# FLEAS! FLEAS in the house, on the dogs, EVERYWHERE!



## jill.costello (Aug 18, 2004)

WHAT is going ON???? We're in East Texas, and are having record rain (2 yrs+ of drought and now super-rain!), and now suddenly there are fleas EVERYWHERE! They seem to be highly resistant to any spray I buy. I tried treating the dogs with Capstar (pills that kill the fleas in 30 minutes) and then doing a Spot-On treatment, and THEN spraying the house with Bengal Full-Season Flea spray..... THE FLEAS LAUGHED AT ME! :flame: 

WHAT products are working this year?!?!? What order do you use them in? :help:


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## michiganfarmer (Oct 15, 2005)

I remember guys in the marine corps wearing those flee repelant dog collars when we went to the field


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## birdiegirl (Nov 18, 2005)

Jill, 
I was also disappointed in the Capstar tablets- I guess they don't work on East Texas fleas- LOL! We have an indoor dog and an indoor/outdoor cat that were covered with fleas last week. I finally broke down and used Frontline on the dog, and a Revolution treatment on the cat. Since then, I have not seen a flea in the house. Now to treat the outdoor dogs........


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## chickenmommy (Aug 24, 2004)

When I had fleas in the house, I took regular flea powder for the home and sprinkled it everywhere. Even under the couch cushions. Left and went shopping and to lunch with a friend. Came back a few hours later and cleaned up the powder that was visible. Left it under the furniture and between the cushions. Haven't had a problem since. Except on the cats, of course. I was even getting fleas in my own hair when sitting on the furniture. Drove me nuts! Not anymore!


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## Pink_Carnation (Apr 21, 2006)

For the house use borax...sprinkle it everywhere especially carpet and upolstery. Wash everything you can in the washing machine with borax. I'm not sure what to try on the dogs since the problem I had with fleas was when we didn't have a dog but the previous owners did.


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## SHELBY (Mar 9, 2003)

We can't use any flea spot on treatment for our lab, she breaks out in a rash from the stuff, So what we do for her, is use the horse spray on her, wait about 30 minutes and then give her a bath. We also give her a flea collar. It doesn't get rid of all of them, but keeps the flea population down.

Then we sprinkle Borax on the carpets and wait 30 minutes again and then vacuum the floors. We got rid of the carpet in our living room, and went with fake hardwood flooring to help combat the problem. 


P>S> Animals are not the only way that fleas can get into the house, they will also come in on your clothing.


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## cc (Jun 4, 2006)

Jill, we are in East Texas too and have the same problem. DH sprayed with Demon and a growth inhibator that he got at the feed store. I'll go look up the name of the stuff we got but if you go to the feed store they should have some. It comes in a small bottle and you mix it with a gallon of water. It seems to be doing the trick for the fleas that got into the house and the cats and dogs have been treated with BioSpot. Hope this helps.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

A couple of years ago I had a problem with fleas. I have two large dogs and one 12 pounder who mostly stays in the house. Well, they all got fleas and the little guy brought his share into the house. Plus more. He had them so bad that the vet gave him a shot of "something" that killed the fleas in 30 minutes (he was LOADED!), but I had to do something about the ones in the house. The vet gave me a spray called Knockout that wasn't cheap but it did the trick in one day. I put the dogs bed in a garbage bag and sprayed the bed, sealed it and left it outside overnight. Next day, no fleas. It also works on the eggs to keep them from hatching. DO NOT SPRAY THE DOG!


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

I have read that you can set a pan of water (put a drop or two of dish detergent in it) in a dark flea-infested room. Place a light over the water and turn out all the other lights. The fleas are supposed to be attracted to the light and fall into the water and die.

I've also read that fleas are repelled by Eucalyptus so placing Eucalyptus thoughout the house will help keep them out.


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## oz in SC (May 13, 2002)

Ravenlost said:


> I have read that you can set a pan of water (put a drop or two of dish detergent in it) in a dark flea-infested room. Place a light over the water and turn out all the other lights. The fleas are supposed to be attracted to the light and fall into the water and die.


Have done this and it works,it is the heat of the light I believe.

Kind of shocking to see all the fleas dead in one place.

I am thankful we have not had that problem in this house.


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## Anita in NC (May 10, 2002)

Frontline works for us. No fleas and no ticks either. It is expensive but in my opinion worth it.


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## Queen Bee (Apr 7, 2004)

We had a rental that was in the same shape. We tried everything....I finally called the exterminator and it took three sprayings (7 days apart) to kill the fleas and all the eggs... On each spray/visit, they bathed the dogs, they also used Frontline. We called our vet and he said there were problems with fleas everywhere in our county.. it seems the dry conditions the fleas just sit and then they hatch when the humidity rises.. I will never waste time/energy/money again, I'll just call the exterminator!!!


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## Kmac15 (May 19, 2007)

last year we had the worst problem we had ever had with fleas so 
we took the multy front approach
One day we sprayed the yard with an outdoor flea killer, the next day
we washed the dogs, sprayed with flea spray (try that on a cat)
and then locked all the animals out of the house, sprayed with flea killer
and went to spend time in the shed for 2 hours, opened everything up
and vacumed. End of fleas for the year


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## TedH71 (Jan 19, 2003)

Spot On doesn't work on fleas, trust me. It's just a bandage..as for Capstar..it's ONLY for killing fleas. It doesn't prevent future fleas from jumping on the dog..it's meant to kill fleas that are CURRENTLY on the dog. Repeat that to yourself. It's the enviroment that causes that. I have hog hunting dogs or used to...so my friends and I have put cattle tags on the dog's collar. Works...and cheaper than the flea sprays,etc. Try DE (diametous earth) and have chickens around the house...guinea hens too...keep the grass mowed to a very short height..fleas hate short grass. I currently use this cure that a hog hunting buddy passed on to me:

"I found this on another board here a while back so I said what the hex I will try it and so last week I started to use this and some of my friends so far it seems to be working like a charm as to gettting the fleas off of the dogs. I have checked till Iam blue in the face and from everything I have read and seen it is some pretty safe stuff. I even mixed some of it up in a sprayer here the other day and I hit the yard with it so I will let you know how it does as far as the yard goes the first day I put it on a bulldog I had that was loaded with fleas and 24 hours later I checked him agian and could not find a flea on him and he is still flea free as we speak. I used 2cc on my cur dogs .

Also if you are going to use this put it between there should blades on the back cause if you dont they are going to want to try and lick it off.


Here is the post
_______________________________________________________

Go to walmart and get some Bayer Advanced tree and shrub insect control. It comes in a 32 ounce blue plastic bottle. A friend bought some the other day for $18.00. It has the same active ingredient as Advantage. I have beagles and I apply 1cc to their backs once a month. I used Advantage until Bayer made my supplier quit shipping it to the US. My supplier is in Australia. I used the tree and shrub product all last year and have started it this month and no fleas. For curdogs and hounds I would probably use 2cc's. At this rate of application one bottle will last me several hundred years. Hope this helps. You can also get the product al Lowes but it costs more than it does at Wally World."

I have bought this and will be using it soon. I do not have a flea problem simply because I keep the grass short and vaccum inside a lot. You will have more flea problems if you have carpeting in the house. Carpeting is evil because it harbors all kinds of things from bacteria to fleas plus it outgasses..and some people are sensetive to that vapor plus it's harder to keep carpet clean compared to wood floors.


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## Jan in CO (May 10, 2002)

Haven't had the flea problem since moving from wetter, hotter climates, but when we lived in South Carolina, it was terrible. Had a flea trap deal that worked just like the light and pan of water, except it had a light and a sticky pad like those live mouse traps. You would leave it on at night, and in the morning there would be thousands (no lie!) of fleas on that sticky pad. Of course that was just the ones hopping around, didn't get them off the dog and I can't remember what we used for that. Jan in Co


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## PD-Riverman (May 24, 2007)

Had that problem 2 weeks ago, I went to Tractor Supply and bought a Gallon of Enforcer--Flea Spray For Homes, about $16, says on the bottle "prevents flea infestation up to 7 months" All I know is it works for 2 weeks/so far with one treatment.


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## jill.costello (Aug 18, 2004)

OK, I'm going to try THIS order-of-go:

1. MOW everything around the house "high-n-tight"
2. Buy one of the suggested outdoor sprays and pump-sprayer and hit the workshed inside and out, as well as the house perimeter 15' around
3. Flea-bathe the dogs TWICE, and then sponge them with a leave-on DIP. Leave them tied until dry.
4. When dogs are dry, apply Frontline.
5. Insert dogs into workshed onto their freshly laundered and powdered beds. Shut the door.
6. Do the dying-fleas-are-biting-me dance. :dance: 
7. Enter the house. :duel: Plastic bag every piece of fabric I can lift, adding indoor flea spray as I go. Cushions, pillows, throw rugs, table cloths, nothing is safe... :hobbyhors 
8. Put indoor-safe spray PLUS IGR (insect growth regulator) into the pump-sprayer and blitz the house (the home is all wood floors; this should be interesting!).
9. RETREAT from the house holding sprayer and hole up in the horse barn.
10. SPRAY a circle around myself in a slightly paranoid and wild-eyed way... :viking: 
11. Sing every childhood song I know softly to myself for two hours. :baby04: 
12. Stealthly creep back to the house, and peer in at the carnage............

Did I miss a step??


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## TedH71 (Jan 19, 2003)

Jill,

That's overkill but I'm sure it'll get them fleas!


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## SunsetSonata (Nov 23, 2006)

Personally I wouldn't bother treating the outdoors, as wildlife will just track in and repopulate the fleas. Vacuuming the rugs and washing everything will help in the shortterm, but the Frontline is really where it's at. Even after all that cleaning there's bound to be a few sticky flea eggs left behind in your rugs and furniture. Once they mature into dog-biting fleas, it's the Frontline that will break the cycle, remaining active on your dog for weeks. Flea powder and for that matter flea collars are more of a deterant and not all that effective.

Also, hope you read the warnings on all those medications for your dogs, as I fear you may inadvertantly poison them with all those products used at once, especially in conjunction with the dip. Also, I'm wondering if the Frontline would be effective after a leave-on dip. I know with Advantage (which cured my own pet and household infestation completely), the active ingrediant migrates over the pet's skin from head to tip within 24 hours - I'm wondering if the dip would interfere with its effectiveness or make the product more likely to slough off.


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## LvDemWings (Sep 11, 2005)

When you vaccum don't forget to change the bag immediatly and take it outside. Treat your home like you would treat it if you discovered someone had head lice. Hot water washes, frequent vaccuming, treating the furnature and mattresses. You'll be doing this for the next several weeks to get rid of any hatching eggs.


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## comfortablynumb (Nov 18, 2003)

it cure is simple.... break the fleas life cycle in the house.

they live in the carpet and apolstry not on the dog... they eatt on the dog/cat and go home to the carpet.

boric acid dust is perfecttly harmless stuff, send the dogs outside, put on a dust mask and cover the carpet with the stuff. dust the apolstry. beat it in and brush it down into the carpet.
in a little while go back and LIGHTLY vacuum the surface dust off.

now the boric accid kills the new hatched fleas and bada bing life cycle broken, no more fleas.

after a few days the dust has settled deeeeep in the carpet and you can vac normally and youll not really get out all the boric acid dust... it will kill flea larve for yrs, deep in your carpet.

I redust the one carpet I have left once a yr... everywhere else I blow BA dust in the floor cracks and corners..... they breed there too.

any fleas that ride in the house on the dog will die and leave no live babies.

everything else is pretty much pointless.


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## Jenn (Nov 9, 2004)

Would take some time to act but we use frontline/revolution and despite the visiting neighbors' dogs being coated in fleas we never have any on our pets. OK I found *one* last week petting the dog but I'd run out of her treatment and was a week late on it.


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## Ruby (May 10, 2002)

TedH71 said:


> Spot On doesn't work on fleas, trust me. It's just a bandage..as for Capstar..it's ONLY for killing fleas. It doesn't prevent future fleas from jumping on the dog..it's meant to kill fleas that are CURRENTLY on the dog. Repeat that to yourself. It's the enviroment that causes that. I have hog hunting dogs or used to...so my friends and I have put cattle tags on the dog's collar. Works...and cheaper than the flea sprays,etc. Try DE (diametous earth) and have chickens around the house...guinea hens too...keep the grass mowed to a very short height..fleas hate short grass. I currently use this cure that a hog hunting buddy passed on to me:
> 
> "I found this on another board here a while back so I said what the hex I will try it and so last week I started to use this and some of my friends so far it seems to be working like a charm as to gettting the fleas off of the dogs. I have checked till Iam blue in the face and from everything I have read and seen it is some pretty safe stuff. I even mixed some of it up in a sprayer here the other day and I hit the yard with it so I will let you know how it does as far as the yard goes the first day I put it on a bulldog I had that was loaded with fleas and 24 hours later I checked him agian and could not find a flea on him and he is still flea free as we speak. I used 2cc on my cur dogs .
> 
> ...


Did a search on this product, the manufacture said it was hazardous to humans and animals. I wouldn't use it on my pets.


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## Jillis (Sep 11, 2005)

Bleach does kill them. My friend bathed her kittens that got infested but were too young for the products in a bath with just a little Clorox in it. Dead fleas everywhere. 

Also used bleach on the floors.


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## TedH71 (Jan 19, 2003)

Ruby,

Same thing that manufacturers of Ivomec say about their products yet I squirt the medicine in my dog each month to prevent heartworms with nary a problem. Hog hunters are known for finding the best cost effective way to do things since as a general rule they tend to have 15 plus dogs and that's alot of flea remedies!


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## Trixie (Aug 25, 2006)

Oh, fleas!!

Our cats are having an awful time. 

I didn't want to go the Frontline route, even thought it has always worked.

So I bathed, and sprayed with Sargeants, etc., used Joy detergent, combed with flea comb, and brushed and brushed. I bathed so much the poor cats got so upset, they had stomach problems. 

So broke down and bought Frontline - made no difference at all. I have never had it NOT work, but it didn't. I wonder if it has changed from last year or if it was out of date.

At any rate, they go to the vet tomorrow for some shots and worming, and I am going to ask about it.

They are miserable - and so I am.


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## SunsetSonata (Nov 23, 2006)

> So broke down and bought Frontline - made no difference at all. I have never had it NOT work, but it didn't. I wonder if it has changed from last year or if it was out of date.


The fleas near you may have developed a resistance. Try Advantage or Advantix. At the vet hospital where I worked it was recommended that you change the medication every couple of years or so for this reason. I'd still stick with a treatment that lasts a month on your pet though. Remember there are still going to be fleas developing in your house for a while - they go through 3 stages of life before hitting the adult stage where they munch on your pets. But once they do, they will die before having a chance to reproduce.


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## TedH71 (Jan 19, 2003)

Advantix works better than Frontline, IMHO. I used to have cats but no longer do due to them getting fleas then even if I got them on whatever flea remedy: Frontline, Advantix, etc.....they still had fleas simply because they lick theirselves so often the medicine wears off faster than if it was on dogs so I gave up. Got the whole bunch neutered/spayed and gave 'em away. BINGO! No more flea problems and I had 5 dogs at the time.


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## Trixie (Aug 25, 2006)

SunsetSonata said:


> The fleas near you may have developed a resistance. Try Advantage or Advantix. At the vet hospital where I worked it was recommended that you change the medication every couple of years or so for this reason. I'd still stick with a treatment that lasts a month on your pet though. Remember there are still going to be fleas developing in your house for a while - they go through 3 stages of life before hitting the adult stage where they munch on your pets. But once they do, they will die before having a chance to reproduce.


That is a thought.

The first time I ever used this kind of thing, I bought a bag at an estate sale. It had about 5 application containers, but was 2 different kinds of medication. Maybe that worked so well, because I had been changing around.

Although, we were in NE Texas last year and one cat was an outside cat. My husband bought something from the vet - neither of the two mentioned. It cost more than the other two and was just two applications - didn't work at all.

I may try the 'other than Frontline' as we need to buy again - have 1 application of Frontline left.


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## WindowOrMirror (Jan 10, 2005)

You were in the military soldier!!!

There's nothing you can't do!

What did you learn in your demo courses? There is no problem that cannot be solved by the well-timed and suitable application of high explosives!

Kidding... you've got some good input there. The issue is that if you leave 2 of 'em, the house fills up again!


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## lmnde (Sep 25, 2006)

Sergeant is pretty much useless IMP and especially Hartz flea products are known to kill cats and kittens, and have damaged I don't know how many dogs and pups. Don't use that stuff if you love your critters! If you need to use an over the counter spay use Adam's FleaSpray - you'll get it at most feed stores and pet stores. Be careful when you use the version with the IGR - it is very strong - so do not use on pregnant dams/queens and puppies/kittens.

Jill you will do your dogs lasting damage if you use 3 flea products in one go - do not use a combination of different things [such as shampoo, dip AND fleaspray or topicals] - depending on the size of your dogs - you may simply get their tummies upset or you may actually kill them. Keep in mind that all topical fleastuff is contact poison!

Capstar works very well, but will only kill the fleas that are actually biting your dog/cat. If properly dosed it works about for 24 hrs and will kill any fleas that hop on and bite your dog - so give your dogs and cats the run of the place during that 24 hrs to make the most of it... 

My suggestion: Give 1 capstar ea; wait about 1 hour and then give a bath with a good shampoo [but not a flea shampoo]; and condition well afterwards. Then apply Frontline, Advantage or some such and be done. If you have a very big fleaload, give an additional capstar the next day. 

Treat bedding and house as suggested above. Get some good quality fleabombs with an IGR and bomb the house, repeat after 2 weeks if needed. Done. 

Apply your choice of flea topical once a month. As long as you stick with a regular approach - it does not need to be major work to keep them under control.

lmnde


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## Trixie (Aug 25, 2006)

We have tried the Adam's and it is as useless - at least for us -


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## Junkmanme (Dec 16, 2006)

Does DE (diamataceous earth) work on fleas?


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## neolady (Dec 30, 2005)

Ravenlost said:


> I
> I've also read that fleas are repelled by Eucalyptus so placing Eucalyptus thoughout the house will help keep them out.


I had good luck with this and Tea Tree Oil - add either of them to your wash water when you do the floors, etc. - it seemed to kill everything around here and was of course non-toxic. Eucalyptus is generally about 1/2 the price of tea tree oil where we live, so that would be my first choice.


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## MTTMATSUA (May 23, 2007)

Hey;

We had some problems w/ fleas a couple of years ago so here's our take...hope it helps...

DH used diatomaceous (sp?) earth everywhere! Even on carpet and floors. Outside on lawns plants, patio, porch etc...

We washed everything that the pets slept on in hot and vacuumed 2x's a day. 

We put a chopped up flea coller in our vacuum and put in a new piece each time we dumped. The vet told us heat and the vacuum vibrations can actually cause fleas to hatch quicker...yipee... 

Bathed pets (and I swear one of our cats has Inspector Gadget legs and can extend them to the sides of the tub!!) w/ Joy, poor old dog esp (He is allergic to fleas so that was it's own problem...)

Sprinkled citranella and euculyptus oils SPARINGLY on his reg collar. He's 135# and just couple drops of each...not on the side that touched his skin/fur.

We have a carpet cleaner so did that on beds and floors a lot...house was squeaky clean! And although it was labor intensive we we able to stay away from harsher chemicals that oldest daughter cannot tolerate....and it worked in about a week.

now as the weather starts to warm up, we are actively preventing any buggy pals from visiting. less work than when they arrive for a long vacation on poor pet's! (I always envision the little Hobo flea from cartoons, w/ his little napsack....)

good luck!! I don't get nipped by bugs (no, not even the ones back east...I have had maybe 3-4 mosquito bites in 45+ years...much to my families chagrin) but I know that it can be miserable for pets and humans alike!!!!

Bonnie


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