What can I use to get rid of fleas? Not on my chickens...but on dh's dogs.....they are TERRIBLE!

[countrycakelady]

I have tried several things to get the flea population under control with dh's hunting beagles.....they are a good 75 foot away from the chicken pen...so I have not seen ANY in the chicken yard......but those dogs are going nuts! I am at my wit's ends....I don''t want dh to spray chemicals if possible due to my letting my girls out to free range part of the day......I need help and ideas if possible...thank you for any help. I don't want to have to get a guinea, if I can get away with it......I think that they are what eats fleas? I may be incorrect......

 

[Jordi15]

Pretty sure DE (diatomaceous earth) will kill fleas! Otherwise I just use flea collars but here in Payson, AZ might be different.

 

[countrycakelady]

I have used enough DE the past week until it looks like a drug explosion went off......not kidding! I am going to try the flea collars next...running out of ideas!

 

[Jordi15]

Darn! I wish the DE worked for you... Maybe there is just TOO many. When I think my Queensland heeler has fleas I usually buy the collars and the shampoo at the same time. But you said "hunting" dogs, so I'm guessing there is quite few... My husband's family raise "hounds" and both of his uncle's have atleast 10 and that would be AWFUL to bathe each one!!

 

[countrycakelady]

We have 7.....but if bathing is what it takes to tame them down some, then I will do it....just have to get them under control somehow....but hate to use chemicals...may not have a choice....it's been hot and dry here for almost 2 weeks...we had 3 weeks earlier of WET, and WET.........

 

[Jordi15]

It was wet here yesterday... No moisture today but it was humid! I don't think that helps at all when it comes to bugs... I should probably dust the chickens and garden tomorrow!

 

[mithious]

Dawn dish detergent will kill the adult fleas, but to stop the egg cycle, you may have to go to one of the topical products, like Frontline, a spot treatment you put on the back of there neck, between their shoulders. OR, you could keep giving them baths with the dawn, but that could really hurt their coat and skin after too much soap...we used the dawn on puppies in our kennel, that were too young to use the Frontline or other spot treatments...you have to stop the cycle with the eggs though and the only real way to do it is with a topical treatment...permithryn can't spell it correctly, is a type of chrysanthimum, can't spell that right either, sorry, based product, so comes from one of the types of this flower but is considered a pesticide...that works for like say, you know you are going to be in an area that has ticks, and want to keep them off the dogs...but not so good for your problem...but will kill the adults and keep the young fleas from being able to breed....still, you would have the egg problem...

Hope this helps....oh, you should also treat the ground with lime, just like you would for a louse or mites problem with the chickens. We used to move our kennel twice a year and lime and turn over the ground, to keep the worms, ticks, and fleas off/out of our dogs!!! We had 24-32 adult sled dogs, at any given time, and numerous litters of pups, for many years. We were a touring and racing kennel!