I was wondering if you would share your best ways to get rid fleas. I have been using in the past chemical methods which work well but think it is time to switch to more organic. I hope this is worded right as I know everyone has their own idea of organic!

-- Lynn (jphnnypfc@yahoo.com), June 15, 2001

Answers

You'll need a good duster for evenly distributing the powder over the affected areas but I've used diatomaceous earth to rid my yard of fleas. You'll want the NON-heat treated type of DE that some folks call "food grade" and NOT the pool filter type.

On a dry day, preferably when it's not going to rain for a few days at least, blow the DE thickly (a good coat, not half an inch) over every area your animals like to lie in, around their food and water dishes and any sheltered areas. If it rains less than a week after you've applied it you'll need to apply at least once more to dispatch any newecomers who hatched since the initial application. This also did in my roaches around the food bowl problems and a fair amount of fire ants.

DE is not chemically toxic but it is non-discriminating against pretty much any type of insects so I would keep applying it for weeks and weeks or you'll knock off many beneficial insects as well.

Worked for me.

={(Oak)-

-- Live Oak (oneliveoak@yahoo.com), June 15, 2001.

Would it be too much to ask to have edit functions?

The above should read:

"so I would NOT keep applying it for weeks and weeks or you'll knock off many beneficial insects as well."

={(Oak)-

-- Live Oak (oneliveoak@yahoo.com), June 15, 2001.

We are completly flea-less, while my neighbors are complaining again already this year. I have for years tried everything and simply will never go back to the dips, baths, sprays, collars and powders again. I start Bio-spot found in the jefferspet.com catalog, apply it down the back of all our dogs starting in March, and knock on wood we just aren't bothered by fleas. Now that you have let them take hold at your place, you will have to premise and animal treat, but using Bio- spot or one of the many kinds of systemic flea and tick killers is really the only way I have found to keep my dogs comfortable and healthy during flea season. Keep your worming program up this time of year also. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), June 15, 2001.

Ditto on the Biospot Vicki!! Haven't found anything that works as good. I have tried some of the other brands & they just don't compare.

-- Wendy (weiskids@yahoo.com), June 15, 2001.

Here's my 2 cents worth. I use "Frontline" on my Cattle dog who is around lots of other dogs frequently, who live with lots of untreated cats. My dog is flea free as is my property. Hope this helps. I have also heard that the DE mentioned above does a good job too, I am just too lazy for this and don't want to do in the Lady Bugs etc. that live here. :-)

-- Little Quacker (carouselxing@juno.com), June 15, 2001.

Actually the best thing I have ever used is the Frontline spray. I was just trying to find something organic. I think the DE is probably working on the dogs but I need to do the carpet.

Thanks all!

-- Lynn (johnnypfc@yahoo.com), June 15, 2001.

Live oak, any thoughts on where I can get the "food grade" DE?? thanks Jim

-- Jim in Mi (hartalteng@voyager.net), June 15, 2001.

Jim, I am buying mine from my local feed store. If you look in the DE (gardening) old posts somewhere there is a website. If I find it soon I'll post it here for you! Hopefully someone will jump in here soon with some more resources!

-- Lynn (johnnypfc@yahoo.com), June 15, 2001.

I have the best thing for carpet!! it is borax soap powder!! Sprinkel it in the carpet before you go to bed and vacume up in the morning. Do it again one week later. I used 5 Zodack bombs in my house twice when I lived in southen calif and after spending about 300.00 on those things which did not work. A friend of mine told me about the borax soap and it was about 3.oo haha worked first time. I did it a week later just to be safe but it killed them eggs and all. You can get it at any grocery store, it is a additive to laundry soap.

-- Teresa Bourgoin (c3ranch@hotmail.com), June 16, 2001.

When we see fleas appear around here, I salt the carpet. Leave that on over night,then vaccum, works every time! I have been doing that for many years now. If they get in the beds (cats sleeping with kids..sigh) on a day you plan to be out of the bedroom for several hours, salt down the bed, then vaccum. I have salted around the house before and it kept away all bugs, but I am afraid of what that would do in long term use. I did that one year when living in town and the neighbors had their house exterminated. I looked out my front window to see roaches running out of her house, toward mine. I ran out with my box of salt and not a roach came in. Out here with all this sand, we see roaches living outside. I do put salt in their home. I have as yet had any problems. :-) I don't want to use DE too much because butterflies live in my mulberry trees in the winter. Good luck!! As to fleas on cats, I am still working on that one..Frontline doesn't work for me on the cats, but does wonderful on the dogs...go figure. I have used the Brewer's yeast in the past, but wasn't real pleased with the results..maybe I was giving wrong amounts...I like Advantage for cats, but it is pricey.

Cindy

-- Cindy in Ok (cynthiacluck@yahoo.com), June 17, 2001.

My dogs never seemed to get fleas much, except for the time one had a run-in with a wild rabbit that was loaded & they hopped onto her face. She must have had 50! Fortunately, they are easy to spot on a white dog, so I picked them all off and drowned them. Very organic.

I used Green Ban shampoo on some friends dogs that were infested due to being kept outside. The shampoo did a great job of stunning them on the dog, and then I proceeded to dig them out of the one dog's hide with my nails (there were really stuck in, almost like ticks do!).

The vaccuum cleaner is the one thing accredited with the demise of the human flea in the world. Using your vaccuum every day on indoor surfaces will greatly reduce the number of eggs -- female fleas lay 20 to 50 eggs daily for as long as 3 months. Vaccuum underneath cushions on the couches or chairs if you dog sleeps there too, and change bags frequently. Using DE and vaccuuming some up into it will help out too. Use a respirator if you are applying DE, and keep your dog out of the area so he doesn't inhale it either.

Put down a towel whereever your dog most frequently sleeps, and wash it in hot water. Immersion in water kills both eggs and flea larvae. Wash uncarpeted floors at least once a week.

Outdoors, neither adult fleas nor larvae survive long in direct sunlight and will seek out shady cool areas such as your pet likes. You can get beneficial nematodes to combat them in your yard from The Bug Store (800) 455-2847 and from Integrated Biocontrol Systems, Inc., (888)793-IBCS. They suggest one million nematodes per 2500 square feet coverage, but costs run between $1-15 per million, depending on how many your order and the source. You don't have to waste them on the sunny areas either remember, just the shady ones.

-- julie f. (rumplefrogskin@excite.com), June 18, 2001.

A quick pet treatment, grate the color off of a few oranges cover with water and heat to extract the oils, strain and apply to the pet {I just did this to my kitten} wet them down good, rub it in everywhere, then rinse it off with warm water, towel dry to minimize licking, it won't hurt then but I suspect their mouth will tingle for a while. Oh, you can test it for strength by taste if it, it sould just have a good healthy tingle that goes a little numb, not a really painful burning,

-- Thumper (slrldr@aol.com), June 18, 2001.

Oops, that is suposed to say "it won't hurt them"

-- Thumper (slrldr@aol.com), June 18, 2001.