War of the Worlds

[PhotosbyHollyWood]

the heat is on...

lol... I am battling the ever so popular war on FLEAS..... they are starting to pop up everywhere... ACCCCKKK I hate them... went to the store bought doggy shampoo, flea collars, house spray! (safe fr critters and kids) and then the yard stuff... I hate these little buggers... but I figure if I can get a head start on them this year we can nip it in the bud, before they TAKE over...

[PhotosbyHollyWood]

good grief any ideas to make this EASIER!!!

yikes... what a task... lol... get rid of the kids, lock up the dog in bathroom, treat one room at a time... on and on and on... sheesh

[carrbowl]

Actually the easiest way is to go to the vet and get a pill that will kill them when they get on the dog. We don't have any problems until our friends take care of the dogs when we are out of town...then the battle is on. We do the ridiculoulsly priced frontline stuff, but they still get them. We also had this battle one time several years ago....we did EVERYTHING you were suppose to and still they wouldn't go away.....until the neighbor moved with their two dogs....seems the problem moved with them.!!

GOOD LUCK

[toverman]

We've used Top Spot with good results. It's the goo you put between your pets' shoulder blades. It dries and then repels fleas. That way you won't get the unwanted houseguests after all your warring.

[lucian]

We're having a similar problem. My neighbor on one side has three dogs and neer a thing done. Neighbor on the other side has one dog and grass taller than my border collie. We try but it seems to be a losing battle this year.

[Goaliesgirl]

I am so glad to others battling this problem too! Guess misery loves company! It is such a struggle. What is the pill that you can get at the vet? We have been trying the Hart's verison of Frontline, but our dogs hate it and it doesn't seem to be helping.

I did read somewhere that if you have a bagless vacuum and put a flea collar in it that it will kill the fleas when you suck them up, otherwise they just jump out when you try to dump it. Then you can treat the house, and a week or so later vacuum with the collar again to get any that have hatched and weren't caught by treating the house. Have no idea if it works, just thought I would pass it along.

[Boomer]

We use Frontline - it's a liquid that goes on at the base of their neck only once a month. Nary a flea so far.

[shamrock]

The prescription pill that you can buy from the vet won't kill the fleas, it will simply sterilize the adults. Treated dogs can still pick fleas up, and you still have to deal with allergic dermatitis and the fleas biting the humans. I've currently got six dogs, and have had as many as nine in the house over the last 10 years. We haven't had fleas since we started treating the dogs with Advantage. It's also a topical that you apply between the shoulder blades. The dosage instructions say to treat monthly during flea season, but we typically treat once at the beginning of spring, and again in the middle of summer, and that keeps us flea free.

[carrbowl]

Originally Posted by shamrock

The prescription pill that you can buy from the vet won't kill the fleas, it will simply sterilize the adults. Treated dogs can still pick fleas up, and you still have to deal with allergic dermatitis and the fleas biting the humans. I've currently got six dogs, and have had as many as nine in the house over the last 10 years. We haven't had fleas since we started treating the dogs with Advantage. It's also a topical that you apply between the shoulder blades. The dosage instructions say to treat monthly during flea season, but we typically treat once at the beginning of spring, and again in the middle of summer, and that keeps us flea free.

Thanks Val, that's exactly what it does, but we don't have any problems with fleas after we give those to the dogs. Like I said we get them when the dogs are at a friends house, then they come home and I go to the vet to get one of those pills. (which are very cheap thank goodness), but we have never had problems with them biting us......and i would know, because they really bother me when I get bit. Dont' they have a short life span? So they become sterile, and die fairly quickly and reproduce, correct???

[PhotosbyHollyWood]

ha... we have had dogs my whole life... and we never had fleas like this... sheesh they are brutal...

thanks for everyones input... she is due for a vet visit NEXT month so I will talk to him about that!!!

they have made my poor dog UGLY... I will not take a pic of her... I think she is allergic to the buggers... but I must have done something right cause it has been a day and so far so good... only few fleas here and there on her... (I expect that) as where before...I bathe her and BOOM she was infested again!!!

okay well... I have more great news to spread...

[TXhummer2]

Cheap way out:

http://www.stretcher.com/stories/980716c.cfm

[OTRphoto]

we use the frontline stuff. We didn't wait for a vet appt when we noticed them.. we just went to the vet (we use the banfield at petco) and they just pulled up their records and sold it to us without an appointment.

I wouldn't wait til next month if i were you.... They will be even worse the longer you wait

[Toad]

My cats would get fleas... from the vet. And our solution that has worked 100% perfectly was to replace the carpet with laminate flooring (looks like hardwood). No place for the fleas to lay their eggs.
Toad

[guitarbug]

I own a pest control business and I can tell you fleas are one of the hardest jobs we do! You have to put a residual down that will last for all stages of the flea. Egg, lave & pupa, and it will take at least 21 days. Vacuum real good and throw away bag. Treat the yard as well. Frontline is great for the pet, but fleas need a blood bath so you can become the new host. You can try it on your own, but most times you will need help. If you buy any pesticides look at the active ingredients they usualy only have about 99.9999% nothing and 0.000001 % active. Look for something with at least 25-30% active ingredient, maybe online you can go to www.doyourownpestcontrol.com and find some pre-cor its a additive to your pesticide that works with their 3 stages and helps a lot. Good luck and happy scratching, lol..

[PhotosbyHollyWood]

thank you...


we treated the dog and house... the yard was mowed today... and treated as well... will probably do another round in the house... the yard stuf is TRIED and true for us... we use it EVERY summer, and every 60 days in the winter... LOVE it...

chinch bugs, mosquitoes, and EVERYthing... it is nice!!!

thank you all for all the input!!!