how can we get rid of these fleas? (spray, birds, scratching)
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We have been using frontline plus on our dog since we got him last december. We weren't using any flea meds on the cats since they are indoor cats. About two weeks ago we noticed the cats scratching and discovered flea dander so I put some frontline plus on the cats. We washed all of the bedding that the cats or dog layed on and vacuumed the whole house including the couches. I've been combing all three of them with a flea comb for the past week but we still have fleas! Today alone I probable got around 20 fleas from all three pets. What else can we do?
1: pick up advantage for the dogs and cats (or try revolution, or program (both come in dogs and cats) comfortis and trifexix are good for dogs but not cat safe, if youd prefer to go tablet/pill form)
sounds like you are another in an area where frontline has become completly uneffective so your going to have to switch to a pill form or a topcial with NO friponil (the active ingredient in frontline, pet armor ect..)
2: pick up capstar tabs for everyone...capstar is FAST acting, but only kills the adult fleas, this is an "immediate" solution or a bottle of dawn.
3: pick up a product called enforcer house spay (tractor supply has it...)
unfortunatly vacuming furniture will only get the adult fleas that get close enough to be sucked in, you have to vacume ever 5 mins to get them all that way...
step 1: remove all pet bedding, blankets curtains, cushon covers ect...anything that CAN fit in the washing machine shoudl go int he washing machine...was as hot as safe for the items.
once washed everything should get a misting with the enforcer and allowed to dry.
in the mean time spray anything that CANT be washed with the enforcer...this includes UNDER the matress, the bottom of the box spring, top of the matress, in the couch under the chusions under the couch ect...
(go room by room, keep pets and babies off anythign sprayed until dry (usually about 30 mins)...
i dont LIKE using chemicals...but when i brought dozer home we ended up with a seirous infestation, i tried everything form powders to DE to garlic ect...NOTHING worked...within 5 mins of using the enforcer...i started seeing DEAD fleas and within a eek all sghns of live stoped...
i now spray that stuff every 6 months and am amazed by it...
youll never get rid of the fleas if you dont also treat the WHOLE house...(including capets baseboards ect...)
then either give capstar or bathe everyone you can, water then lather up with dawn and LET IT SIT (at least 5 but preferably closer to 10+ mins)...the dawn will suffocate any adult fleas...(capstar wil kill any adult fleas in 24 hours).
rnse well and flea comb...
once dry (or immediatly if using capstar) apply advantage (or k9 advantix ON THE DOGS, do not use advantix on cats, use only advantage on cats) this will kill any reainding fleas as they hatch ect.
(or give the program/flea pill, but id wait at least 24 hours after the capstar is using a pill form...)
unfortunatly once fleas are in they can be pretty tricky...(and i dont like bug bombs) and needs a multi prong aproach, but it definatly sounds like your biggest problem right now is the frontline...unfortunatly in many areas frontline has lost its effectivness.
I resorted to flea boming my house last week. Last time I did it was around 10 years ago. Yeah it's a pain but sometimes it has to be done. I combined that with Revolution for cats which is usually great for keeping fleas away (mine are indoor/outdoor) and I'm hoping that with the weather cooling down this will be it for my flea battle. For awhile anyway.
Use a good topical consistently. 95% of fleas live in the environment. It could take up to three or so months to kill all of their life cycles. I would get a good spray for the house and give your babies a good bath and then use a good topical or pill flea treatment. Careful if you use a topical, only wash them with a soap free shampoo designed not to strip the product off. Everyone in my area seems to be having a terrible time with fleas this year. I know its been a struggle for me to stay on top of them!
I flea both animals, dog and cat even though the cat is an indoor only, fleas can jump on you and be carried into the home it is not always from the animals. We also use a granular product that kills fleas and a bunch of other pests in the yard, you spread in the yard and it works almost immediately. I do not recall the name of it but you can get it at Menard's, Lowe's, Home Depot and probably Walmart or KMart as well. It is granules though and has a big list of pests, fleas, grubs, critters like that specific for the lawn though.
At one point we had a serious flea problem with our cats. We used a bug bomb and it killed all of those suckers. While we were out of the house while the bug bomb was going off we took the cats to the groomers to get a good flea bath and then put the flea stuff on them, and we never had a problem with fleas again.
I had a flea problem some years back. I used flea bombs then vacuumed and threw away the bag outside in a dumpster. I've also used flea dip that I am pretty sure I got from a vet. Then I dipped the cats in the bucket of water and flea dip solution. There is also a heavy duty extra strength flea spray (grocery store) for homes, make sure it dries and don't let your animal near it; it's deadly.
I've been using Vectra for my dog--helps with mosquitoes and ticks as well as fleas. I've been happy with Vectra so far.
do NOT use flea bombs if you have birds or fish, ALL living things MUST be removed from the house before setting those thigns off you then need to come home open your windows and then LEAVE again while the house airs out then vacume EVERYTHING and wash everythign that can be washed...
Id much rather use a permethrin based spray that i can direct...like the enforcer...but yes you do still have to keep pets and babies off it untill its completly dry.
flea bombs are impossible in my house because i have fish tanks...
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