Fleas!

[Aussie105]

Stupid weather here in Australia.
Winter carried on well into what should be spring, and rain like you wouldn't believe.
Lots of weeds, and now, after a few warm days, FLEAS!

12 year old dogs, 6 year old cat, never had flea problems before.

Couple of warm days and . . . FLEAS!

I wondered why one of the dogs was scratching himself so much, rubbed a patch where he was nibbling, and 5 fleas dropped out.
On my bed!
Nearest thing was some alcohol based spray, just made the fleas dopy but gave me enough time to go get fly spray. For the bed, not the pets.

Anyhow, lots of fleas on all three. No fun watching those jump around on the bed, or watching my pets be uncomfortable.

Got some spot on back of the neck type stuff coming in the mail, looking for flea powder to start the kill process off.

Wifey says she has been bitten, I haven't, we did a lot of washing but that is futile while they move around the house shedding fleas.


So my question - what is a good flea powder to rub on the pets?

DAMN! Just realized there will be flea eggs in the carpets and on/in matrasses. Going to be a bit of a job.

[MOMFUDSKI]

1. Do This:

Sprinkle 20 Mule Team Borax (you will find it in the laundry aisle at the supermarket) at all the baseboards in your house. Put it under couch cushions if they are removable. Also sprinkle it on ALL of your carpet for your first treatment. Then take a stiff broom and broom it in. Do not vacuum for a week. Then repeat the process twice a year. The borax is safe for people/pets. If a flea lays a batch of eggs the borax will dry them out and they will not hatch. I live in Florida and we have lots of fleas here. I did this the last 25 years while I had dogs. Works like a charm. I sprinkle Borax around the edges of walls in my garage every 6 months. I have seen Palmetto Bugs (they are like large cockroaches) on their backs dying in my garage. They walk on the Borax and then lick their feet to clean and it kills them. Once I started using it on my carpet I never saw another flea.

[jmbar2]

5. I learned from you today - thanks!

[SheltieLover]

9. Borax is toxic to dogs!

https://emergencyvetsusa.com/borax-toxic-to-dogs/

[SheltieLover]

8. Borax is toxic to dogs!

https://emergencyvetsusa.com/borax-toxic-to-dogs/

[AndyS]

2. In the US there's a medication, Capstar,

that kills fleas on dogs and cats in 15 minutes. I've used it to prep my dogs for lpng term preventive.

[IbogaProject]

7. That is a NeoNic pesticde

Which will wash into the environment. They don't degrade quickly. https://hopewellanimalhospital.com/chemicals-in-spot-on-flea-controls-pollute-water-studies-show/

[AndyS]

12. Capstar is not a topical. It is a tablet

Active ingredient nitenpyram. It works quickly and stops the infestation before whatever further treatment you choose.

[IbogaProject]

14. It still gets In the watershed

Nitenpyram is a chemical frequently used as an insecticide in agriculture and veterinary medicine. The compound is an insect neurotoxin belonging to the class of neonicotinoids which works by blocking neural signaling of the central nervous system. Wikipedia

www.envchemgroup.com/how-harmful-are-neonicotinoids-to-the-environment.html

​Overall, the body of evidence presented in the assessment gives clear reasons for concern. Hallmann et al. have reported that declines in insect-eating birds in the Netherlands correlate with neonicotinoid use (11), showing the potential cascading effects of these pesticides. It may not be straightforward to implement alternatives, particularly in large-scale agriculture. But continuing to use neonicotinoids at current levels carries the risk of serious environmental damage (12), particularly to non-target species that have important ecosystem functions, such as bees and earthworms, with potentially serious implications for food security.

[Iwasthere]

3. Diatomaceous earth

Food grade. Inexpensive. Use it liberally, safe. You can invest it to get rid of parasites. Melts down the skeletons of the/various pests

[SheltieLover]

11. This is what I use.

Very inexpensive & it works very well!

[Aussie105]

6. Borax and diatomaceous earth, good ideas.

I've been visiting pet stores as well as ringing our vet.
Same story, no flea powder, but check supermarket shelves - which I have been doing with zero hits.

Guess I will have to wait for the on-line purchased spot-on to arrive.
And buy some borax for bedding, furniture and carpets.

[SheltieLover]

10. Borax is toxic to dogs!

https://emergencyvetsusa.com/borax-toxic-to-dogs/

[iscooterliberally]

13. Don't forget to spray your yard.

If you don't spray your yard for fleas, they'll all come right back after everything else that you've done has worn off. I would get flea treatments like revolution. Check with your vet. Be sure to treat the cat before you treat your dogs. The dog flea medicine can be lethal to a cat. My wife lost a cat many years ago because they mixed up the medications. One thing we did when it got really bad was bug bomb the house. We brought all the pets onto the back porch and had a picnic out there for the afternoon. We live in south Florida so fleas are a year round problem. Our cats spend most of their time outside too. The yard spray should be inexpensive and easy to find at any Hardware store that has a garden center. Just make sure to read the fine print on the back of the bottle before you buy it. Some sprays treat for other pests, but they don't all work on fleas. Good luck!

[CrabbyAppleton]

15. I won't list brand names...

What you want to use is an insect growth regulator. It kills insects by preventing the fleas from moulting. This kills them when they are immature so no mating or new eggs (Flea eggs are hard to kill and can survive for years). It doesn't work as quickly as regular pesticides but it does a much better job in the long run and is safer for the environment as it's an insect hormone analog, not a pesticide. There is less chance the pest will acquire immunity too.

It should be noted that it's harmful to immature bees but if you avoid spraying flowers and other places bees congregate you should be OK.

Methoprene is the stuff I use and it's good against fleas, roaches, mosquitoes and flies. It can be mixed with other quick acting pesticides too but it's for indoor use only.

I'll try to find the outdoor equivalent.

NO to Borax and diatomaceous earth for pets!

Pyriproxyfen is the IGR I use for outdoor infestations.

Crabby

*Added info and speeling.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

16. I go scorched earth when fleas show up

Last time the neighbors below me on the ground floor didn't use any flea protection on thier cats. So when she finally got the cats flea proofed all the fleas invaded my apartment. Unknown to me the frontline didnt stop them.

I covered every space in salt. Salt cuts the fleas open and they bleed to death and if they live salt dehydrates them . Used a flea spray on every piece on the furniture.
Gave Othello a flea bath and got him a flea collar. Used white glass bowls and soapy water with a candle floating in it to trap the fleas . I vacuumed and vacuumed with flea killer sprayed into the vacuum cleaner dust collector. I got rid of that fucking infestation in 3 days. I hate fleas with the heat of a billion suns.

And after thier gone for a week I keep feeling the fleas landing on me knowing they are gone.Fleas not only traumatize my sweet baby they traumatize me too.

[ancianita]

17. Here's a relatively cheap, sure remedy (kills all small insects like bedbugs) -- edible grade diatomaceous earth. It's

available in farm supply stores or on Amazon. It used to be $5 for a couple of pounds, but even at higher prices these days, it's the safest, best working killer for bedbugs and fleas on pets and around the house. Best on the market.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=edible+diatomaceous+earth+food+grade&crid=36W2GGMSY6WPW&sprefix=edible+diatom%2Caps%2C133&ref=nb_sb_ss_pltr-sample-20_1_13

Read reviews on Amazon. It works. Just don't breathe it in too much.

It's got the feel of cornstarch, so rub it all over your pets' fur, sprinkle it all around your floors and rungs, then sweep it across floor textures, into your rugs, and into the sideboards to kill all bedbugs, fleas and wandering tiny critters. It's made of diatoms, and a teaspoon dissolves in a glass of water so one can drink it to get rid of any unknown GI tract invaders from wherever.

[Aussie105]

18. Just an update from the person who started this thread . . .

Mail order flea killer arrived and did the job.
No fleas seen since.

Unfortunately the boy dog died - went downhill over 2 weeks, finally called a home visit vet to check and put him down last Easter Monday.
A sad moment, but all pet owners know deep down it will happen eventually.
RIP sweet boy.

His sister still carries on, stiff in the joints at 13+ years but we go for a 30 minute walk each day to keep her mobile.

But . . .no fleas since.

[niyad]

19. The diatamaceous earth. .and be sure to put a few bay leaves under all

your fabric cushions, area rugs, etc.

I am so very sorry for the loss of your precious boy.