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Cleaning Up:  Need Advice for "Country" Fleas  |
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amyartgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
991 Posts
Amy
Junction City
Ohio
USA
991 Posts |
 Posted - Dec 28 2010 : 07:41:24 AM
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Hi all,
Hubby and I made a move out to the country (a rental house that my parents own, mostly due to him not being able to find a job)....we are still in a adjusting phase.
Anyhow, the 'delimma': The previous tennats had a horrible infestation of these little buggers. We have bommed more than once, swept constantly, used 'professional grade' pesticides from our pest control friend (inside,outside, in the basement, and under the porch) have mouse traps upstairs and in the basement (to control the rodent factor), used dawn dish soap on our cat in on certain surfaces), doing the lit flea traps with bowls of soapy water (wich don't produce many fleas in the water), and are now using Diotomaceous Earth with salt and borax in the cracks of the wood floor, etc. Our kitty has been getting Advantage put on her (she is sensitive to Frontline), plus we we used Capstar as an intial flea knockdown to help the Advantage work better. She is also getting some extra vitamin b12 in a whole food kitty supplement. Am I missing a link i the flea control chain?
We are fine for maybe a week or two (maybe three)then back to having fleas.
Not sure what else to do at this point. What other treatments/remedies have you all have used? Maybe it is just keeping at it and good ol time will help. I know that fleas are fleas...but man these ons seem to be a diffrent breed...LOL
Thanks :) |
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Dec 28 2010 : 08:22:31 AM
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Oh man, Amy! Years ago, we had an apartment where the whole apartment house suffered an infestation like that. One of the new neighbors sneaked in a cat that died a couple of weeks later, and the next thing we knew, there was a HORRIBLE flea infestation of Biblical proportions of the most nasty fleas I've ever dealt with. I kid you not! Long story short, nothing worked, so finally we all kept bugging the landord to do something. Basically, the pest control company explained to everybody that unless you bomb every room on every floor, including attic and basement, with cabinets and drawers cleaned out and opened on every level, you're not going to meet with success. They explained that the fleas will retreat to the most remote, untreated areas in the house while the bombs are going off, and then when everything settles, they'll come out of hiding to feast on you - and your animals - again and again. They are extremely resilient little buggers - I can't stand them! It was a total nightmare, and took three professional bombings before all the neighbors believed and acted on the pest control specialists' warnings.
As far as fleas on your pet, we have found the Frontline and Advantage brands work best, too - those are the ones from the vet, right? Frontline was the only one that got rid of them on our dog all together, and we wouldn't find them in the house after using it, either. I'm so sorry your cat's allergic to it. I'm pretty sure Advantage is a good one, too, but again, the only stuff that really clinched it for us was the Frontline.
I wish I had some more natural, organic remedies for you, but nothing I have every tried has really worked. Hopefully some of our wise Farmgirl Sisters can further enlighten us both! I hate chemical bombs, sprays and ointments... I feel like we're poisoning ourselves when we use them, too. I betcha if anyone can help us, it's Alee....
Aaaaaleeeeee.... where aaaaaare youuuuuuuu? ;)
Best of luck - Nini
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
Farmgirl Sister #1974 |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Dec 28 2010 : 10:59:04 AM
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Nini- You crack me up!
Here is a thread about fleas that you might find helpful:
http://www.maryjanesfarm.org/snitz/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3723
When my roommate's dog got fleas we ended up sending every article of clothing through the wash on hot, packaging it if we needed to spray the room etc and putting borax in the carpets at night since that dehydrates them. It took about 2 weeks and both animals had to be on flea medicine
One thing you have to remember is any drapes, furniture etc are hiding places for fleas. They have to be boraxed to death and or sprayed with chemicals to get the eggs. Also keep up a regular schedule (multiple times per day) of vacuuming and getting rid of the vacuumed debris immediatly.
I hope that helps a bit!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
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amyartgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
991 Posts
Amy
Junction City
Ohio
USA
991 Posts |
Posted - Dec 28 2010 : 11:08:12 AM
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| Thanks ladies. Will keep at it with the Diatomaceos Earth and borax combo and will work on the bombing thing again, etc. |
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Dec 28 2010 : 11:41:17 AM
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Thaaaaaaaannnnnk youuuuuuuu Aaaaaleeeeee! ;) I knew you'd know what to do! You rock! - Nini
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
Farmgirl Sister #1974 |
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Ann2144
True Blue Farmgirl
106 Posts
USA
106 Posts |
Posted - Dec 28 2010 : 12:03:06 PM
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What we used when I was a kid was Myrtlewood leaves, everywhere, under the mattresses, under the sofa cushions, inside the cupboards, we rarely had a problem for very long. They grow along the coast. Don't know if you can find them in your neck of the woods or not.
Hope it will help.
Love Each Other
Ann Farmgirl #2144 |
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texdane
Farmgirl Legend Chapter Leader Chapter Guru
4658 Posts
Nicole
Sandy Hook
CT
USA
4658 Posts |
Posted - Dec 28 2010 : 2:02:58 PM
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Hi there,
Sounds like you are doing all you can and have some great advice. I have one thing to add: buy a flea collar (it can be a cheap one) and put it inside your vacuum cleaner. Flea eggs can hatch from inside the vacuum and in the filter, and could be where they keep coming back from. I learned this trick from a good friend who is a vet.
Nicole
Farmgirl Sister #1155
KNITTER, JAM-MAKER AND MOM EXTRAORDINAIRE |
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missusprim
True Blue Farmgirl
400 Posts
Karen
Fostoria
Ohio
USA
400 Posts |
Posted - Dec 28 2010 : 2:36:25 PM
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Oye.......fleas. We had an infestation from our ONE indoor/outdoor cat many years ago. We bombed the house, put him on flea meds (can't remember what) and also treated our yard with Sevin. If you do bomb the house, make sure you turn your cushions on their sides so the mist can reach in all areas.
But boy, I remember it being so bad that when my then husband came home from work and crawled into bed, I'd make him literally make sure he would check his legs and feet for the little stinkers.
To do this day, that experience left such an impression on me that I referred to them as the 'f' word rather than fleas.
At any rate, sounds like you've got it all covered. There's lots of sites that can give you good info on how to get rid the things, and I hope you get some relief! |
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amyartgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
991 Posts
Amy
Junction City
Ohio
USA
991 Posts |
Posted - Jan 17 2011 : 10:36:29 AM
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**UPDATE** Just bought an Oreck Steam-It mop over the weekend with some money from Christmas. After using it, I then vacuum since the heated water emitted from the steamer does kill-off some of the fleas but then hypers them up and causes the eggs to hatch faster (from what I read anyway). I hope that as I use it more in the coming weeks these things will be history (until it is the "normal" flea season again). I also bought a batch of food-grade Diatomaceous Earth. I fluffed it thru our cat's fur....tho she hates me when I do it, and then comb it thru. We do have Advantage still and will reapply at the end of the month to be safe. I think the DE on her fur is working some, as I saw a few fleas scurring away from her to where I could get them more easily. I looked thru her fur with the flea comb this morning before leaving for work, and I saw no sign of the buggers....keeping my fingers crossed.
Will keep you all updated. |
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barefootmama
True Blue Farmgirl
133 Posts
Jennifer
BLOOMSBURG
Pennsylvania
USA
133 Posts |
Posted - Jan 17 2011 : 10:54:11 AM
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Good Luck!! Years ago we moved into a rental that had a flea infestation that we could never rid off..we even had to tear out carpeting!!it was a disaster...needless to say we moved out on very bad terms!!!.....I feel for you and it sounds like all our sisters have plenty of great ideas..keep us posted hope it all works out for the best!
Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves,for they shall never cease to be amused:) |
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artfulsister
True Blue Farmgirl
155 Posts
Terri
Raleigh
North Carolina
USA
155 Posts |
Posted - Jan 17 2011 : 2:58:21 PM
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Hello Anyartgirl,
I too had a flea problem once of "Biblical proportions." But we did not use anything but one simple set up:
Get a goose neck lamp, it is like a desk lamp with a bendable neck.
Get a flat platter, maybe 20 or so inches round, with a inch or two deep lip. I don't think it has to be round.
place the pan, tray or platter on the gound in center of the room that has the most infestation and fill it with water (not to the top though).
Drop in two drops of dish soap. No more than three. It breaks the surface tension of the water.
At night, with all the lights off in the house, turn on the lamp with it's head bent over the center of the plate.
The fleas jump towards the light and land in the water, because the surface tension is broken with the soap, they can not bounce off of it and they drown.
Believe it or not, I have caught hundreds of fleas this way. I have only had two instances, and both times, it worked. If I so much as imagine I have seen a flea, up goes the Flea Trap!
Fleas take about 2 weeks to lay eggs and hatch more. So the quiet two weeks you have is the lull before the new ones hatch. So this must be done for at least 3 or 4 weeks to be sure.
I have put trays in several rooms with the doors closed to block out light from the other one.
I wish you the best with your flea hunting adventure.
Every day is a new opportunity for joy! |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Jan 19 2011 : 04:44:26 AM
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treat your yard
Call your local pest control co and ask if they can lay down a flea killer
There are also microbes that eat flea larve I think that are more pet and people friendly. These also get put into the grass |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Jan 19 2011 : 04:48:50 AM
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| Didn't see if you have a dog. For anybody else that does, start feeding a brewer's yeast/garlic supplement tablet. It's usually 2 pills per 5 pounds of body weight. You can find these at any pet supply retailer or online pet catalog |
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vintage saver
True Blue Farmgirl
323 Posts
oleta
wheelersburg
ohio
USA
323 Posts |
Posted - Jan 21 2011 : 05:08:50 AM
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| My friend told me to just put down the flea powder(bought at Wal-Mart).Sprinkle it over the carpeet and leaveit down for 3 days before vacumning. Walk it in. We also sprayed couches, etc. and used Frontline. This worked well. You could buy a Frontline spray- much cheaper than the packets, but this year it has recalled due to a malfunction of the spray bottle. Just send me some and I will label it and put in my spray bottles! It costs me about $75 to treat our inside dogs and I can't afford that every month. Luckily, I usually only need one treatment in the spring and one in the fall when it starts to get cold. Our outside dogs don't seem to have fleas. Why is that? |
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highlandviewpantry
True Blue Farmgirl
214 Posts
WV
USA
214 Posts |
Posted - Jan 21 2011 : 1:33:37 PM
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Sprinkle borax on carpet, leave for thrity minutes and then vaccuum it up. Sprinkle salt on carpet around edges of room and leave it there. At night put out shallow dishes of water on the carpet with a drop of lemon dishwashing liquid or a drop of lemon essential oil. Turn off all lights except one shining on the water dishes. In the morning, you should have caught some fleas. Vaccuum everyday, wash all blankets and pillows, etc. If you have soft items you can't wash put them in a deep freeze overnight -if you have one. Make sure to get rid of the vaccuun bags as the fleas can multiply in them. I just got rid of fleas with this method.
www.thehighlandviewpantry.blogspot.com |
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amyartgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
991 Posts
Amy
Junction City
Ohio
USA
991 Posts |
Posted - Jan 24 2011 : 05:08:49 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Annab
Didn't see if you have a dog. For anybody else that does, start feeding a brewer's yeast/garlic supplement tablet. It's usually 2 pills per 5 pounds of body weight. You can find these at any pet supply retailer or online pet catalog
Nope just have a cat. I have been feeding a yeast/vitamin supplement. Trying to stay away from the garlic since she is older and with the chance of her developing aneima. |
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msdoolittle
True Blue Farmgirl
1145 Posts
Amanda
East Texas
USA
1145 Posts |
Posted - Jan 24 2011 : 7:58:26 PM
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I have had this problem, too, Amy, and you'd think for someone who knows the flea life cycle extensively and someone who worked in a vet's office for 5 years, she wouldn't still have fleas, but....
One of the best things to do is vacuum daily and wash any pet bedding frequently. Vacuuming is kind of a #1 rated thing when it comes to flea elimination. As you probably know, the pupae cycle of the flea is pretty much impenetrable to poisons, so that's why you're still seeing new breakouts, PLUS they can be coming in from outside, too. Yeah, it's a real pain. I have never ever had fleas in my house and my dadgum cat brought them in in the fall and he still has them. Not as bad, but they're still there. I use a Capstar before his Frontline treatment and I use a fleacomb frequently. That removes a LOT of the little buggers. I have seen estimates where 2% of the entire flea population are adults...the rest are eggs and larvae. GROSS.
I am seriously thinking about going to an older flea product which will sterilize the flea, such as Program. :0)
FarmGirl #1390
www.mylittlecountry.wordpress.com |
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doglady
True Blue Farmgirl
435 Posts
Tina
Howard
Ohio
USA
435 Posts |
Posted - Jan 30 2011 : 06:57:46 AM
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You need to figure out the life cycle of your particular fleas. Many bombs only get live fleas and not eggs which hatch after you have bombed. Example: Bomb the house (spray all edges of rooms first with a premise control spray then bomb) The spray will make the fleas run toward the center of room and meet the bomb, give kitty a flea bath or apply new round of flea topical to kitty on same day, wait 7-10 days and repeat everything again with a different type of bomb. Raid puts out a very good flea bomb. Also, keep kitty as an inside cat only. My experience as a groomer has been that fleas love to travel into the house on kitties. Hope this helps. Tina
Dogs never judge people, they only forgive!
www.kennelcreations.com |
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hawkin_farmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
63 Posts
Micah
Austin
Texas
USA
63 Posts |
Posted - Feb 04 2011 : 09:24:44 AM
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I use orange oil around here and that seems to work very well. I'll put about 1/2 teaspoon in a cup of water, shake it all up in a spray bottle and spray it on the dogs. Be sure to get between their toes, under collars, and on the tail.
Then I'll treat the yard with orange oil. I spray around the base of the house, window frames, door frames, etc.
Using lavender, sage, or citronella oils work well too. I'll dip their collars in a diluted batch or brush it into to the fur.
But make sure you dilute the oils! It can irritate your animals' skin! Hope you get a handle on it soon. I've been there and done that. We get them bad here every summer and the only way I can stop them is preventative maintenance. Good luck!
*Micah*
Farmgirl Sister #1478 |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Feb 04 2011 : 6:23:24 PM
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well i thought i would ad a thought or two for you. first i want to say this is just my opinion. they are free and take what you need leave the rest. i am very much against the flea bombs. i know others like them. if you are sick auto-immune or having a stressful time. chemicals can hurt your body. you can have enzymes (a part of your dna ) destroyed along with the flea. there is no testing done on these chemicals. no money for it or regulation to make them. so yes they work. kill fleas and people too. cancer is mutated genes growing. frontline and chemicals like them hurt children 10 times more than adults also. they breathe faster. anyway. you can overcome this naturally. as alee said you must be consistent rigorous. we lived where myrtle wood grows. i can get them for you. they work along with de and borax and borate. garic in animal food helps too. so sorry you are going through this. if i can help yell. the steam mop is a good idea along with cleaning the carpets with a machine that will uck up the water and fleas. happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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amyartgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
991 Posts
Amy
Junction City
Ohio
USA
991 Posts |
Posted - May 04 2011 : 07:24:33 AM
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| Hi again...I have not been on here lately. But I am happy to report the little buggars are GONE, finally!!!! At the begining of March, they decided to make their exit. As soon as the May rain stops here, we will be doing flea preventative outside the house and we are working on getting the inside good to go too. |
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alterationsbyemily
True Blue Farmgirl
694 Posts
Emily
Chambersburg
PA
USA
694 Posts |
Posted - May 11 2011 : 12:41:01 PM
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Amy, I am so happy to hear that you have gotten rid of the little buggers finally! Good Job!
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Farmgirl #2951
Currently renting-farmgirl wannabe |
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Cleaning Up: Need Advice for "Country" Fleas |
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Need Advice for "Country" Fleas
