Flea disaster

[Bessie]

Great! Last year after having Lola (husky) only 1 week - my outdoor cat brought in some fleas - so Dec 2010, 3 cats , 1 dog with fleas. Well .....Dec 2011, still 3 cats, now 2 dogs with fleas..... What's with the end of Nov early Dec ? So the flea war is on! All pets were given capstar...so no scratching/relief for them . As for me - tomorrow morning is vaccum every inch including matress - washing all towell, bed sheets and dogs bed. It's on!!!!

 

[Jeannie]

I see more fleas in my grooming business in the fall than any other time of year.

Sweeping won't kill or elminate the fleas. You need to flea bomb your house and treat your pets at the same time. Giving them capstar, 1 a day for 7 - 10 days will help. You have to break the flea cycle.

 

[Bessie]

Flea bomb...I presume only an exterminator can do that?

 

[Jeannie]

NO you can purchase them at your vet or local pet store. Do not go to Walmart and get that junk. The best brands are Zodiac or Adams. Be sure to get the right amount for the size of your house.

 

[Popcorn]

I wouldn't use a bomb except as a last resort. Can we say carcinogen?

We had a rescue cat who had fleas. We found that having the Newfs on Advantix (as we always had) PLUS a thorough, thorough vacuuming 2 to 3 times a week by a very strong vacuum --- was adequate. You have to keep up the vacuuming for three weeks, I believe, to insure that all the new flea hatchlings are eliminated. You get the actual fleas in the first week, but the eggs can remain. That's why you need to keep on in for multiple weeks.

Oh, and yes, by all means, wash all in hot water/hot dry that you can!!

But remember, your Newfs (if on a strong flea topical) will act as flea traps and kill fleas that bite them. Why double their dose of toxins by also adding in a household bomb?

 

[Cascadians]

My vet advises flea spray instead of flea bombs. Orka is on Trifexis = comforts + deworming plus FrontLine Plus, cats on Frontline Plus also. They're all flea combed regularly. Still have fleas; never seen one on Orka but do on the cats. Flea comb works well.

 

[BoundlessNewfs]

Use Muleteam Borax (get it in the laundry aisle at your grocery store). Sprinkle that in all the carpets, between mattress and box springs, along baseboards...basically anywhere a flea might hide. Leave overnight. Vacuum up next day and immediately dispose of the vacuum bag (or empty vac dust cup into plastic bag, tie up, and dispose of). Borax is non-toxic, and has the added benefit of freshening the carpets. Kills fleas, larva, and eggs. Repeat in a few days, if necessary.

 

[ardeagold]

We had the same problem. Used Frontline Plus AND Comfortis for dogs and cats. Flea fogged the whole house AND sprayed all cracks, under furniture, window sills (I opened the windows and sprayed too). I had to do all of the above (except the fogger) twice...two months in a row. Then I added garlic capsules (the kind that are liquid with no smell) and FINALLY...no fleas.

I also did the Borax and even DE on the soft areas....like under sofa cushions, etc and left it there.

Vacuuming is key. Make sure you empty the bag or canister immediately...and get it out of the house!

 

[2Paws]

Mothballs in the vacuum bag also helps kill any fleas that may be hiding in there. Sounds like alot of us have had this battle. Ick!!!!

 

[Melissakins]

This is why we don't go to dog parks..well one of the reasons

We used Over 'n Out on the lawn - kills fleas, etc. Knocking on wood, we've not had fleas in years! has fipronil in it.

 

[Bessie]

Thanks everyone....

 

[YorkvilleNewfie]

DE! http://www.ehow.com/facts_5210073_effective-diatomaceous-earth-fleas_.html

 

[new_2_newf]

when it starts to get cold, fleas start looking for winter lodgings...fall/winter is the worst time for them.

 

[heather pluciennik]

Lots of Capstar, baths, laundry, and vacuuming. Haven't had any this year KNOCK ON WOOD!
Hot spot yes which is yet to be explained but no fleas!!

 

[mrsnamsherf]

I second the DE...had fleas earlier this year, and DE seemed to deal the killing blow. It was cheap, too...bought 10 lbs on Amazon for around $1 per lb, and hardly used any of it...a little went a long way. We had already sprayed and Frontlined...there was some improvement, but once we tried serious repeated vacuuming and DE, we were victorious. An article I was given by Mud Bay said that vacuuming does kill fleas and (I think) eggs, too...it said the actual act of being vacuumed kills 99% of fleas. I also read somewhere else to put a flea collar in your vacuum bag. Good luck...they are a pain! Take heart, though...they can be conquered! Oh, and I didn't go with the fogger because I couldn't bear the thought of all the work rewashing all my dishes or taping all my cabinets shut. :crazy:

Marie

 

[new_2_newf]

I had a friend that fogged her place...it was...interesting. They moved in with me for about 5 days because they have a small child and we were not messing around....we bagged all of their dishes and the baby's toys/dishes/cups/bottles/soothers/ect were brought to my place. We bagged ALL (and I mean ALL) of her clothes and linens, loaded my car, and then hit the laundromat to wash it all before it came to my house. We bombed the house (we had to use one per floor, 3 floors) and aired it out for a full day before we went in to wash EVERYTHING....that took us a few days everything was vaccumed/wiped down, then the soft stuff like furniture was washed the best we could manage it twice, the hardwood floors scrubbed more times than I can count along with the bathroom and anything else the baby could touch and then put her hands in her mouth (which is pretty much everything). It was NOT fun, but it did work. Before they came to my place my animals were all treated with frontline (they always are) and we did spot treatments at my place since kids, people, their stuff and the animals we knew had fleas were all coming to my house...we bathed and treated her pets and then loaded them into my car before they came to my place. It felt like I should be in a hazmat suit, but it worked. My place never got infested and her animals seemed 100 times better once we bathed them and brought them to my place.

 

[Bob M]

God, I have total sympathy.

Worst flea disaster we ever had was about 30 years ago when we still had a cat as well as two dogs. My wife and I went on a week-long backpack, and left Pixel the cat in the house while we were away, with a sitter to drop in and take care of him.

We got home late in the afternoon, stepped into the house, and were immediately covered with fleas. The poor cat must've been miserable, but as far as us, we couldn't even stay in the house one minute. I grabbed the kitty, took him outside to the garage, then ran down to the hardware store to get foggers and flea treatments. That night all of us, human canine and feline, slept in the garage while the fog was doing its work.

That was SO not the way to end a vacation.

(And needless to say, we made other arrangements for the cat from then on.)

 

[Bessie]

God, I have total sympathy.

Worst flea disaster we ever had was about 30 years ago when we still had a cat as well as two dogs. My wife and I went on a week-long backpack, and left Pixel the cat in the house while we were away, with a sitter to drop in and take care of him.

We got home late in the afternoon, stepped into the house, and were immediately covered with fleas. The poor cat must've been miserable, but as far as us, we couldn't even stay in the house one minute. I grabbed the kitty, took him outside to the garage, then ran down to the hardware store to get foggers and flea treatments. That night all of us, human canine and feline, slept in the garage while the fog was doing its work.

That was SO not the way to end a vacation.

(And needless to say, we made other arrangements for the cat from then on.)

That does sound like a disaster. Well capstar was given 48hours ago + flea prevention treatment - vaccum all done - washed all floors, bed sheets, dog & cat bed - sprayed everything with Zodiac 2000 Precor ......and nobody is scratching ....so will vaccum daily for a week and continue with spray.
Hopefully I will win the war quicker than last year.