# At war with fleas



## . (Jun 14, 2013)

I live out in the country on a working farm.  We've got plenty of weeds and critters but I keep the yard well manicured.  I've sprayed the yard, bleached the yard, bug bombed the house (twice), sprayed gallons of insecticide, dusted, powdered, vacuumed, scrubbed the dog, scrubbed the dog again, flea collar, frontline....you name it.  They still seem to show up in the house.    Not bad I think but I still see them and it seems I'm beginning to get the upper hand.  Any tricks/tips/home remedies on how to win this battle once and for all?


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## fireman32 (Jun 14, 2013)

Not sure you'll ever win, but placing plastic plates with soapy water on the floor helps trap them. And vacuuming every day. We had them at my dads house one time. He did the soap water and put chinaberry leaves all over the floor, to cheap to pay an exterminator. It took a week of this along with one insect bombing, but we got shed of them.
Also I had them in my shed one time, concrete floor. Sprayed 55% Malathion twice and used a propane torch on every square inch of floor, it worked.
Good luck.


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## poolecw (Jun 25, 2013)

Get some Talstar EZ granuales if you can find it.  Broadcast it around the yard per the directions.  For the dog, get some Capstar pills.  This a pill that will kill every flea on the dog within the hour.  You can watch them fall off and die.  After all fleas are dead, get some Liberty or Front Line plus and keep on them.  The capstar will kill them while the Liberty or Front Line will make the eggs sterile.

Get some Permethrine-10 and keep the kennel area sprayed down.

I would recommend calling an exterminator to take care of inside the house.  My buddy sprays for a living and he has had to come spray my house a couple times.  He uses some stuff called Drag Net on the carpet.


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## dawg2 (Jun 25, 2013)

You have to use two types of chemicals.  One kills the active fleas.  This chemical will do nothing to those flea pupae in cocoons.  The other chemical (An IGR like Methoprene, you can get at Home Depot) will prevent the fleas from emerging from their cocoons and it will take several treatments.  

Even if you kill every flea in the yard, the pupae in cocoons can lay dormant for months until something warm walks by, they pop out and hop on the host.  This is why you MUST use an IGR to prevent the eggs from hatching and stop emergence from the cocoons.

In your house you need to vaccum EVERY DAY and treat inside as well.  You will probably still have fleas for a couple weeks but they will diminish.

Of course, you need to also treat your pet.  Also, if you bathe your pet you need to use a soap that will not wash away topical treatments.


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## David Parker (Jun 25, 2013)

No moisture areas where they can hydrate
I've read/heard a white plate on the floor with water and a candle in the middle works but I tried it and it was useless. 
x2 on malathion

good luck, if all else fails, read up on those electric repellents that people use for mosquitos.  Maybe there's one for fleas .


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## dawg2 (Jun 25, 2013)

David Parker said:


> No moisture areas where they can hydrate
> I've read/heard a white plate on the floor with water and a candle in the middle works but I tried it and it was useless.
> x2 on malathion
> 
> good luck, if all else fails, read up on those electric repellents that people use for mosquitos.  Maybe there's one for fleas .



There is only one electronic device that I know of.  There is a contraption with a light shining on a sticky glue trap that will attract fleas.  It is limited in its effectiveness, only work on adult fleas, and is limited in range.  An IGR is still needed.


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## Lukikus2 (Jun 25, 2013)

Sounds like you have a nest somewhere. Anywhere the dog lays outside will be the places to look like under a porch or where there is old bedding or carpet. Once you find it, it will still take a couple of treatments to get the adults and the next hatch of eggs.


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## David Parker (Jun 25, 2013)

My brother also has an outdoor propane mosquito killer.  It works too but pretty costly to buy the contraption.  Seems like they would have one for fleas that actually works.


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## irishredneck (Jun 25, 2013)

Comfortis is the only thing Ive found to work. The fleas die once they get on your dog, so your dog won't be transporting them around.


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## 7Mag Hunter (Jun 25, 2013)

We use Comfortis in each dog....About $8.00 per dog each month...Comfortis has rebate on their website for 6mos supply...Confortis turns dogs blood to poison
for fleas and fleas die after biting dog...I have 5 dogs.....................And NO FLEAS..

I also use Dawn dish soap in hose end sprayer every week
in the yard.....Get the Dawn Concentrate/Professional quart bottle
of Dish soap at Sams club.....2-3 oz per qt in sprayer...
Apply liberally to yard............
Dawn kills fleas DEAD as soon as it touches them...Wash dogs
1X per week, and in 2-3 weeks you should break Flea/egg cycle...
Just killing fleas this week DOES NOT get rid of fleas....Eggs hatch
constantly, so you have to kill adult fleas so they don't lay eggs..


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## shakey gizzard (Jun 28, 2013)

David Parker said:


> No moisture areas where they can hydrate
> I've read/heard a white plate on the floor with water and a candle in the middle works but I tried it and it was useless.
> x2 on malathion
> 
> good luck, if all else fails, read up on those electric repellents that people use for mosquitos.  Maybe there's one for fleas .



Put a bowl of soapy water on the floor under a receptical with a nite light in it.They jump to the light and land in the bowl. This will let you know if you have them. It will take a regiment to elliminate them!


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## SarahFair (Jun 28, 2013)

We had the biggest problem last summer. Wed get in the bed at night and they'd bite us..

If you have a crawl space or attic, I'd treat those areas too.

To get rid of them we treated the dogs, kicked them outside, bug bombed about every other week including the crawl sapce), and vacuumed every day (empty the vacuum trash in a walmart bag and throw it away outside)


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## . (Jun 28, 2013)

I think I've finally beaten them down.  Haven't seen any in a while but I'm still treating just in case.  

Might sound dumb but I found an easy way to see if any are around is to walk through the house in white socks.


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## dawg2 (Jun 29, 2013)

iflyfish said:


> I think I've finally beaten them down.  Haven't seen any in a while but I'm still treating just in case.
> 
> Might sound dumb but I found an easy way to see if any are around is to walk through the house in white socks.



That is the best way.  But you want the dog to continue in the area so the fleas get on the dog and not you.


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## wadehand (Jul 4, 2013)

I have several hunting dogs and I found a cheap way of treating my dogs.  Bayer makes an insect killer with the active ingredient imidacloprid, same ingredient found in once a month treatments for dogs.  It has a weaker concentration so you must use more.  Very cheap and very effective.   Fleas that bite the dog die.


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## ox rider (Jul 20, 2013)

I agree with Irishredneck.  Get the pills from your vet... they are great


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## watermedic (Jul 22, 2013)

wadehand said:


> I have several hunting dogs and I found a cheap way of treating my dogs.  Bayer makes an insect killer with the active ingredient imidacloprid, same ingredient found in once a month treatments for dogs.  It has a weaker concentration so you must use more.  Very cheap and very effective.   Fleas that bite the dog die.



x2!!

Cheap too. No more fleas after the first treatment.


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## Hittin Bombs (Jul 22, 2013)

I WOULD NEVER GIVE MY DOG (FLEA)POISON TO SWALLOW


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## Nicodemus (Jul 22, 2013)

iflyfish said:


> I live out in the country on a working farm.  We've got plenty of weeds and critters but I keep the yard well manicured.  I've sprayed the yard, bleached the yard, bug bombed the house (twice), sprayed gallons of insecticide, dusted, powdered, vacuumed, scrubbed the dog, scrubbed the dog again, flea collar, frontline....you name it.  They still seem to show up in the house.    Not bad I think but I still see them and it seems I'm beginning to get the upper hand.  Any tricks/tips/home remedies on how to win this battle once and for all?





When`s the last time you and the boy had a bath?


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## . (Jul 22, 2013)

Nicodemus said:


> When`s the last time you and the boy had a bath?


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## Lukikus2 (Aug 5, 2013)

dawg2 said:


> That is the best way.  But you want the dog to continue in the area so the fleas get on the dog and not you.



No doubt


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## hunter rich (Aug 6, 2013)

dawg2 said:


> That is the best way.  But you want the dog to continue in the area so the fleas get on the dog and not you.



We had a problem with fleas in the house, stupid cat got out and next thing you know..TA-DAH!!! flea circus.

Treated the dog and cat and vacuum daily spray flea spray from HD after vac. no fleas.  Fleas that hatch tend to get on the cat or dog and then die helping to break the cycle.


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## epittman (Aug 6, 2013)

i use the same thing that Wadehand uses Bayer tree & surb
i treat 25 head,


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## watermedic (Aug 6, 2013)

I found this at the local feed store the other day.




This is a lot stronger than the normal bayer tree and shrub.


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## David Parker (Aug 6, 2013)

unloaded about 6-8 gallons worth of Malathion mix in my basement and garage over the course of a week and a half.  They are  not eradicated but significantly less dense.  Got 2 JRT's, with 6 pups born last week and a indoor/outdoor cat.  Every other day, I go through the pups with a flea comb and pull a dozen or so off them.  The Malathion is good for outside or areas like basement where we don't hang out.  It covers a variety of insects but smells like sulfer mixed with rotting skunk.


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