[Harpers Mom]

we moved into an apartment back in September, had no issues with fleas, my fiancé took our german shorthaired puppy hunting and brought back fleas. For the past 6 weeks I have been trying to get these dang things out of the house and I’m about ready to give up. Both the dogs are now taking lufernon to prevent fleas hatching on them and we are also using capstar to kill adult fleas. I have fogged the apartment once already as well as used zodiac carpet and upholstery spray but nothing is working! I want to try diatomaceous earth but I am not sure how to use it indoors. Any and all advise is appreciated!

[Cyndi]

To use DE indoors, you can sprinkle it on anything and everything. Put it all over your carpet, let it works its way down into the fibers. Wood floors, work it down into cracks and crevaces (sp?) and don’t forget the dogs bedding. You can also put it directly on the dog but be careful you don’t breathe it in, it can hurt your lungs. It is completely safe to use, except for breathing in the “cloud” from it, it’s got the consistency of flour. The way it works is the DE is microscopic pieces of shells or something and it punctures the exoskeleton of the flea and then the flea will dehydrate and die or something like that.

Good luck! 🙂

[Susan]

Hi Harpers mum, you have to vacuum daily to pick up fleas, also you’ll have to worm them as fleas give tapeworms, My boy keeps getting re infected with Tapeworm, I went to vet this morning to get another all wormer cause he had 2 little rice worms on his bum the other day, then the next day the same after he did a poo, he had a few rice worms around his bum again, the vet nurse said tapeworm is from fleas, the thing is he doesn’t have fleas, Oh, he sometimes will bring a flea home on his leg from the park but he comes to me & shows me as he can not handle any thing crawling on his legs like a ant or flea, I also bought Comfortis for the cat as I think the cat is the culprit bringing in the odd flea, the vet nurse said once I get rid of any fleas Patch should stop getting reinfected with tapeworm…
Have you tried Comfortis for ur dogs, I know a few ladies in the dog park use Comfortis & said its excellent, after giving the Comfortis tablet monthly for about 4 months the ladies said they don’t need to give the next month or the next months tablet as the fleas don’t seem to go on their dogs anymore, I’ll try it on the cat & see how we go but it must be giving with a meal also if the dog or cat vomits up the Comfortis tablet within 1 hour Comfortis will give another tablet for free, the vet where you bought will just give another tablet..

[aimee]

Hi Harpers Mom,

From your previous posts I see you’ve been dealing with fleas for nearly a year now. To win the battle it is essential to break the life cycle and hands down the best way to do that is with lufenuron. Administer it once a month with a full meal; stay the course. The flea life cycle can be several months long from start to finish. The eggs that were laid prior to lufenuron use will progress through the life cycle so it may be 3 months before you see the results from lufenuron. All animals in the home need to be on some form of control. If you have species that lufenuron isn’t being used in you’ll need to ask your vet what should be used in those species.

Capstar works well as an adulticide. I consider it super safe but it needs to be repeated frequently. In heavy infestations every 2-3 days.

Mechanical removal through vacuuming, and environmental spot control as necesary will hasten the process. I wouldn’t ever use DE.

[frostyrockyk]

In your new home , do they spray the yard , are other pets near by . My sister in Calf said in close packed homes , if the guy next door was not on it , it was easy to get them back .

[T]

I just moved back to a high-risk flea state from AZ and I’ve been trying to remember all the ways to control fleas. When I lived in TN, the product that everyone said worked great was Fleabusters powder. In those days, you had to pay a service to come apply it in your home. Now you can buy it OTC and apply it yourself: http://amzn.to/13B0G4t

Anyway, it’s borate and non-toxic. Just wanted to mention this as an alternative to diotomaceous earth. The other product I’ve been checking out is Evolv spray for prevention on the animal. Has anyone here had experience with this? I don’t expect it to work as well as a synthetic, but does it help at all?

Best of luck with your flea warfare! Don’t give up, you will eventually win.

Tabitha
http://natuaralalternativesvet.com/category/blog

[Walter P]

When it comes to flea treatments, Some people prefer effective topical solutions, while others prefer natural ones. With that been said, please keep in mind that both ways can be equally effective if applied correctly.

If your dog is suffering from a flea infestation, chances are you home and yard are also infested, so make sure to treat your house and yard also to prevent flea re-infestation.

Here are some of the best ways to get rid of fleas:

DRYNESS
Fleas hate very dry areas (so install a dehumidifier and a fan).

CARPET
Keep carpeted areas to a minimum. Most flea larvae coil themselves around carpet fibers and are not easily removed. Carpet is the perfect flea environment! If you do have carpeting, vacuum frequently.

CLEANING
Wash wood or stone floors frequently. Flea eggs, larvae, and pupae are attracted to cracks and joints in floors and will die when they are hit by simple soap and water or steam.

BAKING SODA AND SALT
Sprinkle baking soda and/or salt all over your floor and furniture. Work it into the fabric with a stiff brush or broom. Leave it for several hours. Keep your pets out of the room(s) while treating for fleas.

BATHING
Bathe your pet in salt water or plain old soap and water. Fleas can’t live in salt water, so periodic dips in the ocean (or a salt water rinse) can also help keep fleas under control.

DIATOMACEOUS EARTH
Apply food-grade diatomaceous earth (DE) in places where fleas seem most prevalent: a light dusting on the pet’s bedding and the carpet or couch, under the baseboard heater, refrigerator and stove, near the sink, garbage or wherever you suspect fleas.

Vacuum
Vacuuming removes up to 30 percent of the larvae and up to 60 percent of flea eggs from a carpet, as well as the larvae’s food supply of dried blood. Vacuum under furniture, cushions, chairs, beds, and along walls. Discard vacuum cleaner bags at least once a week.

Source: The Complete Guide to Flea Treatment For Dogs In 2020

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