Fleas/Frontline question...

There_Goes_Trouble

I know it's not nice SCO and I wouldn't wish it on anyone, but I'm kinda glad I'm not the only one!!

Thanks for posting!!

Fire_Fox

There_Goes_Trouble wrote: »

I've been out for a couple of hours this evening and since I've been home again, things seem much more settled on the scratching front. I took one flea off the dog before I went out and didn't see any others, and can't find any on the cats although I know that that doesn't mean there are none, or that eggs aren't waiting to hatch...... I also have no new bites myself today at all.

Dare I hope that things are on the up, or is this the calm before the next lot hatch?

That is a positive sign! Fingers crossed. :T

There_Goes_Trouble

Fire_Fox wrote: »

That is a positive sign! Fingers crossed. :T

I hope so.

Less itching today although they are still scratching a bit. I haven't done a flea search yet, will have a comb through in a bit before I hoover. Still no new bites on me.

I am going to go online and order some more acclaim, and when I do their next topical treatment I'm have another proper furniture move, hoover and spray session too.

I will win this war on fleas!!!

There_Goes_Trouble

Oh yes!

Two fleas in one catch! Boy I'm getting good at this.....

There_Goes_Trouble

Spoke too soon.... got a bite on my bum while sitting on the floor catching fleas off the dog!

SadBunny

There_Goes_Trouble wrote: »

But, what can I do about the animals?
Any other thoughts/ideas?

You could try Diatomacious Earth.

When sprinkled on a bug that has an exoskeleton (such as bed bugs, ants or fleas) it gets caught between their little exoskeleton joints.
As they move, the diatomaceous earth acts like razor blades and cuts them up.
But it doesn't hurt mammals.

For flea control, I try to make a paper thin layer of diatomaceous earth wherever the vacuum doesn't reach easily and use the vacuum technique (below) also. That way, when an adult flea jumps out of its cocoon, instead of going "boing! boing! boing! boing!" it goes "piff! piff! piff! piff! urk!"
You can even work the diatomaceous earth into your pet's fur if you like.

http://www.richsoil.com/flea-control.jsp

... works only on the adult stage of the flea. (Some say it works on the larval stage too) ... strategy is to kill the adults before they lay more eggs....you will continue to see adult fleas for the next two to four weeks - from the eggs already laid. They just won't live very long.

A great thing about diatomaceous earth is that you can leave it around the edges of your home and in hard to reach places for months or years. As long as it doesn't get wet, it will continue to work.

Just a little lamp next to a plate of soapy water. Fleas are of an insect family that is drawn to light. They're just stupid that way. And fleas drown easily provided that you disable their mechanism to deal with water (that's what the soap does).
Set the trap out at night. Count the number of dead fleas in the morning. This is the best way to measure how your efforts are working. You don't have to wear a white lab coat and thick rimmed glasses if you don't want to

.

You can buy DE at Wiggly Wigglers or Amazon or eBay.

More info and chat.

I've been meaning to add this to: Fleas on elderly cat

(Should also be good for gardens, wheelie bin and to keep the bugs out of chick crumb - we talked about using that for cheap cat litter.)

There_Goes_Trouble

Thanks, but no thanks.

Too many concerns about breathing it in being bad for the animals. I know you'll point me to research saying it's safe, but there's plenty of other research out there saying it's not safe, so I'll leave well alone.

Appreciate the suggestion though.

Hillbilly1

There_Goes_Trouble wrote: »

Thanks, but no thanks.

Too many concerns about breathing it in being bad for the animals. I know you'll point me to research saying it's safe, but there's plenty of other research out there saying it's not safe, so I'll leave well alone.

Appreciate the suggestion though.

Sensible reply. Fleas are so depressing!

The problem with Frontline standard is to be 100% effective it MUST be applied every 28 days, so if you do monthly there is 2-3 days per month there is less coverage. Also it only kills adult fleas who are only 5% of the flea population... the maths is frightening! The drop off of effectiveness after 28 days is faster than pretty much any other flea treatment.

Use a flea product that does adult fleas and at least one other part ofthe life cycles (larvae/eggs). Fleas are the ultimate parasite and we have not yet developed a product to end all 4 life stages with 1 application.

We moved into a new flat and there were fleas....

Our regime (with vets permission)
1) remove carpets
2) spray staykill/indorex daily and hoover
2a) wait 1 week to move in...
3) treat pets on a 2 week cycle, Advocate monthly then 2 weeks later Stronghold monthly
4) wash all soft furnishings every 2 days at 90 degrees
5) spray indorex/staykill every 2 days and hoover

Fleas hatch out to warmth, vibration and carbon dioxide so shut the doors and windows, turn up the heating, turn up the bass and spray and hoover!

It does get better, I promise. You are fighting a war against the bugs that will outlive nuclear war... be armed and kill!

Mrs_Z

ooh, i'm gonna be spraying our house tomorrow - just in case!

We had a flea problem back in September last year for the first time ever and managed to get on top of it eventually. It was so depressing and made me feel so dirty, that I wasn't cleaning the house properly... Still got faded bite marks (!)

Given that the year is almost up, it'll be Indorex tomorrow. We're also planning to redecorate the spare bedroom and replace the carpet with a wooden floor - this is going to spur me on.... sort of have been putting it off...

Best of luck for everyone with the battle against the critters!

There_Goes_Trouble

Thanks Hillbilly1, great post. I didn't know all that about the frontline 28 day thing, I'll alter my diary to 28 days instead of a month! They're all due vaccines in August so I'll get something different from the vets I think. I can use up the frontline in the colder weather when there's less risk by alternating the regular treatments with something like Advocate, or whatever the vet says I can use!

I had 2 fleas hop on my foot in my bedroom today, when stood in the same spot where it happened twice before. I missed both fleas and I was so cross, I got the Acclaim can and sprayed just that patch of carpet with it!! Totally ineffective I know, but hopefully those two fleas got it!