# fighting fleas



## NutroGeoff (May 15, 2013)

So Bella, my wife's cousin's dog that we babysat, turned out to have fleas while she was over we caught it the second day and gave her a bath with flea shampoo, but it didn't work. So now that she is gone, Baxter and our apartment now have fleas. What is the best, natural way you have used to rid a dog and apartment or house of fleas?


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

This year has been especially bad for us, and I don't normally use anything chemical, but I have resorted to Advantix ll on the dogs, and I sprayed the underside of our couch cushons with "natural" fly spray we use on our horses. It worked, not another flea. I am only going to use the Advantix again when/if absolutely needed.


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## NutroGeoff (May 15, 2013)

That sounds like a good idea. Thank you!


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## doggiedad (Jan 23, 2011)

when i had to fight fleas i use to give the dog a bath usuing flea shampoo. i bombed the house, every
room and the basement. i sprayed the floors and the top of the base boards. the funiture was sprayed.
i sprayed the porch, a large portion of the sidewalk and all around the outside of the house. 2 weeks
later i did it all over.


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## NutroGeoff (May 15, 2013)

Oh wow. Yeah I got this powder stuff to put in my carpets to try to get them out of there. I am going to see how well that works.


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## sozzle (May 18, 2011)

We had a really bad flea season recently here in NZ due to a very mild winter and our dogs were infested which was gross. We ended up shampooing them a few times, bombing the house and vacuuming and washing their bedding a few times. We did also resort to using topical flea treatments as well. Fleas of course can live in the carpets and cracks at the skirting boards for months and months and come out when the temperature is optimal and there is something to feed on. I think if you want to avoid using those though you just have to be persistent like with head lice ie just keep combing the little critters out. Of course head lice don't jump, they only walk so are far easier to manage at the end of the day.


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## Rvent (Apr 15, 2012)

food grade diatomaceous earth You can put it on the dog and feed it to the dog, also sprinkle around the apt. it dries out their exoskeleton and they die, the internal is for the worms dogs get from digesting fleas.


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## NutroGeoff (May 15, 2013)

Rvent said:


> food grade diatomaceous earth You can put it on the dog and feed it to the dog, also sprinkle around the apt. it dries out their exoskeleton and they die, the internal is for the worms dogs get from digesting fleas.


I may have to do that. Where can I get stuff like that?


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## Rvent (Apr 15, 2012)

Most feed stores, Agway or even online. 
You can do a google search for the proper dosage to give internally.

Just make sure it is food grade!


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## NutroGeoff (May 15, 2013)

I'll have to check that out! Thank you!


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## NutroGeoff (May 15, 2013)

I think I finally got rid of the fleas now. The carpet powder stuff I got seems to have worked pretty well.


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## Georgiapeach (Jan 24, 2011)

Do it again every week for awhile. The eggs will hatch... Also, if you have a bagged vacuum cleaner, throw the bag away every time you vacuum, or the eggs will hatch in the bag, causing more problems.


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## NutroGeoff (May 15, 2013)

That's a really good idea. Thank you! I'll re-treat the floor again tomorrow when I leave for work.


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## tdkeesh (May 4, 2012)

I've had good luck with diatomaceous earth as well. Just a couple of notes though -- I find I need to dust everything a couple of times; especially at the base of the walls and other cracks and crevices. You also want to be sure that if you use it on your carpet, you clean your vacuum cleaner filters a lot. The dust is very fine and can do a number on a vacuum. I've also found that if I'm not careful it seems to irritate my asthma. But I'd still much rather use it than any of the chemical stuff.


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## jenniferny (Jul 24, 2014)

*Fighting fleas*



NutroGeoff said:


> So Bella, my wife's cousin's dog that we babysat, turned out to have fleas while she was over we caught it the second day and gave her a bath with flea shampoo, but it didn't work. So now that she is gone, Baxter and our apartment now have fleas. What is the best, natural way you have used to rid a dog and apartment or house of fleas?



I have an irresponsible pet owner for a neighbor. They have had up to 7 animals that live in their sunroom. They NEVER treat for fleas, except one time a year. When the wind blows just right, I can smell cat urine in my yard over thirty feet away and on the other side of their house. Every August they empty their sunroom and put everything outside, THEN spray for fleas. This releases thousands and thousands of fleas into the area. You can see them jumping on your legs within days of them doing this. Why once a year? School starts in September. They must get rid of the fleas and heal the hundreds of bites on their teenage son before the first day of school because they are deathly afraid the school will report them.

My approach to the constant flea problem is seven fold. 

1. I bathe my companions weekly with Dr Harveys Protection Shampoo, enhanced with four additional essential oils.

2. After their bath, I rub a 10% Neem Pro 100, 90% Olive Oil mix on their coats and massage it in. More and great info on Neem Oil is at discoverneem.com.

3. Every three to four days I rub a 10% Neem Pro 100, 90% Olive Oil mix on their coats and massage it in again.

4. I mix Peppermint, Citronella, Clove Bud, and Cedarwood Essential Oils with 1-2 Tsp of Dawn Dish Soap and 32 oz of water in a dark colored spray bottle. If they pick up a flea or two I spray them, starting at their head and working backwards to chase the fleas to their back end. I massage it in well. I usually find the fleas between their rear legs. I spray the fleas 3-4 times directly, which usually kills them quickly, but to be sure I pick off the flea and put it in soapy water where it will drown.

5. Weekly or every other week I will spread Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth on all of my carpets AND WORK IT IN TO THE CARPET. After 24-48 hours I vacuum it up and throw away the bag immediately.

6. Two to three times a week I mix 4 Tsp of Neem Pro 100, 2 Tsp of Dawn Dish Soap, and 1 gallon of warm water. I put into a 1 gallon sprayer and spray inside my entire house.

7. I have two 'flea traps' in the area where my companions spend most of their time. I use a shallow bowl and put 2 Tsp of Dawn Dish Soap and fill it with warm water. I have a nite light securely mounted over the top of the bowls. The fleas are attracted to the heat and jump in the bowls and sink and die.

*Why so much and so many different methods??*

Because I have such a severe and continual problem this is the only thing that has worked so far.

I live an all natural lifestyle. Myself and my companions eat what we were designed to eat when we were created. We all consume NO processed or pasteurized foods, and NO foods with additives or preservatives or chemicals and we consume NO GMO foods. I use NO chemicals of ANY kind!!

In 2012 I lost my two companions of over thirteen years, one to cancer, one to liver disease within a five month period. My vet believes and my extensive research has told me that there two deadly diseases which killed them both so close to one another, were a direct result of the Spot-On Flea Treatments that I used on them for years until I discovered how deadly they were. 

The toxic chemicals in the Spot-On Flea Treatments get in to your companions body, organs and tissues and continue to accumulate every time you use them until they reach a toxic level and cause a life threatening disease. For the 13+ years that my companions were with me they never were at the vet for any illness, just the required shots. They ate a very healthy diet and were completely healthy right up to the very end, but as the people that live near toxic waste dumps have discovered, the deadly effects of the deadly chemicals WILL come back to cause life threatening disease sooner or later, sometimes many years later.

Some statistics:

60,000 adverse effects are reported to the FDA a year from the Spot-On Flea Treatments

600 companion animal Deaths a year were reported to the FDA. 

*These two figures were just those incidents that were reported, the actual numbers are believed to be two to three times higher.*

The life expectancy of a companion animal treated regularly with Spot-On Flea Treatments is said to be reduced by a minimum of 25% and many times causes many different illnesses over the lifetime of your companion also causing numerous vet visits and high vet bills.


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## NutroGeoff (May 15, 2013)

Oh wow. That sounds terrible, I hate it when people are so irresponsible. And thank you for all of that advice!


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

NutroGeoff said:


> Oh wow. That sounds terrible, I hate it when people are so irresponsible. And thank you for all of that advice!


Unfortunantly, there are a lot of irresponsible people in the world.


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## NutroGeoff (May 15, 2013)

Yeah that's very true. Especially pet owners. It seems they just want a dog or cat just to say they have one.


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## Lance-Dash (Aug 13, 2013)

NutroGeoff said:


> I may have to do that. Where can I get stuff like that?


Our local Tractor Supply carries food grade DE.


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## jenniferny (Jul 24, 2014)

*100% food grade de*



Lance-Dash said:


> Our local Tractor Supply carries food grade DE.


Lance, just be careful. If you bought Red Lake brand I would contact them to see what % of actual Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth their product contains.

From the TSC website Red Lake description:

Guaranteed Analysis:
Ash (Mineral Matter): (max.) 95%, Moisture: (max.) 8%.

It *MAY* only actually contain small % of the Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth with mostly filler. Who knows what Ash (Mineral Matter) actually is.

From: 50 lb Natural Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth - Only $39.99
Permaguard contains:
"100% Food Grade DE
No Additives"

I would want to check to make sure you are getting the most for your money.

I buy Permaguard brand. PERMA-GUARD Fossil Shell Flour®

More info: Diatomaceous Earth (food grade) At Wholesale Prices
or
Diatomaceous Earth Learning Center - Official Site DiatomaceousEarth.com



Here is what the bag looks like: http://www.perma-guard.com/images/stories/FSF-50lb-bag.png

The last 50lb bag I ordered was $50-$60 delivered, so look around for the best deal.


I hope this helps!!!


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## NutroGeoff (May 15, 2013)

Oh wow. I'll have to check that out. I know there is one or two of those in my area.


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