it on her.

We have hardwood floors so that makes it easy.