So, this is apparently a bad year for fleas in our area. Our indoor-only cat has been battling fleas for awhile. Yes, we've done Advantage, which is usually all it takes, but even "A" isn't really making a dent in the situation. I've been trying herbal flea repellents as well, to supplement the "A", but the fleas have been laughing it all off. I do generally vacuum quite regularly, plus all cat bedding gets laundered fairly often. So, now we are trying borax. What that means is, I vacuum very, very thoroughly, wash all the cat's bedding (and our bedding, as she sleeps on the bed), then sprinkle borax powder on all the carpeting, furniture she frequents, and cat furniture, then work it into the carpet using a broom. Leave it for a week, and repeat. This can take 4 to 6 weekly cycles to eradicate the fleas. On the bright side, it's basically non-toxic, unlike "A", which I've always hated using on the cat, anyway. Note: during this, we are continuing the once-a-month "A" treatment. So, has anyone used the borax treatment before? Googling it brings up pretty decent reviews.
Back when we had both carpets and cats, I put a short piece of flea collar in the vacuum cleaner bag. It seemed to help. At least, it stopped me thinking that we were only helping the little varmints breed faster by putting them all together in a warm, dry place with lots to eat.
Ah, yes. We have a Dyson - hard plastic tank, which gets emptied when used. Plus, some of the borax gets sucked up, too, which kills any fleas that survive the vacuuming. Usually, vacuuming at least once every three days will interrupt the flea life cycle, but for some weird reason, just vacuuming hasn't made a dent in them this year.
you can also make a flea trap for a while to kills some off. What you do is take a large plate (like a serving plate) and fill it with like 1/4" water then add a little dish soap to it. Place it on the floor in a dark room and put a light over it. I use to use one of those crane-like desk lamps, had it positioned so that the light was maybe a foot over the plate. The fleas are attracted to bright light and heat so they will move towards the light. When they jump into the plate they will sink due to the soap changing the tension of the water and they will die. When I really got infested and did this I would catch 50-60 a night!
I recommend Permethrin and IGR. The Permethrin will knock down the adult fleas, while the IGR will break the cycle. Tom
That's basically what advantix is for dogs: K9 Advantix kills dog and puppy parasites I've been washing my dogs with tea tree shampoo and for some reason it seems to reduce the flea problem (along with a heavy vacuum schedule). John Paul Mitchell Pet Tea Tree Treatment Dog Shampoo 16oz
Diatomaceous Earth... I use in in food storage (in my bomb shelter food bins of grains and noodles), around the house in carpets (for most crawly critters that get around in the floors), and it is totally non-toxic (because I used too care for foster kids as well as my own, and the pets)... It isn't the only method that should be employed when you have a bad infestation, but if you are using it, you generally wont get another one.
Diatomaceous earth is indeed nontoxic, but it's not good to breathe. Some grades are worse than others, but all present the risk of silicosis, which is not something with which to trifle. Wear a good dust mask anytime you work with the stuff, or otherwise stir it up. Tom
I've read that diatomaceous earth is best bought from garden supply stores, and to avoid it from pool supply dealers. For pool usage, it's milled too finely, and heat treated, rendering it more likely to cause lung problems. For garden use, it's coarser. We are waiting to see how the borax works out. Oh, and DH cleaned the roller/brush on the Dyson - its vacuum tube was 90% blocked with something one of the kids must have sucked up *eye roll*... so now, vacuuming will actually accomplish something.
I don't know if resorting to biological control fits within the parameters you are looking for, but you might try Interrupt. Interrupt is a commercial brand name for a specific species of nematode (S. Carpcapsae) that basically kills the fleas by disrupting their intestines.
I would use a big old nasty flea bomb. I have used them in my ceiling to control ants and it seemed to work a treat. I drop a flea bomb in my 40 x 12 shed every 2 years to thin the spider population. OK, I'm braced, tell me I'm doing a bad thing. Before you get stuck into me though, please read about redback spiders. This from the Mortein web site. In heavy infestation situations, where the product is used on a first time basis, it may take 2 to 3 weeks to achieve a complete break in the breeding cycle and you may continue to see adult biting fleas before the IGR takes effect on the life cycle. MSDS here
Biological controls are good for treating lawns - if my kitty was an outside cat, I'd use bio controls. I will keep it in mind, should we continue to experience this kind of flea issue - rampant fleas in the neighborhood..
But the fleas that your kitty is infested with are coming from somewhere.... There isn't a flea form of immaculate conception. My experience with Interrupt was about 14 years ago. One application eradicated fleas from my yard (and by extension, the house).
I realize that the fleas are coming in. Usually, regular vacuuming keeps them from taking over the house. There aren't usually enough fleas out there in the yard to worry about, unless my cat was OUT THERE... if the borax doesn't do it, I may move to treating the yard, yes, since the amount of fleas out there seems to be greater than usual. I see no reason to kill off all the fleas outside if they aren't "the problem". I don't usually kill "pests" anyway.
Vacuuming the fleas could be argued to be killing them. The biological approach is more in line with giving the nematodes an opportunity to get a meal.... :angel: The fact that after the nematodes have been given the opportunity to get a meal, there are no more fleas, is more of a collateral event....
Okay, I just gave the cat a bath. First time in the four years we've had her (she was a shelter-rescue). No blood was shed. She's now damp, eating some treats, and hopefully, a few fleas went swirling down the drain!
I'll second the soapy water and light flea trap. We bought a bunch of nightlights, and used lasagna trays with water and a drop of detergent in the bottom. We caught hundreds the first night, and it decreased each night. It took about a week before we were only catching one or two fleas per night, and eventually we stopped catching them at all. That was several years ago, and we haven't had a problem since. No poisons or chemicals necessary at all.
