HELP! *flea problems*

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raisingirl101
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HELP! *flea problems*

Post by raisingirl101 »

Six indoor dogs are infested with fleas and the owners cannot afford flea treatment other than occasional flea baths. House is infested as well. These are my fiances family and we are having a baby in spring. I need to be sure the fleas are gone before I bring the baby over. How can we help get rid of the fleas. We cannot afford monthly flea drops for his family's dogs. The in laws have a big enough back yard.

What can we do to cheaply get rid of the fleas inside the house so the dogs can still come inside and I can bring over our baby without worrying about this bug issue?
raisingirl101
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Post by raisingirl101 »

please no skin so soft suggestions...This is a multiple dog flea infestation. Need cheap flea control for existing fleas.
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Nettle
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Post by Nettle »

Your inlaws are going to have to be realistic.

There is no cheap effective flea control.
Some of the chemicals that are great flea control are harmful to babies.

Therefore the house and the dogs must be treated before you give birth, and you will have to be away while it is done because the chemicals may harm your unborn baby.

I know this isn't what you wanted to hear, but it is how things are. Somehow that flea control is going to have to be afforded, and you must keep your baby safe.
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Mattie
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Post by Mattie »

There is no cheap solution, all dogs and every room in the house is going to have to be done at the same time, if they just do the dogs they will soon be infested again from the house, if they just do the dogs the house will soon be infested again. To do the job properly and be sure all the fleas have gone I would get a firm in that specialises in this to get rid of the fleas. It won't be cheap, but will probably work out cheaper in the long run because you will have to treat the house and dogs several times to be sure they are free of fleas.

Until recently I had 6 dogs all living in my house and not a flea is sight, it can be done very easily and I don't use flea treatments on my dogs.
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wvvdiup1
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Post by wvvdiup1 »

It's not just the fleas you have to get rid of on your dogs and everywhere inside your house, it's also in your yards and gardens. Since everyone else has given advice on getting rid of fleas in your or your in-law's home, I give you this advice of getting rid of fleas in your yard or garden: twice a year, lime your yard. The lime will kill fleas and their eggs!

I do this every year in addition to treating the inside of my house and my pets and it works!

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josie1918
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fleas

Post by josie1918 »

The eggs could also be in your carpet, upholstery and as the previous poster stated in your lawn. It is truly best to hire a professional. Also please note, that dogs with fleas also will have parasites (worms) which could be passed on to humans.
MaiasMom
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Post by MaiasMom »

there is a product that I have used for years, both in and out of the house and on the dogs. Some of you are not going to like this but this product is in my opinion safe. I use to have a pesticide application license and had to go through extensive training and testing first. The product is called SEVN, it is a powder that you put directly on the animal. You can get it at most large home and garden stores like Home Depot.
I used it on my 8 pound cat this summer. you put in on the floors/rugs, furniture, grass on a dry day and expect it to be dry for at least 3 days. Don't wash the animal for 3 days to make sure all live fleas are dead and any that hatch during that time are dead. Make sure you put it around the foundation of the house, around the edges of the floors where fleas wait in hiding. Leave it down and then vacumn well, do it again in 3 days and repeat the process until the fleas are gone.

If you are concerned about the dust from this product, use a dust mask. It is a chemicle and I know some of you out there are not willing to use a chemicle.
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MaiasMom
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Flea PS

Post by MaiasMom »

I think you can also get it in liquid form to spray the back yard areas, you should do it in the front as well since fleas will jump on you and come back in the house. And don't empty the vac bag, let it sit in there because your going to want to vacumn often. It's a big job to de-flea a house because they hide everywhere, they can also hide in your bedding so you might want to pull everything and give it a good wash. Beauty bark is a flea hotel, they love the stuff. Malathion is a great product, sometiimes called Orthene, you mix it to body weight. HOWEVER, it can cause an upset digestive system so be careful.

Before we had all of this stuff my mother would put down eucolyptus (sp) leaves in the dogs beds and made a collar from the seed pods. We lived in San Francisco where we had the tree everywhere and you could just go around and pick up a bad full in about 15 mins.
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littlehorses
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Natural flea kill & control

Post by littlehorses »

Diatomacious Earth- the kind for the garden not the pool- is a natural product that kills fleas and any other soft bodied critters pestering you or your pets. http://www.ghorganics.com/DiatomaceousEarth.html

For all over flea kill and control you will need to do the following all in one day, then every 7 days for at least 4 weeks to be sure to get all the hatching cycles. I suggest continued monthly or bi-monthly thereout till you know the problem is completely gone.

First -using an applicator (available at garden center when you buy DE) LIGHTLY dust the dogs, being sure to work down into the fur to the skin. The fleas must come in contact with DE to deyhdrate and kill them! Do this outside and wear a mask, working to prevent your dogs from breathing in too much. Though it is natural but can cause humans breathing trouble if too much is inhaled. Leave on the dogs for 72 hours then comb/brush the dogs to get rid of the dead fleas.
Using same applicator dust all the dogs bedding that can not be washed. Was in hot water what can be washed. Leave on for 72 hours, then either vacum or sweep off.

For the house use the same applicator and cover all floors, furniture, sofa cushions, etc. Wash all bedding, curtains, linens, etc to kill any hiding there. Leave for 2-4 days then vacum up using a clean bag. Do no get heavy handed with the DE in the house as it can clog up you vacum, this is why it's important to use the applicator!

For the yard put 2 heaping tablespoons DE into a one gallon garden sprayer, fill with water and add a squirt of dishwashing soap. Treat entire property including all plantings. Re-apply if you get any rain during the 7 day cycles.

I also recommend adding Beneficial Nemetodes http://www.thebeneficialinsectco.com/be ... atodes.htm to your yard. When you have fleas you also have tape worms in your yard and pets. You will need to have your dog treated for the tapes.

Lots of work but it's much safer than chemicals for everyone. Good luck.
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kaystephen
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The Problem with Sevn

Post by kaystephen »

I agree with MaiasMom that Sevn will kill the fleas. Unfortunately it will also kill the honey bees that are around your yard. This is a disaster for the environment as we need bees to pollinate all of the plants that grow, not only in the garden, but also in the wild and on farms. Please reconsider going down this road on your own, and consult with a professional - either a pest control specialist, or a vet.

I also would say that "can't afford it" isn't a good enough excuse for letting the dogs suffer with flea infestation. Fleas literally suck the life blood from a dog, and if it get's bad enough and is combined with other complications could even lead to death. As a previous poster mentioned, if the dogs all have fleas then they probably have other parasites as well. If your future in-laws can't afford to care for that many dogs fully, perhaps they need to consider re-homing some of the dogs for their own good. I don't say this to be judgmental or mean, just to point out that there may be better options for the dogs quality of life.
MaiasMom
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Post by MaiasMom »

I agree about the bee's and at this time of year unless you live in a really warm area the bee's should not be out. AND unless they are ground hiving, it should not be a problem, it's a power, not a spray. And I also agree heartly that if you can't afford to care of an animal as they should be cared for, don't have one. There is a quick way to see if the fleas are sucking the life out of the dogs, check their gums, if they are very pale or white you have a big problem. It's a lousy way for an animal to die.

I am sure there are a couple things these people can omit from their expenses to cover the cost of flea prep. I may seem harsh here but it just is a huge issue for me to see an animal suffer or people keeping an animal they can't afford to care for properly. Ok so I will take the hits for this.
The best days are spent with my dogs.
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