My now former roommate has left, and taken her 2 cats with her. Unfortunately, her idea of flea/tick control was to get a flea collar whenever it struck her....which was about every 12-18 months. I am now stuck with "custody" of the (winged) critters the cats were infested with. I'm heading to LOWE"S tomorrow, but does anyone have any GOOD recommendations on a specific product for ridding a 4 room, half of a duplex, from this near infestation?
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June 29, 2010 6:56 p.m. integraguy Dork
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June 29, 2010 7:10 p.m. Dr. Hess SuperDork
Go to a farm supply store and start there. Get something with IGR (Insect Growth Retardant, I think), plus whatever they are selling for fleas. Probably some pyrithorin or something. Vacuum everything, spray. Then bomb with the aerosol bomb things, 1 per room, and get the kind with IGR or flea birthcontrol pills, whatever they call it. Vacuum up. Spray. Wait about 10 days and repeat. Give it another 10 days and do it again. That should do it.
Next time, at the very first sign of fleas, put Frontline or Advantage on the critter and repeat in 2 weeks, then again at a month. Yeah, it's expensive at $10/dose for $0.01 worth of chemicals, but they got you. You can buy the one for the critter twice as large as yours (at the same price) and put half on each one.
Sucks, but that's what you have to do. Next time, pick your roommates better.
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June 29, 2010 7:14 p.m. Redhornet New Reader
When we brought home our new pooch who had them we did the following: 1. washed the dog, took her to the vet and got special medicine to kill the eggs 2. washed all the human/dog bedding, sheets, blankets, comforters, ALL clothing, EVERYTHING 3. with a hose washed all small carpets, or threw them out 4. vacuumed the bedroom wall to wall carpet every day for a week. (the rest of the house is hardwood floors) 5. kept the house immaculate for about 3 weeks (no dirty clothes on the floor, dusted all surfaces regularly, all trash in a can with a lid, kept kitchen spotless, etc.)
That seemed to work. Also keeping general high state of cleanliness for the next 2 or 3 weeks will help alot. Without infested cats around doing the above list should take care of your problem, just don't let any other pets in for the next month or 2.
Oh and wherever the cat box was, disinfect the area/room thoroughly with Scrubbing Bubbles/Clorox Cleanup or something similar to make damn sure no eggs or fleas are left.
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June 29, 2010 7:26 p.m. MrJoshua SuperDork
Amitraz is the ONLY thing I found that worked for ticks. It was like a miracle compared to all the pyrethrin/permethrin stuff everyone was recommending. Problem is I think it has to be on a dog collar or in a dip, not just sprayed on the floor. Might be worth some research. BTW-I may have spelled every one of those poisons wrong.
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June 29, 2010 7:29 p.m. NYG95GA SuperDork
Uh.. shotgun?
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June 29, 2010 7:38 p.m. wbjones Dork
DDT... wait a min. ... that was something that worked great , so of course we no longer are allowed to us it.............
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June 29, 2010 7:39 p.m. tr8todd New Reader
The best thing you can do is vacuum twice a day for several days. Stick a sock in the end of the vacuum tube when your done so the little buggers don't crawl back out. Throw away bag after the cycle is complete. Recently had the same problem. Wife has been buying flea drops for the cats for years over the internet. I am pretty sure the last batch was far east counterfeit crap. Fleas everywhere in a span of a week or so. Cats are staying outside until the problem is solved. Been at it a week or so and haven't seen a flea since the fourth day. Kind of nice not having cat hair on the furniture, so the cats won't be coming back in any time soon. Maybe I'll get lucky and they will find a new place to live.
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June 29, 2010 8:22 p.m. stroker Reader
I've found that Roach Prufe works REALLY well on most insects. I suppose if you could find bulk Boric Acid in powder form that might work, too.
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June 29, 2010 8:43 p.m. spitfirebill Dork
IGR=insect growth regulator. Dr. Hess has it right. A good spray and an IGR material.
I use an experimental IGR that a company I worked for years ago was working on. Its called Dimilin and is now used in fish ponds for worms. Really odd stuff. My current dog never has fleas. My old Brittany spaniel only got fleas when we went to visit the flea infested in-laws (their dogs, not the people). Another dose of Sevin and Dimilin and no fleas.
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June 29, 2010 8:44 p.m. Duke SuperDork
Hess should have you set up with his advice there. In the meantime, one other thing to do is take a desk lamp and put it on the floor shining directly over a shallow bowl full of water, particularly if you have carpets. The fleas will be attracted to the heat/light of the lamp, jump to be near it, and fall into the bowl and drown. it's simple but surprisingly effective and it really helps keep the bastards from snacking on you until the poisons get rid of the problem.
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June 29, 2010 9:01 p.m. Toyman01 Dork
The Doc and Duke have it. Do what they say and do it now. If you wait the problem will get worse so fast it will make your brain itch.
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June 29, 2010 9:29 p.m. joey48442 SuperDork
Put a little dishsoap in the water, it makes it harder for them to jump out.
Joey
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June 29, 2010 10:32 p.m. EastCoastMojo SuperDork
Also, grab a few of the el cheapo flea collars that are white and chalky and cut up about half of a collar and throw it in the vacuum bag, then vacuum immediately. As soon as you are done seal the bag with tape and dispose of it off site.
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June 30, 2010 7:27 a.m. pilotbraden Reader
A good source for DDT is the basement or shed of old people that bought the house in the 50'sor 60's.
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June 30, 2010 8:23 a.m. Buzz Killington HalfDork
i say nuke the place from orbit. it's the only way to be sure.
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June 30, 2010 8:37 a.m. Dr. Hess SuperDork
My friend had a bad problem. He couldn't use poison for some reason, I think involving couch monkeys. He put a nightlight in a socket and a pan of water with some dish soap under it and a piece of paper behind it. The fleas jump towards the light, hit the paper, bounce off down into the pan and drown. I have not tried this, because I prefer Buzz's methods.
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June 30, 2010 1:03 p.m. Strizzo SuperDork
i have been fighting with the fleas for a few weeks now, it seems that frontline is in short supply, and what can be had seems to work not-at-all. my dog has had a bad reaction to pyrethrin/permethrin based flea/tick killing stuff in the past, so i am stuck to using Diatomaceous Earth and frontline/advantix. i haven't tried advantix yet but i think it will be my next step. that, or try the comfortis again, but that made her sick for the next day afterwards last time she had it.
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June 30, 2010 1:07 p.m. mndsm HalfDork
Kill it with fire. Re-up your renters' insurance, and get a new TV out of the deal.
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June 30, 2010 3:13 p.m. spitfirebill Dork
pilotbraden wrote:
A good source for DDT is the basement or shed of old people that bought the house in the 50'sor 60's.
I've been looking for 18 years now. No luck. That stuff is pretty much long gone now.
I'm trying to find some Aldrin so I can do a real termite treatment at my home and that's gone too.
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June 30, 2010 3:18 p.m. spitfirebill Dork
Strizzo wrote:
i have been fighting with the fleas for a few weeks now, it seems that frontline is in short supply, and what can be had seems to work not-at-all. my dog has had a bad reaction to pyrethrin/permethrin based flea/tick killing stuff in the past, so i am stuck to using Diatomaceous Earth and frontline/advantix. i haven't tried advantix yet but i think it will be my next step. that, or try the comfortis again, but that made her sick for the next day afterwards last time she had it.
I believe Precor is the juvenile hormone spray that works so well. It kills eggs and larve, but not adults. Should last for a few monthd.
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June 30, 2010 11:44 p.m. 4eyes Reader
In reply to Dr. Hess:If you use carbonated water, the CO2 acts as an added attractant.
