Fleas!!!!

[Lammie]

Due to the rain we have been getting of late, this is the first "Spring" we have had around here in a while. Fleas are BAD here. I have treated the dogs, the house, washed, vacuumed, lather, rinse, repeat, and still we have them. My dogs now reside outdoors. I told my husband that we probably have them in the yard and could be carrying them in on our feet.

Any suggestions? I really hate fleas.

 

[A6gal]

Don't feel alone Lammie, I've got the same problem this year. Haven't really ever had a flea problem before. Last Friday I bathed and dipped all four of my dogs, put them in the kennel to dry and then sprayed my yard with an Ortho product that is supposed to kill the fleas and their eggs. The dogs all stopped scratching for about two days and now there seems to be more than ever. Too much room for them to roam and pick up more.

This weekend I'm going to try a product I get from my local coop called 80% 7 dust (it is stronger than the 7 dust in the stores). It is not supposed to harm animals but kills the fleas. It has worked well to keep fireants out of my well points and electric boxes. It can be used as a dust or diluted in water as a perimeter spray. I'll let you know how it works on the fleas.

I didn't put any carpet in my new house and everyone said I'd regret it. Through all the rain (which I love) and mud (which I hate) I've been thankful for my tile floors and now with this flea problem I'm again thankful that I don't have carpet! My indoor dog is a daschund. She gets a bath every night lately but it just takes one trip outside and being low to the ground she seems to attract the fleas like a magnet.

 

[Dusty Britches]

I once moved into a house that was covered with fleas in the carpet and yard.

Keep the yard mowed. Fleas don't like short grass. Then put Sevin Dust 10% out in the yard. Treat again exactly 14 days later.

For the house - I actually put Sevin Dust in my house that one time. Wiped them all out. But, most people pay the professional pest control to do it. Or, ask the co-op what to use.

 

[Lammie]

All three of my dogs are dauschunds. One has long hair, so he gets the mud and burs and fleas. I'm shaving him this weekend. 900 sq feet of the house is in ceramic tile, but the living room and three bedrooms are carpeted. I have the place for sale currently, but if we don't sell it I am going to do hard wood in the living room.

I have used skin so soft from Avon before. It makes the dogs really greasy, though. Then they pick up dirt worse than ever.

Let me know how the seven goes. I have been dusting the dogs at night with the other kind. I haven't noticed it making a big difference. I could bathe the short haired dogs, but the long hair is a standard and he is the devil to bathe.

 

[mdmdogs3]

for fleas - use a topical treatment called Bio-spot - works great lasts a month or more
will leave an oily spot on the dog's back for a few days but it is waterproof - my Labs have tested that!

tried another brand once (cheaper) it didn't work well
I think this is very similar to the stuff the vet sells but much much cheaper - I buy it online from kvvet.com

this also works on ticks but only for a couple of weeks

was reading the sevin dust label after attacking the bugs on the potato plants
you can actually put it on your dog but not your cat - don't know that I'd do it but it said you could :shock:

 

[msscamp]

Due to the rain we have been getting of late, this is the first "Spring" we have had around here in a while. Fleas are BAD here. I have treated the dogs, the house, washed, vacuumed, lather, rinse, repeat, and still we have them. My dogs now reside outdoors. I told my husband that we probably have them in the yard and could be carrying them in on our feet.

Any suggestions? I really hate fleas.

See if you can find a pest control place that sells Precor and Permethrin. Mix the two together and have a ball spraying the little devils! Precor interrupts the life cycle, and prevents newly hatched fleas from ever reaching the biting stage and they die. Permethrine kills adults and newly hatched larvae. You may have to spray again in 2 weeks, but you might not. The really good news is that Precor has like a 4 month residual on it, possibly longer. I used to use it every summer in Georgia and, if I sprayed in the early spring, I was done for the whole summer. I've also had excellent results with Advantage for keeping fleas off the dogs - usually within 24 hours of application.

 

[Lammie]

Thanks. Can I use that on the house, too? They are in the house!!! Yuckers!!!!

 

[peg4x4]

Put a flea coller IN the vacum cleaner bag.. Kills the fleas you pick up,so they can't reinfest the carpet when they get out
Yes,I know it sounds silly....

 

[Lammie]

Yes, I have been saving the clippings off flea collars, since I have three dogs and the snipped off ends are very long, in a zip lock bag and putting them in the vacuum cleaner.

 

[Victoria]

I use Revolution on my dog. It's more expensive than a lot of the other products but I like you HATE fleas. I've never had a problem since switching to it, of course I am sure that fleas are more plentiful there than here. Only good thing about living in a place where it snows the end of May, less bugs and no snakes. I hope you get rid of them soon.

 

[Dusty Britches]

If you are trying to sell your house, put the Sevin dust down in the carpet - all of the carpet - and then 24 hours later vaccuum it up. Potential buyers will pick up on the fleas. After you vaccuum it, put down a fragrant powder that will cover the Sevin smell. People will remember houses that smell nice.

 

[msscamp]

Thanks. Can I use that on the house, too? They are in the house!!! Yuckers!!!!

Yes. Just keep the pets off it until it dries.

 

[Jogeephus]

I'm with Msscamp, permethrin will do a good job. I got a jug of Pounce but it goes by many names. Problem I see you are going to have is by putting the dogs outside, the inside fleas will be more noticeable on you with the animals outside. Nevertheless, two sprayings of Pounce spread out over two weeks should eradicate the lil buggers. Good Luck.

 

[msscamp]

Nevertheless, two sprayings of Pounce spread out over two weeks should eradicate the lil buggers. Good Luck.

That is the recommended spraying intervals for Permethrin and Precor, as well. But, as previously stated, if you do it in the early spring before you have an infestation problem, you can get away with just one spraying.

 

[Lammie]

I'm with Msscamp, permethrin will do a good job. I got a jug of Pounce but it goes by many names. Problem I see you are going to have is by putting the dogs outside, the inside fleas will be more noticeable on you with the animals outside. Nevertheless, two sprayings of Pounce spread out over two weeks should eradicate the lil buggers. Good Luck.

Tell me about it. I am going to attack this issue over the long weekend. Again. I really do appreciate all the advice. Thanks!!

 

[msscamp]

I'm with Msscamp, permethrin will do a good job. I got a jug of Pounce but it goes by many names. Problem I see you are going to have is by putting the dogs outside, the inside fleas will be more noticeable on you with the animals outside. Nevertheless, two sprayings of Pounce spread out over two weeks should eradicate the lil buggers. Good Luck.

Tell me about it. I am going to attack this issue over the long weekend. Again. I really do appreciate all the advice. Thanks!!

Not a problem! You'll know when you've got them all because the red spots around the rim of your washing machine will go away.

 

[Lammie]

Update. I treated the dogs with biospot, as well as treating their kennel with some biospot carpet spray. Also cleaned the whole house, washed sheets, sprayed everything inside, vacuumed under and inside everything. I got through an evening without something hopping on me. This biospot spray is supposed to take care of infestation for 210 days. We treated the yard last week. Maybe, maybe...

Showed the house twice this weekend. My neighbor cut the price on his place to beat our price. We'll see.

 

[sidney411]

I used biospot on my chuahua (sp) and it has not worked at all. I also sprayed the yard and house w/ the Ortho season long control stuff and she still has fleas. I picked about 30 off her the other night w/ tweesers. I think I will get some sevin dust and try that.

 

[Lammie]

I haven't seen fleas on the dogs, but they are still living outside. I need to get them more heartworm stuff for the mosquitoes, they have been killer cause of the rain. I think the biospot was supposed to repel them, too. Sorry about your luck.

 

[jgibson]

We had fleas real bad one time. The thing that worked the best for us was the raid flea killer. At the time it came in powder and spray. You could either spray the carpet or work the powder down and vaccuum.