Comments on: fleeeeas! http://www.poobou.com/2008/12/03/fleeeeas/ The blog of a girl and her family, trying to re-adjust to life in the South after spending the past decade north of the Mason-Dixon line. Hilarity is sure to ensue. Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:24:19 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: heather... http://www.poobou.com/2008/12/03/fleeeeas/comment-page-1/#comment-468849 heather... Thu, 04 Dec 2008 06:27:16 +0000 http://www.poobou.com/?p=901#comment-468849 UGH. You don't have to take a picture because we've been there. Our dog had the fleas, the black "sand," all of it. It's so gross. We used Advantage to get rid of her fleas, I washed her twice a day for a week, and I vacuumed and washed and shampooed EVERYTHING in our house. E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G. It sucks, I'm sorry. UGH. You don’t have to take a picture because we’ve been there. Our dog had the fleas, the black “sand,” all of it. It’s so gross. We used Advantage to get rid of her fleas, I washed her twice a day for a week, and I vacuumed and washed and shampooed EVERYTHING in our house. E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G.

It sucks, I’m sorry.

]]> By: Cara http://www.poobou.com/2008/12/03/fleeeeas/comment-page-1/#comment-468846 Cara Thu, 04 Dec 2008 05:51:41 +0000 http://www.poobou.com/?p=901#comment-468846 Yeah, I hate to say it but... welcome back to Dixie! Fleas can live year-round in the grass down South, so you can get plenty of infestations without having the cats ever go outside, as my Florida folks have found out. So, what to do. Vacuum. Oh, Lordy, vacuum up all the nooks and crannies. That will help get rid of some of the larvae. Then you have to get rid of the vacuum waste *immediately* by sealing in another bag and tossing into the trash outside or burning or taking the bags to the dump (the fleas can escape). Don't use a fogger. It's not recommended. If you're going to go the serious pest control route, then get an exterminator out to do a targeted spray of areas. This website should be helpful; it's from the folks at UC Davis. http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7419.html Good luck. What a bummer. :-( Yeah, I hate to say it but… welcome back to Dixie! Fleas can live year-round in the grass down South, so you can get plenty of infestations without having the cats ever go outside, as my Florida folks have found out.

So, what to do. Vacuum. Oh, Lordy, vacuum up all the nooks and crannies. That will help get rid of some of the larvae. Then you have to get rid of the vacuum waste *immediately* by sealing in another bag and tossing into the trash outside or burning or taking the bags to the dump (the fleas can escape).

Don’t use a fogger. It’s not recommended. If you’re going to go the serious pest control route, then get an exterminator out to do a targeted spray of areas.

This website should be helpful; it’s from the folks at UC Davis.
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7419.html

Good luck. What a bummer. :-(

]]> By: Yankee Librarian http://www.poobou.com/2008/12/03/fleeeeas/comment-page-1/#comment-468824 Yankee Librarian Thu, 04 Dec 2008 01:04:22 +0000 http://www.poobou.com/?p=901#comment-468824 I should add, when I had flee problems I was living in northern Illinois. While I lived in Mississippi, I checked the cats regularly for fleas. They weren't outside cats, but I knew fleas would be more of an issue in the south than they were in the upper-midwest. I didn't give my cats regular flea medicine, but I know people who did. I'm wondering if that is something you would have to do now that you are back in the south. I should add, when I had flee problems I was living in northern Illinois. While I lived in Mississippi, I checked the cats regularly for fleas. They weren’t outside cats, but I knew fleas would be more of an issue in the south than they were in the upper-midwest. I didn’t give my cats regular flea medicine, but I know people who did. I’m wondering if that is something you would have to do now that you are back in the south.

]]> By: Yankee Librarian http://www.poobou.com/2008/12/03/fleeeeas/comment-page-1/#comment-468823 Yankee Librarian Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:59:07 +0000 http://www.poobou.com/?p=901#comment-468823 It's been a long time since I've had to deal with fleas, but I once had a cat that had them. I also lived in a basement apartment so it was nice and damp--another good way to attract fleas. I tried home remedies but gave up after a few weeks and bought the flea-killer medicine from the vet. At the time, flea killer medicine was fairly new and I think it is similar to what you can now buy at PetSmart. With the medicine it did not take long to get rid of them. it didn't kill the fleas that were already there, but it stopped them from reproducing. I seem to remember the vet telling me it would take one "generation" of fleas for them to be gone. I don't remember how long a generation was, but I do remember being surprised at how fast they were gone. On the other side of things, a friend of mine once had a flea infestation without having any pets. She tried bombs and all of that until she finally gave up and called an exterminator. Not sure if any of that was helpful, but there it is.... It’s been a long time since I’ve had to deal with fleas, but I once had a cat that had them. I also lived in a basement apartment so it was nice and damp–another good way to attract fleas. I tried home remedies but gave up after a few weeks and bought the flea-killer medicine from the vet. At the time, flea killer medicine was fairly new and I think it is similar to what you can now buy at PetSmart. With the medicine it did not take long to get rid of them. it didn’t kill the fleas that were already there, but it stopped them from reproducing. I seem to remember the vet telling me it would take one “generation” of fleas for them to be gone. I don’t remember how long a generation was, but I do remember being surprised at how fast they were gone.

On the other side of things, a friend of mine once had a flea infestation without having any pets. She tried bombs and all of that until she finally gave up and called an exterminator.

Not sure if any of that was helpful, but there it is….

]]> By: Cat http://www.poobou.com/2008/12/03/fleeeeas/comment-page-1/#comment-468819 Cat Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:10:24 +0000 http://www.poobou.com/?p=901#comment-468819 I hate to say this, but...Fleas are really hard to get rid of in the house. The fogger probably won't help at all, but the best way to handle it is directly with the cat-- a combination of flea shampoo, once-monthlyneurotoxin like Frontline, and something with a built-in flea birth-control (your vet can prescribe it) should do it. Washing EVERYTHING in super-hot water for the next 4 months will help too. The problem is that once you kill all the live ones, it is another few months of incubation cycles killing fleas that hatch from those indestructible eggs. But that's why the flea birth control is so helpful. They will go away, and definintely without having to fog the house, but it's going to be a pain in the butt. I hate to say this, but…Fleas are really hard to get rid of in the house. The fogger probably won’t help at all, but the best way to handle it is directly with the cat– a combination of flea shampoo, once-monthlyneurotoxin like Frontline, and something with a built-in flea birth-control (your vet can prescribe it) should do it. Washing EVERYTHING in super-hot water for the next 4 months will help too. The problem is that once you kill all the live ones, it is another few months of incubation cycles killing fleas that hatch from those indestructible eggs. But that’s why the flea birth control is so helpful. They will go away, and definintely without having to fog the house, but it’s going to be a pain in the butt.

]]> By: Dave http://www.poobou.com/2008/12/03/fleeeeas/comment-page-1/#comment-468814 Dave Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:22:58 +0000 http://www.poobou.com/?p=901#comment-468814 Yeah i was kind of horrified when we dug around and found the little black things swarming around. I didn't freak out when i first saw the bald spots because I just figured she'd been chewing her hair due to stress because Cindy had been gone for a week. But Nooooo... My head is itching as I type... Yeah i was kind of horrified when we dug around and found the little black things swarming around.

I didn’t freak out when i first saw the bald spots because I just figured she’d been chewing her hair due to stress because Cindy had been gone for a week. But Nooooo…

My head is itching as I type…

]]> By: Linda http://www.poobou.com/2008/12/03/fleeeeas/comment-page-1/#comment-468783 Linda Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:37:21 +0000 http://www.poobou.com/?p=901#comment-468783 I have no idea since I have no cats but I did a little google search and found this website: http://www.stopthefleas.com/natural-flea-remedies.html. I hope you get it under control quick. And your cats are ok! I have no idea since I have no cats but I did a little google search and found this website: http://www.stopthefleas.com/natural-flea-remedies.html. I hope you get it under control quick. And your cats are ok!

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