apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

when we moved from Michigan to Indiana our dog instantly got fleas down here. we just got him some treatment and it seemed to take care of everything, we hadn't seen any in the carpet or bedding or anything. I think we got lucky.

There are a lot of non-toxic ways to get rid of fleas. Advantage and "chemicals" are really-really bad for the animals and you. If you search for homemade flea control you'll get tons of advice. I'm a little surprised by this post, not only for the typos, but I thought that AT had a more environmentally friendly policy?

What ever happenned to using flea collars?

You should also give your cats some anti-worm meds, as fleas and worms tend to come together.

I have two dogs and have had numerous episodes with fleas. After a seemingly uncontrollable episode two summers ago, I ordered a flea trap from Springstar (http://www.springstar.net/products/fleapage.html). Having used it for many summer months, I highly recommend it. It is completely chemical free and seriously works.

When I lived in Savannah, GA my cat got fleas. There is something about the south that gives bugs super powers.. seriously.. the natural stuff wouldn't work for me. I found that Frontline worked the best for my cat in killing the fleas that were on her and preventing them from coming back. If you prevent them from living on the cat, they tend to not stick around even if they get in your apartment.

bepsf, flea collars are pretty noxious as well.

Advantage, Frontline et al are nothing more than glorified pesticides. They're sanctioned poison. Not only are they toxic, they also contribute to Super Flea, much like anti-bacterial soaps contribute to Super Bugs. There have been rising reports of people using that stuff and yet finding flea infestations in their homes.

Most fleas will eventually lay their eggs in bedding and in cracks in the floor etc. I've heard that the best way to counteract that is to use food grade diatomaceous earth. DE works mechanically by making little cuts in the exoskeletons of bugs and eventually drying them out. if its food grade, you shouldn't leave too much laying around for too long because it CAN be slightly irritating as an inhalant, but at the same time, it's non toxic. Some people even use it as food supplements periodically to control worming problems. Dust some DE over areas you want to control, leave down for about 48 hours, vacuum the excess. Redust after vacuuming, repeat for at least two weeks. I have a friend who says this was the only thing that got rid of fleas in her house.

About the yard, I've heard that using nematodes to control fleas is also helpful.

The best defence against fleas and other parasites is a healthy animal. I don't have a yard, but my dog spends a good 3 - 6 hours a day running around in our local parks daily. I don't use any pesticide on her, but she remains bugfree. And I check her every night in the warmer months. Every few days or so, I spritz a little water with some vinegar on her - not sure if that contributes to her bug free status, but I've heard that bugs don't like acidic skin. She smells a little like a salad on those days, but it's a lot better than havign fleas!! But I also keep her healthy, feed her a raw diet with as high quality of meats as I can afford, and keep her as chemical free as I can. It seems to be paying off.

Summerinbrooklyn, can you give any scientific reason why you think a dog on a high quality diet will have fewer fleas than one on a "poor" diet? That doesn't make sense to me.

It's mostly anecdotal - I read many accounts from people who switched their dogs to a better diet and stopped all chemical treatments, and it seems as if parasites found a healthier animal to be less desirable. I found it to be true for myself. I tried to get healthier myself by switching up what I ate, tried to eat more whole foods, less processed, and I found myself to be less attractive to mosquitoes this past summer. For what it's worth, I do what I can to feed my dog the best diet I can give her. If for nothing else, why not?

For the most part, the dogs I know who are fed a poor diet all their lives look and smell miserable.

A good diet will always result in a healthier animal (in general), but I don't know about fleas. I have heard that garlic and brewer's yeast work well. However, NEVER give garlic to cats! (onions too) It can cause hemolytic anemia (red blood cell disorder).

Also, be very very wary of flea products using essential oils on cats. Cats have very sensitive systems and some essential oils (notably: eucalyptus) are toxic to them.

I really don't like using chemicals and for weeks bent over backwards trying natural remedies to get rid of fleas. But, after several weeks we were on the verge of an infestation and would have needed to bomb the house... So, I broke down and tried Frontline. It worked like a charm. I hate myself for using it, but me and one of my cats are horrifically allergic and bombing the house is not better.

Back to your question about the yard... Try sprinkling DE around. It's nontoxic and may just do the trick. Only Natural Pet carries it.

In response to Molly, the purpose of fleas in nature is to "weed out" unhealthy animals. As a result they have evolved to seek out unhealthy animals, especially animals that have skin and coat issues, like dandruff for instance.

I'm also having a horrible time with fleas and my dogs. Several vets keep recommending to me I use spot medications like frontline, advantix, etc but every time I use them my dogs get horribly sick. After doing some research I learned that in small dogs and cats, those medications can cause instant death, and in larger dogs prolonged use (as recommended by the vet) can cause liver and kidney failures and it's also a really serious neurotoxin - but nobody ever bothers to link it up to the flea and tick medications because that is BIG business for vets.

When my 17 lbs dog got sick from Frontline, I called my vet to find out what was going on and they knew exactly what I was talking about and even told me it sounded like she was poisoned from the pesticides but then later pretended "oh, no dog ever gets sick from this pesticide we told you to use on her that is used in commercial agriculture". However, when I took her in to get checked out, they told me I had to file a report with the EPA. Because it happens all. the. time.

I live on the 3rd floor of a building. My cat never went out and I had never had a problem with fleas until after a trip to the vet. It caught me so by surprise that it was a full on infestation before I realized what was happening. My cat would not come down off the stove- the only place he could get away. I never get bit.

I ended up using revolution on my cat (He was 17 and had no problems), but the biggest help was combing him with a flea comb every day. Not only did he love it, but it got any lingering fleas off him and I had less hair around my house. I just had to make sure I had a bowl of water next to me and everytime I combed off a flea, it went into the water - the only place they have no power :)

Skip the bombs, sprays, etc entirely! They are costly and ineffective at best. My home was infested with fleas from our two kitties and a warm Los Angeles autumn. We solved our problem by laundering all linens three times a week, giving both kittens a brand name flea med and covering our carpet in 10 Mule Team Borax. It works as a dessicant, sticking to the fleas legs and dehydrating them when they(fleas) lick it off. I coated our carpet in it, left it for two days, then vacuumed it up. It doesn't hurt to rinse and repeat til things are under control, though. No more harmful to kitties or pups than ingestion of regular table salt although I don't give them unfettered access to the carpet being treated. Also, if fleas are found in bedroom, invest in a zippered mattress cover. Getting rid of fleas= expensive enough, replacing an infested mattress= crazy expensive!

Advantage and Trader Joe's dry dog food work wonders for my freakishly healthy 12-year-old Staffie ... I'm a pretty big hippie when it comes to products, but sometimes chemicals are what work.

I've also been known to use Round-Up on the thug plants in my garden ... shhh!

my boyfriend's brother set up a desk lamp on the floor, below it he placed a shallow bowl of water with borax in it. the fleas jump toward the light and land in the borax water. it worked wonders in their bedroom, if you have a small place it might work well.

a great topical treatment is Bio Spot. it's green (literally!) and kills fleas when they get on you. i think the advantage stuff just doesn't allow the eggs to hatch but don't think it actually kills the flea parents.

Try it - it's everywhere (petco, etc.) and you only put it on once per month.

Borax works, DE works, the Frontline works, a lamp shining on a shallow pan of soapy water at night will catch (and drown) an amazing number of fleas, sometimes it takes using the dread chemicals for getting it under control and then greener stuff can be used to maintain. Allergic pets suffering re infestation or finding a flea in your bed may call for using it all and an hour of pet grooming a day , best to get on top of the situation and stay on top.

Southern fleas be fierce, BUT there is a cure, the nematodes, put on the yard, follow watering directions and Bob's your uncle, a spreading zone of flea free yard that often de-fleas your neighbors yard as well. Several of us on my block go in together, buy in bulk, treat our yards in the spring and have not seen a flea in years now.

Just wanted to thank everyone for the great advice. My Dog and Cat will appreciate it too...I just bough some DE from https://www.gardenharvestsupply.com/ also...great info about it here: http://www.richsoil.com/flea-control.jsp and I bought the topical Biospot for both pets...
:) THANKS

I don't have pets, and I was attacked by fleas this summer due to stray cats near my building. I get really bad allergic reactions to flea bites, and it was a nightmare getting rid of them. Does anyone know where I can find topical treatment for humans? Everything is made for pets, but I can't find a thing for people. Aside from Off, which I can only find to be used outside..and that didn't work on me when I tried it. Thanks!

@dwang -- I feel your pain. I lived in an older apartment building in Oklahoma City (humid) where there were many cats. I was flea dinner. It was borderline nightmarish after awhile, with the sudden twinge of a flea on me and constantly checking myself -- I was a basketcase! Unfortunately, nothing I did got rid of them. I covered myself in all of the Off sprays and lotion, did all the home treatment remedies, and never really got rid of them. I would have good days and bad days, depending on the season. Ultimately we got rid of all our furniture and rugs and moved to LA (not simply due to the fleas, that was an added perk). Haven't seen them since. In summation, the only advice I can offer is to get rid of everything and move to the desert. Again, I feel your pain.

On another note, I now have a little dog (8 lbs) and I'm looking into getting flea/pest control for him, but after reading about how little dogs get sick from Frontline etc, I'm leery of administering that stuff to him. Anyone know of an alternative, or does anyone have a success story when applying these types of medication to a little dog?

Thanks!