Fleas - The Tiny Terrors

The risk of our pet being attacked by fleas is very much in the forefront of our concerns.

There are many different ideas found on the Web to eradicate these pests but in today's society we are all looking for the "Environmentally Safe" way to be rid of fleas.

We have been Dog owners and breeders for many years and have never had a problem with fleas in our home or on our Dogs. But last summer was our very first infection and we eradicated them quickly but didn't even consider that they may be in our garden.

Once again this year, we have an infestation with our Dogs and these nasty pests.

Last year we purchased the medication "Advantage" from our vet. This treatment was very effective, but it came with a very unwanted odor. This year we noticed the infection on a Sunday and weren't able to get the product from the vet, so we decided to visit the local pet store and purchased the Hartz Mountain brand. So far, it has been very effective and even an odorless choice. We also have baked special cookies "No Flea Biscuits" utilizing ingredients that help ward off flea infections. These cookies were made right in our kitchen. The Dogs just love them and can't seem to get enough of our homemade cookies. Check out our web site listed below to see a slide show of the making of these biscuits.

Now be aware, you can't just treat our dogs and eliminate the fleas. Because as long as fleas are on the outside of your home, in your lawn, or garden, there is a big chance that your free roaming dog or cat will catch fleas all over again. It is therefore necessary to remove fleas from your yard and from your lawn furniture as well. You must get rid of these parasites from the entire premises, inside and out!

Fleas breed in humid, shady and moist areas where there is debris that is more organic or where pets frequent such as our lawns and gardens. Flea larvae will not survive in areas of heavy water.

Therefore, the easiest but necessarily convenient way to get control and possibly eliminate fleas from your lawn is to flood the entire lawn periodically to kill the parasites. The water also washes off the feces of adult fleas on which the larvae survive. In the rainy season, nature takes care of this problem. But, during a dry season, we have to cut the grass, remove weeds and debris from the lawn then flood it periodically to kill and also prevent fleas from breeding.

If you have a doghouse you will need to spray it to ensure there are no fleas or larva hiding just waiting to pounce on your poor unsuspecting dog. If you use dog beds, pillows and bedding for your dog, be sure to wash them in good hot water and dry them on medium to high heat. This will ensure that there will be no residue left to re-infect your pets once again.

You can purchase sprays for your furniture and carpets as well. But remember, before you spray your carpet you will need to vacuum thoroughly throughout your home. The vacuum motion seems to imitate a dog walking across it and wakens up any larvae that are still there. Then spray the entire area and repeat every 2 to 3 days until you are certain there are no more fleas.

There are a few other safe natural products that you can purchase from your local businesses called Nematodes and Diatomaceous Earth.

The Nematodes feed on flea larvae but are harmless to humans. They are used as sprays and cause no damage to trees and plants. Nematodes are the most numerous multi-cellular animals on our planet. Just a handful of the soil will contain thousands of the microscopic worms, many of them parasites of insects such as fleas.

Nematodes are great for getting rid of flea infestations around your garden and lawns. Nematodes are little killer worms that kill bugs. They are microscopic, and they can't survive on humans because our body temperature is too high. They burrow into bugs, mainly earth-dwelling ones, and kill them as part of their life cycle. They also will not damage your plants or anything else in your yard, and they naturally occur in most parts of the world.

The Nematode, hunts down fleas in the pre-adult, pupae, and larvae stages of their growth, which account for 95 percent of the flea population. Nematodes will search out the fleas that lie dormant in cocoons before reaching maturity and dispose of them. The killer roundworm enters the pest's body through any convenient opening, such as the spiracles, where air is taken in, and releases a bacteria that kills the flea within 48 hours.

When the host is dead, the Nematode sheds its skin and begins to reproduce inside the corpse. Then the offspring hunt for new prey, destroying the remaining fleas in the wake of the Nematode life cycle. When all the fleas have been eliminated, the Nematodes starve, die and biodegrade. They leave no harmful backyard bug alive to tell the story. You can purchase them online, putting a higher concentration in your yard. This process will reduce the population of fleas without relying on chemicals.

Please note Pesticides should not be used along side of Nematodes. The chemicals will kill them.
 
-Diatomaceous Earth is made of fossilized Microscopic shells which occur naturally. It is used in animal feed for parasite control, in gardens, lawns and on pets.

-Diatomaceous Earth can be applied using a spreader in the same way you would fertilizer products, or you can sprinkle it by rubber gloved hand around your entire yard. A light coating will do the trick. The dust will not harm humans or pets, but to fleas these tiny particles are like razor blades and very effective in killing these pests. This product has no effect on earthworms and will not harm them.

-Diatomaceous Earth will kill fleas naturally from your lawns and gardens and can be reapplied after mowing. You can also use the product by rubbing the dust into the fur on your dogs with no ill effect.

-Diatomaceous Earth is available at organic garden centers and most local hardware and home improvement stores. When purchasing this product be sure to ask for the agricultural food grade product and not the swimming pool one. -The cost is around $10.00 to $20.00 for a bag.

Caution must be observed when using this product. Wear breathing or a dust mask which can be purchased in the paint department of a home improvement store. Diatomaceous earth is safe if ingested, but should not be inhaled.

If you cannot find any natural products, then the use of pesticides should be considered. Keep in mind though that the pesticide used should be environmental friendly. Using a pesticide over the entire yard or lawn may not be necessary and can be very expensive. Start with the areas most used by your dog such as around the doghouse, under your decks, porches, in your garage, and on patios. But don't forget your outdoor furniture as they will require spraying as well. However, it might be necessary to use an insecticide over the entire back yard if you leave your pet outdoors in a fenced in area. If your pet is free to roam in a certain area, this area can have fleas. Insecticide should be applied to the areas every 2-3 weeks during the dry season to remove fleas completely.

Be sure to cover your self completely with protective wear up to your waist when using any of these products mentioned above to prevent any fleas from jumping onto your body.

Be careful when dealing with insecticides. Be sure to store these pesticides carefully and away from children and pets. You could also hire a professional to do the spraying but again, this can be expensive, but they do know where fleas like to hide and use pesticides safely on a regular basis.

These articles were written by Eileen and Bill O'Neill for Homemade Dog Biscuits' monthly newsletters. For our Web site, visit http://www.homemade-dog-biscuits.com. More pet information can be found on http://www.caninesource.com.