# Extreme Flea Problems



## RugerHog (Jun 5, 2009)

Is it me or is all the rain we have been having causing our outside pets to have more fleas than usual?  I have a 55 gallon drum of Diazinon mixed up at 2oz to a gallon ratio. I dipped my dogs last week. The fleas were almost back immediately. Yesterday, I dipped 2 of my dogs, before I could get my hands on the other 4. I was able to check the first 2 again. Though many of the fleas were dead, there were quite a few still crawling. I dipped the first 2 dogs again. This time I held them down in the fluid longer. Head submerged to just under the eyes . I splash some on their snouts. The fleas seem to travel very quickly to the snout when the dogs are being dipped.

I have the chemicals to treat my yard, but when it seems to rain almost daily, it is hard to justify spraying the yard.
  Does anyone think I will experience problems dipping my dogs with the diazinon? I have mixed permithren(sp) with the diazinon in the past. I was just out when mixing the latest barrel.  I appreciate any other ideas on keeping the fleas off the dogs. I am going to put SPOT-On on their necks today. I hope that may help some.  

 My dogs are all just family friendly yard dogs. 3 hound mixes, 2 full blooded Labs(Black &  Yellow), and a mystery dog.  I let them run the woods almost daily around our house. The dip has kept the ticks off of them, just not the fleas.  I sure am open to any suggestions to control the fleas.


----------



## NGaHunter (Jun 5, 2009)

My 2 labs stay out in a kennel all day and have yet to see a flea. I do treat them every month, 12 months a year for fleas and ticks and so far so good


----------



## Ruger#3 (Jun 5, 2009)

You may find this thread of interest. I dip for ticks but not fleas, good luck.

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=185208&highlight=bayer+tree+shrub


----------



## Mel82 (Jun 5, 2009)

I use frontline plus and it works great. Just have to make sure you wash all their bedding (in fact, I washed everything in the house, lol) and vacuum, vacuum, vacuum!


----------



## RugerHog (Jun 5, 2009)

Ruger#3 said:


> You may find this thread of interest. I dip for ticks but not fleas, good luck.
> 
> http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=185208&highlight=bayer+tree+shrub



Thanks Ruger 3. I have some diazinon to spray in the yard, and some 10% Carbaryl powder. I am about to dust the dogs with that. I just looked at one of them. He has only a couple fleas at the moment. They had hundreds on them yesterday. I do have a lot of rabbits in the yard at night. Is this where my flea problem is coming from?  May be time for a bunny permit.


----------



## browning84 (Jun 5, 2009)

I use the Advantix for the sole reason that it has all the same killing and repelling properties as any of the others but in addition it repels biting flies and because we didn’t start early enough in treating the yard this was a plus. We have 6 dogs (4kennels dogs and 2 house dogs) we don’t have a fleas issue because we use the advantix on all of them. To get rid of all the flies we use Spalding Labs products. I would go with the Advantix to eliminate the flea issue though.


----------



## RugerHog (Jun 5, 2009)

If my yard is the problem, then will any of these products mentioned above, stop the fleas from getting on my dogs?
I am going to treat the yard now, while the sun is shining. Maybe the rain will hold off a couple days.


----------



## Mel82 (Jun 5, 2009)

No, you also need to take care of your yard. The meds will kill the fleas on you pets and prevent those new eggs from hatching but if they keeping coming in the house it will be a vicious circle of sorts. And if you want to get the meds cheap, I suggest ebay. I got 3 vials of frontline plus and you can use it on dogs and cats. They give you a diagram, a vial to keep the extra you've opened and a syringe to measure the amount needed for each pet.


----------



## RugerHog (Jun 5, 2009)

Mel fortuneately, I don't have them in the house. My ****zu had a quite a few on him a few days ago. A quick wash with Dawn and shampoo, took care of him. I have really been lucky that the fleas have not presented a problem inside. I think if I can get them under control outside, my dogs will be alright.  I see some big dark clouds moving in right now. I just can't seem to get the right conditions to spray the yard.

     Has anybody ever used the cattle insecticide (SPOT-ON) on their dogs? A vet suggested it as an off-label use on dogs, and you can get a good sized container for less than the Front line & similiar products.


----------



## Mel82 (Jun 5, 2009)

Fleas drop tiny little eggs all over that you can't see. They say 5% of fleas are on your pets and the rest is little eggs everywhere. That is why you have to vacuum.

Believe me I know, I just went through a nice big infestation with 2 cats, a dog and 2 pet rats.


----------



## RugerHog (Jun 5, 2009)

Mel82 said:


> Fleas drop tiny little eggs all over that you can't see. They say 5% of fleas are on your pets and the rest is little eggs everywhere. That is why you have to vacuum.
> 
> Believe me I know, I just went through a nice big infestation with 2 cats, a dog and 2 pet rats.





2 cats, a dog and 2 pet rats

Talk about a food chain.


----------



## Hog (Jun 5, 2009)

Get you some Bayer tree & shrub the kind without fertilizer.Like the post above you can buy it at walmart or lowes & it comes in a blue bottle for about $20.Ive been using this stuff I know for 2yrs now & it works.Ive never had any flea trouble since I started using Bayer + ive not had any complaints from the dogs.This is an example of what I give to my dogs 7.5cc for 30lb dog/10cc for 40lb/12cc for 50lb/15cc for 60lb.Some people give more or less but this is what has worked for me & my dogs.For the fly problem I always hang up a couple of fly bags that you fill up with water.You can also find these at lowes or walmart.You would be surprized at how fast a bag will fill up.May not get rid of them all but you sure dont see many of them flying around after using them.


----------



## browning84 (Jun 5, 2009)

RugerHog said:


> If my yard is the problem, then will any of these products mentioned above, stop the fleas from getting on my dogs?
> I am going to treat the yard now, while the sun is shining. Maybe the rain will hold off a couple days.



Concrete kennels floors, remove all bedding and sanitize the houses, no bedding in house until fleas have been eliminated and then replace bedding. This should lower you flea problem. To kill the bugs in the yard use Ortho® Bug-B-Gon® MAX® Insect Killer For Lawns. Yes it kills fleas, it comes in a granular and liquid form.


----------



## dawg2 (Jun 5, 2009)

You need to go to a hardware store or do it yourself pest supply.  Getthe spray that has an inhibitor that keeps the fleas from hatching.  The poisons will kill a hatched flea, but if they are in egg or pupae form, they will lie dormant until something warm (like you or your dogs) walks by.  Then they will start popping out like popcorn.


----------



## molly (Jun 5, 2009)

*Wher Ya`ll been*

When I first learned about Bayer on the Forum...I went to Home Depot and got me a bottle.  My dogs weight 55-60 lbs, I give them 18mls per dog.(I have 4 dogs)  and I have no fleas no where....I have 4 big kennel pens 20x40 ft I change the cedar shavings out every 5 wks and add a handful of 5% seven dust...the Bayer is whats control `n the flea.....Thanks to the guys on the forum for sharing the info.


----------



## curdogsforhogs (Jun 5, 2009)

The Bayer helped me out last year..I had them BAAD..I am having problems finding it this year...Everyone has the Fertilzer type.


----------



## Tag-a-long (Jun 5, 2009)

Once you treat the yard/dogs  I'd start hunting rabbits!  Worst fleas we ever had was a summer we had a good crop of rabbits in the yard.  I'd wager if you shoot one of 'em they'll be CRAWLING with fleas ... ours were.


----------



## RugerHog (Jun 7, 2009)

Tag-a-long said:


> Once you treat the yard/dogs  I'd start hunting rabbits!  Worst fleas we ever had was a summer we had a good crop of rabbits in the yard.  I'd wager if you shoot one of 'em they'll be CRAWLING with fleas ... ours were.



I got one of those stupid questions. Can you legally kill these rabbits out of the yard to eradicate the fleas they seem to be toting in the yard. Since it is about 3 am, I walked out and looked in the yard. I saw 7 rabbits all hopping around, and my dogs were not even phased by them. I see about 6 to 10 rabbits on any given night. 
  How about it legal eagles? Can you protect your yard from this type situation?


I looked in Home Depot for the Bayer today. All I saw was the insecticide/fetilizer combo.  I will check wallyworld for it tomorrow. Thanks folks.


----------



## RugerHog (Jun 7, 2009)

Molly, I had someone pick some Bayer up for me. They brought me the Bayer Complete Insect Killer. It has  .72% of the IMIDACLOPRID in it. How much of that ingredient does the the TREE & SHRUB version have?  I am thinking it is like 1.4% . Do you guys suggesting the bayer, think the lower dose of the active ingredient will be as effective? Thanks


----------



## curdogsforhogs (Jun 7, 2009)

Not sure ...I had trouble finding the Bayer Tree and Shrub Insect Control so I bought the Ortho Tree and Shrub Insect Control. It has 1.47% and appears to have the same formulas


----------



## rabbit hunter (Jun 7, 2009)

I have always had great success with happy jack kennel dip for the dogs, as far as the yard treatment I guess its a good thing I work at a pest control company.


----------



## RugerHog (Jun 7, 2009)

curdogsforhogs said:


> Not sure ...I had trouble finding the Bayer Tree and Shrub Insect Control so I bought the Ortho Tree and Shrub Insect Control. It has 1.47% and appears to have the same formulas



Thanks.  I got out there this evening and sprayed down the backyard, the doghouse, and other doggy areas with diazinon. I then dusted the same areas with 10% carbyl(sp). I had enough dust left to get 3 of the dogs. I just checked one of them a few minutes ago. She probably had 25 visible fleas at the time of dusting. I only saw 1 awhile ago, and it was looking wobbly.  Maybe the dust is the trick.

I pray for 4 days NO rain.Let my dust work.


----------



## RugerHog (Jun 7, 2009)

rabbit hunter said:


> I have always had great success with happy jack kennel dip for the dogs, as far as the yard treatment I guess its a good thing I work at a pest control company.





HJ works great, but it sure has gotten expensive in recent years. I can use the diazinon for a lot cheaper. Even the malathion & permethrin mix well together for dip, and much cheaper than HJ.


----------



## RugerHog (Jun 9, 2009)

Update, the 10% Carbol(sp) that I put on 3 of my dogs has definetly paid off. I looked at them a few minutes ago, and only saw 2 fleas on 3 dogs, and the fleas were almost dead. They were having like 50 or so fleas on them. I got to get some more dust.


----------



## andrew_dial (Jun 9, 2009)

one more thing to do...if your dogs come inside at all you will have them all in your house in no time.  get some borax and put it out in every room, closet, hall, the works. you want to sweep it under the shoe molding in any cracks and in your carpet. let it sit for a week or so then vacuum it up. it dehydrates the eggs and larva to keep from multiplying. this is a must do and it works. just did it to my house, treated the yard with spectracide, and the dogs at the same time and im not seeing any more fleas. when just last week i was getting 20-40 a day off my brittany


----------



## houndsman (Jun 9, 2009)

i use liquid lysol and make a dip ,dip 2 to 3 times a year . don't have a flea problem works great for about 6 to 8 bucks . simply dip and rinse let dry


----------



## HuntMasta (Jun 9, 2009)

*Indoors*

What do ya'll suggest for spraying indoors.  Can the Bayer be diluted and sprayed indoors?  I'm looking for something that would take care of the eggs and kill fleas that come in contact after the spraying is done.  I have treated the dogs and treated the lawn.  I have those under control.  Now the inside seems to be the problem.

Any suggestions, I've tried a couple of sprays and nothing seems to work well.


----------



## waterdogs (Jun 9, 2009)

Call the Orkin man,


----------



## andrew_dial (Jun 10, 2009)

HuntMasta said:


> What do ya'll suggest for spraying indoors.  Can the Bayer be diluted and sprayed indoors?  I'm looking for something that would take care of the eggs and kill fleas that come in contact after the spraying is done.  I have treated the dogs and treated the lawn.  I have those under control.  Now the inside seems to be the problem.
> 
> Any suggestions, I've tried a couple of sprays and nothing seems to work well.



see my above post. best thing you can do...


----------



## Mel82 (Jun 10, 2009)

andrew_dial said:


> one more thing to do...if your dogs come inside at all you will have them all in your house in no time.  get some borax and put it out in every room, closet, hall, the works. you want to sweep it under the shoe molding in any cracks and in your carpet. let it sit for a week or so then vacuum it up. it dehydrates the eggs and larva to keep from multiplying. this is a must do and it works. just did it to my house, treated the yard with spectracide, and the dogs at the same time and im not seeing any more fleas. when just last week i was getting 20-40 a day off my brittany


Just be careful when doing this!



> The estimated lethal dose (ingested) for adults is 15-20 grams; less than 5 grams can kill a child or pet. For this reason, borax should not be used around food. More commonly, borax is associated with skin, eye, or respiratory irritation. It is also important to point out that exposure to borax may impair fertility or cause damage to an unborn child.



http://chemistry.about.com/od/howthingsworkfaqs/a/howboraxworks.htm


----------



## andrew_dial (Jun 10, 2009)

yeah you dont want to leave a lot of piles around. sweep up the excess.  just do not vacuum for a week!!


----------



## BRIAN1 (Jun 10, 2009)

I gave my dogs a pill called capstar. It kills all fleas/eggs instantly. You can get treatments from the vet. The thing is, it only last one day basically, you give them the pill in the morning and fleas could be back the next day or a week later. It all depends on your yard. Give them a couple a month and spray the yard. You should be fine.

Brian1


----------



## Dudeman042 (Jun 10, 2009)

HuntMasta said:


> What do ya'll suggest for spraying indoors.  Can the Bayer be diluted and sprayed indoors?  I'm looking for something that would take care of the eggs and kill fleas that come in contact after the spraying is done.  I have treated the dogs and treated the lawn.  I have those under control.  Now the inside seems to be the problem.
> 
> Any suggestions, I've tried a couple of sprays and nothing seems to work well.



If you put the Imidacloprid on the dog (ortho or bayer brand, I have used both), the fleas will die when they jump on the dog. Doesn't matter where they are (inside or outside). Let the dogs stay inside and they should take care of the problem. 

I have two Shepherd that constantly go in and out, and I have never had a flea problem inside my house. I used advantage for years, until I heard about the bayer/ortho spray about two years ago, and have used it since. And it is a lot cheaper. 

About two years ago, I had a two kennels that were crawling with fleas. I put treated dogs in the kennels, and within a day or so the fleas were gone!


----------



## opie44 (Jun 10, 2009)

Last Saturday, I sprayed the kennel with the Bayer and put the ortho insect killer out, flea dipped both dogs...well, the fleas stayed gone for a day or so and now they are back in FULL swing...back to the drawing board...


----------



## RugerHog (Jun 10, 2009)

I got me 40 lbs of 10% Carbyl this evening. I will be powdering up the dogs tomorrow. I am going to get me another 2.5 gallon jug of diazinon, while I can. I saw 2 on the shelf this evening. I saw the Bayer Tree & Shrub for 24.99. Is that high or inline with what yall have seen at wallymart & home depot? Is the ortho cheaper than Bayer?


----------



## D_Happyfeet (Jun 14, 2009)

We have been having bad flea problems this year.  Have tried several different remedies the last week or so...

I put sevin dust on our german,,,,helped a little.  Then I put some drops on that I got from tractor supply, it was actually for horses...it's like frontline.....it worked great the fleas were jumping off.  Got rid of them in no time. 

Also put some granules out in the yard, and sprayed the house good.  

We have been spraying her with a little horse and pony spray, it seems to be working good.  I also got her some fish oil vitamins to help with the skin condition.


----------



## opie44 (Jun 14, 2009)

opie44 said:


> Last Saturday, I sprayed the kennel with the Bayer and put the ortho insect killer out, flea dipped both dogs...well, the fleas stayed gone for a day or so and now they are back in FULL swing...back to the drawing board...



I'm pretty sure what I did attracted fleas.. I just washed my dog and there must have been a million on him...I used Dawn first and followed up with flea shampoo to kill them all, but I still had to pick all the dead ones off...took over an hour...I have never in my life seen a flea problem like this...


----------



## fleameds01 (Jun 16, 2009)

Fleas are annoying parasites for humans and dogs alike. They cause itching and discomfort that can range from mild to severe, and sometimes these pesky critters seem to be very difficult to eliminate.
I am not giving flea control products to my pets..

Flea Meds


----------



## TripleXBullies (Jun 16, 2009)

My change for this summer has been GARLIC POWDER in their food and I am seeing great results! I am using it for poo eaters, but I have seen very few fleas as of yet... And my dogs normally stay off of the ground when they're outside.. That helps.


----------



## shakey gizzard (Jun 18, 2009)

frontline for the dogs.diaz for the yard and bombs for the house. then bomb again in 2 weeks. Goodluck!


----------



## joyweeks924 (Jun 18, 2009)

confortis pills for the dogs and bayer tree and shrub for the yard spray at daylight before the dew drys twice a week for 2 weeks. that is what works best for me i only had to spray twice last year and none so far this year


----------



## lisa phillips (Jun 19, 2009)

*fleas*

We use sevin dust after a rain. Have also heard bathing in joy dish detergent. Also mint rubed all over them, I have bought vials of organic fleas drops smells like mint.


----------

