[Chris F]

I am at my wits end. I have had a constant battle with fleas for two years now. A battle I just keep losing. I have checked everything online and spent inordinate amounts of money. I am in a position whee I can’t really afford to spend that much money, but its driving me insane.

I have tried Nexgard (which I had decent results from but is rather expensive), pet armor, advantix, natural remedies such as apple cider vinegar in water, spraying coconut oil and water on the dogs, bathing in dawn, flea shampoo and so forth and so on.

For my yard I tried a spray I found online, really didn’t see any spectacular results (sorry the name escapes me). For my home I have sprayed the coconut oil spray along with Bengal Full Season Flea Killer Plus.

All of these over a two year period (with a few I am sure I am forgetting) and yet nothing. It is getting to a point to where I am considering keeping my dogs outside fulltime. I hate to do that, as I live alone and they are great companions and not to mention living in the south we have really extreme summers with outrageous humidity. But I am thinking that is the only way I can rid my home of them, although that won’t exactly help the dogs.

Is there any advice anyone can suggest?

[anonymously]

Have you had your home professionally fumigated? Call a pest control company. Get rid of all carpeting and replace with another type of flooring.
Take your dogs to the veterinarian and go by what the vet recommends….if you haven’t done so already.

[aimee]

Hi Chris,

I think the key to flea control in a challenging environment is to focus your efforts on shutting down flea replication and not on killing adult fleas. The products geared to killing adult fleas without addressing reproduction can fail because some fleas always seem to survive to reproduce so the cycle continues.

A very effective option is to administer lufeneron to all the dogs and cats in the home.
http://www.jarvm.com/articles/Vol10Iss3/Vol10%20Iss3%20Dryden.pdf

If the above isn’t an option I think a professional application of Fleabusters borate powder is the next best thing. You can apply it yourself but I think a professional application may be more effective. The company guarantees their product.

For adulticide I’d follow your vets advice. I’ve heard in challenging environments some products need to be given more frequently than the label directions specify. An option to consider would be Bravecto which reports good control for up to 90 days after one oral dose.

If my finances were limited and I had to choose between using an adulticide or shutting down reproduction I’d choose targeting reproduction. The adult fleas can be dealt with by less costly options like combing them off or bathing.

[Anne B]

Diatomaceous earth (DE) would be a good thing to try in your yard–I use it in my yard….It’s fairly cheap and you can get it at Southern States or Tractor Supply, but if it rained you would need to reapply, it is ineffective if it gets wet…….Just make sure it’s the FOOD GRADE diatomaceous earth, NOT the kind they use for pool filters….The kind used for pool filters is chemically treated and highly toxic……Food Grade DE is non-toxic, and some people apply it directly on their dogs, ……..Another suggestion would be to vaccuum your floors well every day if you have carpeting….Fleas love carpeted floors……Or, as one poster suggested, pull out all the carpet from your house–an extreme measure, but worth it if you love your dogs….I pulled out all my carpet several years ago, still use the Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth in my yard, and haven’t seen a flea since……..Good Luck to you…..
Helpful tip about applying DE: Always use a face mask and some safety goggles to prevent inhaling it or getting in your eyes..!!

• This reply was modified 8 years ago by Anne B.
• This reply was modified 8 years ago by Anne B.

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