# Fleas!



## Yenko (May 13, 2011)

I live in Texas and it's very hot and humid, especially in the summer, and I think it's flea season or something. So I was looking for some tips on how to get rid of them in my yard and on my dogs before it becomes a really bad problem.


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## rjThor (Mar 27, 2011)

I also live in Texas, and you are right, so I started to treat my yards, bath n and always keep my GSD inside other than to go play and excercise, and took him to the vet for his monthly flea pill. Anytime we come back from the dog park, I bath him just to be safe.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

food grade DIATOMACEOUS earth is a good way to control fleas. It won't harm pets or people.


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

onyx'girl said:


> food grade DIATOMACEOUS earth is a good way to control fleas. It won't harm pets or people.


This is what we use as well. 

Also looking into beneficial nematodes.


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

Definitely get him on once a month flea prevention- either a pill or a spot treatment. I also add a tick collar sometimes since the ticks are bad in the piney woods


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## Yenko (May 13, 2011)

Ok thanks guys I'll be buying the food grade diatomaceous earth. :laugh: And I wish I could keep them inside all day but I can't because my mom doesn't like dogs so she doesn't want them inside at night.


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## Germanshepherdlova (Apr 16, 2011)

Frontline Plus works great for my dogs. I have never found a flea on them.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

We are having a bad year for fleas. They say it's because of the lack of rain. I use a montly topical treatment and so far I'm doing ok. I haven't treated the yard, but will if I notice them.


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## Veronica1 (Jun 22, 2010)

I'm having a first hand experience with DE (food grade) right now. It's a very fine powder so a little will go a long way. And inexpensive! You can sprinkle it your carpets and even directly on your pets. Totally non-toxic and some people eat it directly for health benefits - all of us eat it indirectly in our grains as it's used to keep worms out of the stored grains.

The 2nd link below talks about how the industry likes us to panic when we find fleas so we spend lots of money. Very interesting scenerio about flea reproduction too (not as bad as you might think!).

Diatomaceous Earth (food grade): Bug Killer You Can Eat! 

Die Fleas! Die! Die! Die! Freaky Cheap Flea Control


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## kr16 (Apr 30, 2011)

At what age can I start flea control? Im in Florida and its a breeding ground here also for fleas.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

> At what age can I start flea control? Im in Florida and its a breeding ground here also for fleas.


You have to be over 18...
Maybe get some diatomaceous earth for your yard, kr16. Ask your vet which topical would be best. Stay away from hartz products and remember many spot ons aren't compatible with other flea/tick products. Advice on the safe use of flea and tick products in pets


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## Yenko (May 13, 2011)

Yeah it sucks that it hasn't rained in a long time, over here where I live it only sprinkled like literally for 5 minutes or less  And should I treat the dogs first or the yard? Or just both at the same time?


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## rjThor (Mar 27, 2011)

Yenko, I would do the yard first, then take him to the vet for his monthly flea pill. Talk to your mom about what you are trying to do. Do you have a crate or kennel for him?


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## VaBeachFamily (Apr 12, 2005)

We have a horrible flea problem here every year. Last year we did the boiled lemon water , and sprayed them every so often, but couldn't keep it in the bottle for more than a few days or it started to mold ;(... This year we heard about the new Pet Armor product. SAME exact ingredients as Frontline Plus, but Sam's sells it in the store for 27.07 ( after tax) for 3 months of any size... so we bought the largest, halved it for the two 50 pound dogs, and a whole on on Cullen as he is ALMOST 89 pounds, no problems at all, and not a flea since putting it on ( ok, we found one, but it was twitching and dying). 

We used DE for the yard and it helped a bit last year.... But after putting it on the carpet, 2 months later it was SUPER dusty in my house... and I vac/clean daily... so I will never bring it indoors again. I do, however, like the Ortho Bug-B-Gone in the yard.. granules that you "water", about 10 bucks covered my whole yard and haven't had one on me since!!!!


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## rebelsgirl (May 19, 2005)

We've got to treat our yard. The ticks are what is bad here. And the worst thing is I can't use any flea or tick products on Zoe because it can interact with her medication. Preventic would have been the best thing to use for her, but can't use it. I have to get some nematods and DE, but I think I'll check out the bug b gone granules. We've got 1 1/2 acres so it probably won't be cheap. But cheaper than a tick born disease.


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## krystyne73 (Oct 13, 2010)

We have never had a flea/tick problem (knock on wood). I think I vacuum way to much and bath the dogs a lot, maybe its the frontline I use during the summer on the dogs, I don't know. I do use an organic granule in the backyard I get from Lowes. Its some sour wood that fleas and mosquitoes don't like.
I do know that if you have them you need to treat all areas of the home at one time. Pets, car, home, garages and even you work space. People always forget the vacuum and I have heard dropping a flea collar in the bag helps. 
I googled the Diatomaceous Earth Food grade since I have never used it and I found this, has anyone had any issues using it?

Diatomaceous Earth & Organic Bug Control...Some precautions... - Oklahoma Gardening Forum - GardenWeb


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## Veronica1 (Jun 22, 2010)

krystyne73 said:


> I googled the Diatomaceous Earth Food grade since I have never used it and I found this, has anyone had any issues using it?
> 
> Diatomaceous Earth & Organic Bug Control...Some precautions... - Oklahoma Gardening Forum - GardenWeb


The issues mentioned in that article are commonly brought up, but take a look at this site: Diatomaceous Earth (food grade): Bug Killer You Can Eat! - 

re: dust - same potential damage to skin/lungs as breating any dust such as flour or cornstarch

re: sharpness cutting the lungs and/or adding to yard with a sprayer - apparently when the DE hits moisture, it looses it's microscopic sharpness.

I first applied it to my carpet on Friday and applied directly to one of the cats who had not been bathed or treated with anything else. I am not finding any live fleas on any of the cats less than a week later. There is still some flea dirt, though, so I don't know for certain that all the fleas are gone, but it's looking very promising. Definately worth a try.


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## lisgje (Sep 3, 2010)

Never had to treat my yard, but for my dogs, have always used K-9 Advantix. controls fleas and ticks. Never had a problem with it.


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## RazinKain (Sep 13, 2010)

treat your yard with granulated sulfur spread with a fertilizer broadcast spreader, end of problem. You get it at the feed store in 40-50lbs bags. One bag will cover alot of ground. I can't stress enough just how well this stuff works. Treated my yard about 2 mos ago and haven't found a tick or flea on Kain in over 6 weeks now. Plus, it repels snakes also.


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## krystyne73 (Oct 13, 2010)

Veronica said:


> The issues mentioned in that article are commonly brought up, but take a look at this site: Diatomaceous Earth (food grade): Bug Killer You Can Eat! -
> 
> re: dust - same potential damage to skin/lungs as breating any dust such as flour or cornstarch
> 
> ...


Good to know thanks! Honestly we have never had fleas but the neighbors have a dog now so I worry. We usually treat just the perimeter of our yard like a fortress. but i have to keep it safe, more for my giant tortoise than the just dogs actually lol


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## Yenko (May 13, 2011)

Thanks guys this has helped alot. I think I'll just put my dogs in the front yard while I do the backyard. Should I bathe them before I put the DE powder or will directions come when I get the DE? 

And one of my dad's friends told him to use this product Hi-Yield Garden, Pet & Livestock Dust...anybody ever heard of or used it? I don't think it worked very good. 

Thanks for your help


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## Veronica1 (Jun 22, 2010)

My jug of DE doesn't have directions. I found it at a feed store in the livestock section. You can also find it at health food stores, though I would think it would be more expensive there.

If you bathe first, just make sure the coat is entirely dry before applying the DE. We put some DE from the big jug into a shaker (like for cinnamon or pepper) - since it's so fine, use a light hand as it can come out in a big puff. One cat got a little too much since he was the first to get it - every time we pet him for a couple of days a cloud came out of his fur.


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## Caitydid255 (Aug 28, 2010)

I don't know the type of neighborhood you live in, but if you have some land (acre or more) you might want to look into Guinea Hens. We started the flock after my father came down with Ehrlichiosis and almost died. In the years we had the guineas we had no flea, tick, ant, spider or any other animal problem. We also didn't get as many mice in our house. They roam through the yard and strip each blade of grass as they come across it.

Warning: They are LOUD. They will call out at sunset and sunrise and if one gets separated from the flock it will call out until it is reunited. Our neighbors at first hated them, then they realized their pets didn't have any fleas or ticks and came to love the birds. We actually had neighbors request that we let them out whenever the flying ants came around. I miss those birds.


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## Rodeo. (Feb 25, 2011)

Caitydid255 said:


> I don't know the type of neighborhood you live in, but if you have some land (acre or more) you might want to look into Guinea Hens. We started the flock after my father came down with Ehrlichiosis and almost died. In the years we had the guineas we had no flea, tick, ant, spider or any other animal problem. We also didn't get as many mice in our house. They roam through the yard and strip each blade of grass as they come across it.
> 
> Warning: They are LOUD. They will call out at sunset and sunrise and if one gets separated from the flock it will call out until it is reunited. Our neighbors at first hated them, then they realized their pets didn't have any fleas or ticks and came to love the birds. We actually had neighbors request that we let them out whenever the flying ants came around. I miss those birds.


I never knew they were so useful! I've just always hated their sound. Now I kind of want a flock.


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