Fleas can reproduce
with amazing speed; in one month 10 females can generate a population of
over 267,000 offspring.
Since they have
been doing this for millions of years without our interference, fleas are
tough to fight. The "war on fleas" must be approached with the idea that
the fight is ongoing; fleas will come back unless you adopt a maintenance
system, all season long.
The secret to
flea survival and to our control tactics is in the flea life cycle:
EGG —> LARVA
—> PUPA —> ADULT —> EGG —> etc
The adult flea
spends almost all of its time on your dog or cat, but remember those hundreds
of thousands of offspring? The female lays her eggs in warm dark places
(like your carpet and sofa), and they are the reason that the strongest
part of your flea defense must involve the house and yard. The real problem
is in the pupa stage; it is resistant to just about everything, so that
even when you kill all the adults, eggs and larvae with conventional insecticides
and growth regulators, you will have fleas again in about two weeks when
the pupae hatch.
The basic protocol
for flea control might look something like this:
Pet:
The cornerstone
of flea control is good overall health for the animal, and a high quality
premium or balanced homemade diet is absolutely essential. When the animal
is healthy, s/he does not "taste" or "smell" as good to the fleas. Garlic
and brewers yeast nutritional supplements have been used for years in the
fight against fleas, but in my experience, they do not work any better
than simply feeding a very good diet. They act as nutritional supplements,
and definitely do help if the diet itself is poor.
Bathe and dip
weekly as needed. One good natural shampoo is Natural Animal, but fleas
will die if they are simply immersed in the soap from sudsing up your dog,
so you can use any shampoo that is safe for pets. Dips are usually pyrethrin
or limonene based, which are both derived from natural sources—just read
the label.
Another option
involves herbal extract oils like Shoo oil from Natural Animal or Cloud
Nine herbal oil from Halo.
These oil combinations
can be diluted in water like a dip (15-20 drops in a gallon of water, then
left on the animal to dry), or apply directly to the fur over the tail,
feet and between shoulder blades every 2-3 days as needed (this method
has rarely caused skin irritation, so do a test patch first).
Between baths,
which serve mainly to clean up flea dirt and decimate at least a part of
the adult population, you should treat your pet with a powder or spray.
Diatomaceous
earth and pyrethrum dust from Natural Animal (I like a combination of half
and half), or the herbal sprays like Natural Animal's Coat Enhancer Spray
work well, but only if used often, since they begin to break down within
hours. You may need to apply these coat treatments every day or two during
flea season!
Remember that
herbal repellants don't last long once exposed to air, but they are also
safe to use frequently.
Don't forget
the value of a simple flea comb. Using these special combs every day not
only rids your pet of the adults that happen to live on him or her, but
will keep you informed of how serious the problem is on a day to day basis.
With the advent
of the new products, Frontline and Advantage, flea control is certainly
less labor intensive than using daily powders and sprays. We have rarely
seen problems with these products, although the rare animal has shown skin
reactions or acted unwell for a few days after treatment. If your pet has
serious skin problems and discomfort from fleas, it may well be worth using
these products until general environmental control can be achieved.
Be aware though,
flea resistance to these products appears to be occurring, so it's time
to get into practice treating your pet and house naturally!
House:
Recall that
the secret to flea control is in the FREQUENCY of your flea treatments.
The conventional sprays and foggers, and especially those of commercial
pest control services, are not safe to use more than about once a month,
yet you should be attacking the new adult fleas every 2 weeks or so—this
is why the conventional treatments, even with a growth regulator, may fail.
If you use a conventional spray (no foggers please), use one with pyrethrins
AND methoprene, and use as often as the label allows, up to every 2 weeks.
The more natural
alternatives include using diatomaceous earth or borax in your carpets,
but these treatments are fairly messy for the frequency with which you
will have to use them. The one best natural flea treatment is Rx for Fleas,
also known as Fleabusters.
This is a form
of borax that lasts for up to one year in your carpet/upholstry, which
is tantamount to treating for fleas EVERY DAY. This product will lighten
your work load considerably—it absolutely changed my life!
Remember to
pay special attention to areas where your pet hangs out or sleeps. For
dogs, cedar beds may help a great deal.
Some people
have had some luck with flea traps, but these only address the small proportion
of fleas that happen to be adult, and I do not believe that they will make
a difference if used alone.
Yard:
Control in the
yard is sometimes the most difficult and expensive especially if your animal
roams a great deal. Just remember that the areas where s/he spends the
most time are the most important.
Natural treatments
that have been used include diatomaceous earth, pyrethrum dust and "beneficial
nematodes".These beneficial organisms are sold under individual brand names
like Interrupt, Lawn Patrol and Guardian. Apparently these nematodes attack
and kill the larvae of fleas, as well as those of over 250 other harmful
insects like peach tree borers, roaches and possibly termites.
These nematodes
are said to be harmless to beneficial insects, birds and mammals. Look
for them in garden centers and pet stores.
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