Fleas Revisited.

[Davy Crockett]

It looks like my thread from a couple months ago didn't make the transfer to the new host.
Or I couldn't find it in search.

Brief recap.
House was infested with fleas.
We bombed twice and sprayed part of the yard.
Bath both dogs with flea shampoo and treat with K9 Advantix.
I have hardwood and vinyl and only 2 throw rugs.

In the previous thread, it was recommended to use Borax and diatomaceous Earth around the perimeter of the rooms.
And a pan of soapy water under a night light

Sprayed the whole yard with a different spray (can't remember the name of the active ingredient)

Although there is improvement, my daughter's bedroom is still pretty bad as well as part of the basement.

Are there any other suggestions?
Any and all would be appreciated.

A professional exterminator isn't feasible right now

Thanks, as always

[jimmythebee]

It looks like my thread from a couple months ago didn't make the transfer to the new host.
Or I couldn't find it in search.

Brief recap.
House was infested with fleas.
We bombed twice and sprayed part of the yard.
Bath both dogs with flea shampoo and treat with K9 Advantix.
I have hardwood and vinyl and only 2 throw rugs.

In the previous thread, it was recommended to use Borax and diatomaceous Earth around the perimeter of the rooms.
And a pan of soapy water under a night light

Sprayed the whole yard with a different spray (can't remember the name of the active ingredient)

Although there is improvement, my daughter's bedroom is still pretty bad as well as part of the basement.

Are there any other suggestions?
Any and all would be appreciated.

A professional exterminator isn't feasible right now

Thanks, as always

I think I used lemon juice and water in a spray bottle in all the worst area [years ago]--supposedly the acid really does a number on them.
real cheap and no poison

[Davy Crockett]

Thanks, jimmy.
I'll try anything

[Caplock50]

For the yard, spread the ashes from your fireplace all around the house fairly thickly. It'll kill the fleas and ticks and will make the grass grow. You can also 'dust' your dogs with it, too.

Deer and other such animals have been observed and filmed rolling in the ashes left after a forest fire for that very reason.

I use 'Bengal 180 day flea and tick spray' for inside my home.

[Davy Crockett]

Thanks, Cappy.
I'll see if I can find the spray.

No ashes yet, though.
Coal furnace needs installed

[Caplock50]

Ok, here's something else you could try...get rid of all plants growing up next to the house for at least 4 feet out. Bugs of all kinds hate having to cross open terrain... And the bare earth would let you easily see if someone is prowling around, peeping through windows at night or while you're gone.

Oh and when you start collecting your wood ash, be sure to put a good pile of it in your chicken pen so they can take 'dust baths' in it...to get rid of the mites.

You can even 'wash' lye out of it and use the lye to make bath/laundry soap with.

There's thousands of uses for wood ash.

[ByGraceAlone]

We had a bad bout of fleas this early summer. The key to getting rid of them is to rid the host (dogs/cats) so when they are inside they aren't reintroducing them to your home.

I had to get my dog a dose of that expensive flea stuff Comfortis to finally kill the cycle. He had a dose about 5 weeks ago. Since then, I don't keep him out as much as I was and it seems he's completely flea free now.

Inside the house I had tried DE in one room, which seemed to work, but was messy as the dust flew and settle everywhere. In our other room it wasn't effective. I bought some flea rug spray at Walmart and over and over had to spray the rug down and vacuum the next day. That was a battle, for some reason. But the fleas are all gone now. I praise God, as I prayed a great deal because it was really bad. We do this stuff, but it's God who helps us figure out how to solve these issues.

My advice: Pray, get your animals at least one dose of Comfortis, don't leave your animals outside all day long, use the flea rug spray from Walmart on your rugs or throw them out and get new throw rugs. And may the Lord be with you!

[Idum]

I second the Comfortis. It seems expensive in the short term, but long term it has been the most cost effective stuff I have ever used.

It seems to have wiped out the flea population on my property. At first, I had to treat the dogs every three or four months. After about a year of this, the pups (or the house, yard, etc.) don't have any fleas, and it's been at least seven months since the last treatment.

Unfortunately, you have to get the pills from a veterinarian. My neighbor gets them from her vet for me.

The active ingredient is Spinosad. You might try an insect spray with spinosad around the area. I would use it in the house if I had a bad infestation.

Good luck!

[Davy Crockett]

Thanks.
I will contact the vet on Monday to see if he will give only one dose.
Without a vet visit.
Highly unlikely

[Caplock50]

And you gotta know...freeing the house of fleas won't do any real good unless you get rid of them in the yard at the same time.

Here's another little free flea exterminator...banana peels. When you eat a banana save the strips of peel and place them in out-of-the-way places where the fleas like to collect. Put them down with the gooey side up and leave them until they shrivel up and turn brown. The fleas like to burrow in that gooey stuff and when it dries, it traps them inside...and they starve to death.