Flea Bombs & Squirrel Sensitivity

[Lucky's Mom]

OK...so I need to flea bomb my house.

Lucky is a free roaming squirrel and will obviously be removed while this is going on. However, I just read this online:

"Most flea bombs contain permethrin, a chemical dangerous for cats. There is a chance a cat will ingest the insecticide, as it may get on her feet and fur from walking or lying on treated areas. Cat owners should use caution when using any insecticide containing permethrin."

Get on feet from walking on treated areas?? Of course she will, she'll be walking on the carpet!

Has anyone ever used a flea bomb and had any adverse reactions with pets, squirrels, etc..? The directions for the flea bomb say to air everything out for an hour after the fogger is complete, but what about the remaining residue?

I MUST get rid of these fleas, but now I don't know what to do. I have a headache.:shakehead

[Pointy Tale]

I have no idea what to do, but I feel so bad for you. I wish you luck and hope someone knows what to do.

[Lucky's Mom]

Thanks for the kind words.

In the nearly 20 years that I've lived here, I've never had fleas. Two weeks ago I took in 4 bunnies to rehab and didn't realize until it was too late that they were loaded with them.

They seem to be everywhere now. This is the worst!

My biggest fear is by getting rid of the fleas, that I harm my little girl with the chemicals. I would have to check into a mental hospital if that ever happened.

[island rehabber]

LM I have great success in the past when I had both cat and dog, using Zodiac's Flea & Tick spray. You can spray both the animals and the carpet with it and it kills eggs, not just adult fleas. I never had any of my pets get an adverse reaction. On the other hand, my ex-sis-in-law's cat became paralyzed after she used a roach bomb in the house. The cat was taken out during the fumigation, but two days after returning to the home she became severely neurological.

[Peaches]

I am opposed to any chemicals in my house because of the animals and people with asthma. I have never heard of anyone having a problem with their dogs or cats when using flea bombs properly however I would worry about the squirrels.
The only truly safe way to handle fleas is to vacuum the whole house paying attention to corners and woodwork (throw the bag away) then steam clean all your carpets. This will greatly reduce the number of fleas. Then put Frontline on your cats and dogs (not the squirrel) Any remaining fleas will jump on the pets to eat and will die, be sure to repeat the Frontline application for 3 months to kill off all hatching eggs. Use only Frontline because the store bought ones are very dangerous, particularly bio spot and anything by Hartz. While I'm not thrilled about putting chemicals directly on the pets either I believe it is safer then the bombs for all involved and will prevent a re-infestation later on.
If you opt to use the bombs I would wash the floors and even mop the carpets after. Don't forget to wash down all counters, tables, shelving and woodwork. Basically anything that you or your pets will walk on or chew on.
Either way you have a lot of work ahead of you :osnap I really feel for you, good luck.
PS. Don't forget to wash all pet bedding and keep the squirrel cage out of the bombing area.

[Peaches]

On the other hand, my ex-sis-in-law's cat became paralyzed after she used a roach bomb in the house. The cat was taken out during the fumigation, but two days after returning to the home she became severely neurological.
Ok well there you go, now I've heard of one. It doesnt surprise me either. I would avoid the bombs. Flea sprays can be used but you should still wash down the area after, no chemicals are safe if ingested by small animals. Once I had a bad infestation and I used the flea spray in the carpet steam cleaner, I waited an hour then steam cleaned them again with fresh water. Alot of work but it worked.

[Lucky's Mom]

Oh boy...see this is exactly what I'm afraid of, and I'm sure it would be the same for squirrels.

Can you spray the Zodiac on everything? I'm afraid the fleas have gotten into my couch, all my carpets, clothes, laundry room, bathrooms and other spots. I must have carried them with me everywhere I went after handling the bunnies and didn't realize it until I started getting bitten myself.

My garage and family room seem to be the worst hit since that's where the bunnies started out. I currently have 4 raccoons in the garage that will be going into a release cage this Saturday. Every time I go out there to feed them, I strip down and immediately put my clothes in the washing machine. I can actually see the fleas jumping onto my clothes. Believe it or not, I put flea collars on the raccoons so they don't become infested. But for the last two weeks, I've been walking in and out and all over the house, probably with these darn things clinging to my clothes and shoes and not even knowing it. I know I can bomb the garage because after Saturday, no one will be in there. But its the main house I'm worried about because Lucky goes everywhere and anywhere inside.

I feel like I'm never going to get rid of these things. But I need to keep Lucky and my other little guys safe.

I am crazy depressed about this. :shakehead

[Pointy Tale]

Thanks for the kind words.

In the nearly 20 years that I've lived here, I've never had fleas. Two weeks ago I took in 4 bunnies to rehab and didn't realize until it was too late that they were loaded with them.

They seem to be everywhere now. This is the worst!

My biggest fear is by getting rid of the fleas, that I harm my little girl with the chemicals. I would have to check into a mental hospital if that ever happened.
I know, sometimes when we help someone or in your case the bunnies, the thanks we get is not always what we expect. I just feel so bad, because you've done everything right and now this. It must be horrible.

Oh my goodness, it seems really complicated. I just feel so bad. I wish I knew how to help you, I really do. Maybe IR will know about the sofa and stuff. :( Best wishes to you.

[Peaches]

oh your talking major infestation :eek: . This is very hard to handle without bombing but it can be done. First vacuum everything and everywhere, then steam clean the rugs and if possible the furniture. Next use the zodiac spray in the crevises of the furniture and the edges of the carpets. The uncarpeted areas can be defleaed by vacuuming very carefully in ALL areas you can reach and spray the area's you cant (behind and under cabnets ect)
If this doesnt work then you may have to bomb but before any animals come home you will have to steam clean the carpets and furniture, mop all floors and wash all solid surfaces.
It would actually be easier for you to foster a half dozen large dogs from a shelter and frontline them :jk . I had a infestation last year when a bunch of flea ridden mice moved into my walls but because I have 3 cats and a large dog I only had to vacuum and frontline the pets to get rid of them.

[Pointy Tale]

Wow, this is really serious and seems very hard to treat without either pesticides or a lot of extra man-power. Oh geeze, again I am just so sorry for you.

[Lucky's Mom]

oh your talking major infestation :eek: . This is very hard to handle without bombing but it can be done. First vacuum everything and everywhere, then steam clean the rugs and if possible the furniture. Next use the zodiac spray in the crevises of the furniture and the edges of the carpets. The uncarpeted areas can be defleaed by vacuuming very carefully in ALL areas you can reach and spray the area's you cant (behind and under cabnets ect)
If this doesnt work then you may have to bomb but before any animals come home you will have to steam clean the carpets and furniture, mop all floors and wash all solid surfaces.
It would actually be easier for you to foster a half dozen large dogs from a shelter and frontline them :jk . I had a infestation last year when a bunch of flea ridden mice moved into my walls but because I have 3 cats and a large dog I only had to vacuum and frontline the pets to get rid of them.

I'm going to try your suggestion first. I've been using Zodiac Carpet & Upholstery Powder in the carpet areas hardest hit and vacuuming everyday, but I will take this weekend and steam clean the carpets. I may even hire someone if I can afford it. They probably have all the tools for furniture, which I don't. Then hit everything with the Zodiac spray after they leave.

I also bought 5 of these:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000668Z96/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=304485901&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00004RBDU&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=01MZWWHP2HETGJ1P86WN

I've been catching some, but I'm just getting the tip of the iceberg with the adults, not the eggs.

I absolutely abhor chemicals and am trying to avoid them, but I don't think I have a choice with this.

[Buddy'sMom]

I recently bought this product for ant control in the house -- the product info says it can be used near pets, and even spray on pet bedding. Active ingredient is orange peel extract, which should be safe enough, right?

"Orange Guard" http://www.ecowise.com/index.php?cPath=23_35_119&osCsid=ac22a0c8f929704ecfb96949051c6283
Selected info from the website:

May be used around Food, Humans, and Pets.

Effective against ants, roaches, and fleas.

The active ingredient d-Limonene (orange peel extract) destroys the wax coating of the insect's respiratory system. When applied directly, the insect suffocates; residue around thresholds, ant trails, and roach havens works great as a broad range repellant.

Can I spray Orange Guard on my pets?
We are not yet labeled for spraying pets. You may spray pet bedding to control fleas.

Can't actually say if it got rid of the ants, although they are GONE -- but I did a most unscientific thing in my desperation to stop the armies and sprayed two things the same day, so I don't know which worked. :shakehead

I hope something works for you, safely!!
:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[Lucky's Mom]

I recently bought this product for ant control in the house -- the product info says it can be used near pets, and even spray on pet bedding. Active ingredient is orange peel extract, which should be safe enough, right?

"Orange Guard" http://www.ecowise.com/index.php?cPath=23_35_119&osCsid=ac22a0c8f929704ecfb96949051c6283
Selected info from the website:

May be used around Food, Humans, and Pets.

Effective against ants, roaches, and fleas.

The active ingredient d-Limonene (orange peel extract) destroys the wax coating of the insect's respiratory system. When applied directly, the insect suffocates; residue around thresholds, ant trails, and roach havens works great as a broad range repellant.

Can I spray Orange Guard on my pets?
We are not yet labeled for spraying pets. You may spray pet bedding to control fleas.

Can't actually say if it got rid of the ants, although they are GONE -- but I did a most unscientific thing in my desperation to stop the armies and sprayed two things the same day, so I don't know which worked. :shakehead

I hope something works for you, safely!!
:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug
Thanks for sending this. I will definitely check this out.

This is how badly I want to avoid chemicals...I was just in my room with the night light/flea trap looking for fleas. I was picking them out of the carpet with my fingers when I could spot them and sticking them to the flea paper by hand. I got 4 of the suckers!

[Peaches]

Ha Ha Ha Hand picking the flea's and tossing them onto the flea paper is probably going to take too long. Let us know if the flea trap works at all though, I'm curious. Not using chemicals makes things ten times harder but I believe its worth it for everyones safety.
I had a ant problem in my bathroom 2 weeks ago and didnt know what to do about it, ant traps on the window sill werent working. Then one morning I saw I had a spider on the sink and he was catching ants. I figured oh good and left him there. A week later the spider had tripled in size, his web claims my Scope bottle, the tooth paste tube, the Q-tip jar and a deodorant. Now if I even dare look at him he lunges at me and his web is inching ever closer to the cold water handle. The ants are gone, he ate them all. I would like to clean up the ant carcuses under the web and get rid of the evil attack spider as well, but I cant figure out how lol. I don't want to kill him, just toss him out. Any idea's? I should probably mention I am afraid of him. He's big black and hairy, he also can jump very far and he's fast. I may just have to wall off that bathroom lol.

[Lucky's Mom]

Ha Ha Ha Hand picking the flea's and tossing them onto the flea paper is probably going to take too long. Let us know if the flea trap works at all though, I'm curious. Not using chemicals makes things ten times harder but I believe its worth it for everyones safety.
I had a ant problem in my bathroom 2 weeks ago and didnt know what to do about it, ant traps on the window sill werent working. Then one morning I saw I had a spider on the sink and he was catching ants. I figured oh good and left him there. A week later the spider had tripled in size, his web claims my Scope bottle, the tooth paste tube, the Q-tip jar and a deodorant. Now if I even dare look at him he lunges at me and his web is inching ever closer to the cold water handle. The ants are gone, he ate them all. I would like to clean up the ant carcuses under the web and get rid of the evil attack spider as well, but I cant figure out how lol. I don't want to kill him, just toss him out. Any idea's? I should probably mention I am afraid of him. He's big black and hairy, he also can jump very far and he's fast. I may just have to wall off that bathroom lol.
That's what I need!! I flea eating spider. I need to investigate to see if there is such a thing! LOL

I actually like spiders and don't mind them in the house because they eat bugs. I'll take spiders over fleas any day. Don't kill your your spiderman (spiderwoman?) after he helped. Put a glass over him and slide a junk mail envelope between him and the wall. Junk mail envelopes work best because they are always stuffed with, well, junk and are sturdy. Then let him out in the yard and say thanks.

The flea traps only work as well as the sticky paper. I have two in my family room and the sticky paper is very sticky. Believe it or not, there are lots of fleas stuck to the paper. But I've noticed the paper quality or stickiness isn't consistent. On one of the traps in my room, the paper is only sticky in certain spots, so the fleas jump in and can jump right back out. Not good. I'm going to research what I can use to make my own sticky paper. I'm also going to keep these things plugged in full-time for now. It can't hurt. Even if it traps one flea, that's one less flea in the world.

Thanks for making me laugh about the spider! I needed it.

[Peaches]

normally I like spiders in the house too but this one has gotten too big and aggressive. I tried the cup thing but his web goes on a angle from the corner to the sink and there is no way to get under it. I tried to surprise him and all I did was anger him, he jumped at me and now I'm not sure where he is lol. He did do a good job and I do appreciate it but he has to move out now. Once I let a spider live in my bedroom to catch skeeters and the next thing I knew I had hundreds of baby spiders making little webs on everything I owned. It took me weeks to toss them all out the window into the garden. I have to be more picky about which spiders I let stay.

[Mrs Skul]

:wave123 Hi! Lucky's mom, I know Ardella, with SFS bombed her house before she picked up Otis. She took cage toys food all pet's out. After she made it home a few days later she said she washed every thing down real good. You might try contacting her for her input. If you are going to steam clean your carpets, why not go ahead and bomb. You just have to wash every thing down afterward.Bedding, dishes, wipe walls, mop floors . I read some where their is a new bomb that has no residue! I would still wash every thing down.
The vet gave me something for fleas, to put on little babies. I will try to find it and PM you with name for when you get some more babies. You can use it. For the coons feed them some garlic on their food every day. Before front line I had 8 Pekingese. They all had very long hair for show. :wahoo NO FLEAS ! I feed them garlic on their food every day. A friend had a Bassett hound covered with fleas. He started the garlic a week later fleas were going away. I hope this helps. Christal

[Lucky's Mom]

:wave123 Hi! Lucky's mom, I know Ardella, with SFS bombed her house before she picked up Otis. She took cage toys food all pet's out. After she made it home a few days later she said she washed every thing down real good. You might try contacting her for her input. If you are going to steam clean your carpets, why not go ahead and bomb. You just have to wash every thing down afterward.Bedding, dishes, wipe walls, mop floors . I read some where their is a new bomb that has no residue! I would still wash every thing down.
The vet gave me something for fleas, to put on little babies. I will try to find it and PM you with name for when you get some more babies. You can use it. For the coons feed them some garlic on their food every day. Before front line I had 8 Pekingese. They all had very long hair for show. :wahoo NO FLEAS ! I feed them garlic on their food every day. A friend had a Bassett hound covered with fleas. He started the garlic a week later fleas were going away. I hope this helps. Christal
Thanks! I will try the garlic. I'm also curious to find out what it is that you used on the babies.

I'm still scared of the flea bombs. I've read so much negative stuff about them. If Lucky was in a cage and contained I wouldn't worry so much. But she's not. She is free roaming and is able to go everywhere in the house. I'd be afraid that she would find the one spot that I missed. And knowing her, she would.

Please send me that info though if you can. Thanks!!!

[heather]

You could try Diatomaceous Earth. Do a google search on it. I use food grade in the house for ants but it also works on fleas too.

[Lucky's Mom]

You could try Diatomaceous Earth. Do a google search on it. I use food grade in the house for ants but it also works on fleas too.
I've never heard of that. I am looking it up right now!!!

[Pointy Tale]

Ha Ha Ha Hand picking the flea's and tossing them onto the flea paper is probably going to take too long. Let us know if the flea trap works at all though, I'm curious. Not using chemicals makes things ten times harder but I believe its worth it for everyones safety.
I had a ant problem in my bathroom 2 weeks ago and didnt know what to do about it, ant traps on the window sill werent working. Then one morning I saw I had a spider on the sink and he was catching ants. I figured oh good and left him there. A week later the spider had tripled in size, his web claims my Scope bottle, the tooth paste tube, the Q-tip jar and a deodorant. Now if I even dare look at him he lunges at me and his web is inching ever closer to the cold water handle. The ants are gone, he ate them all. I would like to clean up the ant carcuses under the web and get rid of the evil attack spider as well, but I cant figure out how lol. I don't want to kill him, just toss him out. Any idea's? I should probably mention I am afraid of him. He's big black and hairy, he also can jump very far and he's fast. I may just have to wall off that bathroom lol.
I'm sorry but that was so cute, very light and cute. Have you tried to get a cup or something and trap him when he's on the counter or wall and when he is in the cup put paper underneath it and bring him out???? Just a thought.

[Pointy Tale]

You could try Diatomaceous Earth. Do a google search on it. I use food grade in the house for ants but it also works on fleas too.

Yes, Yes this is the good stuff, it also supposed to be effective against roundworms too and I heard that is a real hard one. But you cannot get the kind for the pool, it has to be in the pet store or health food store. I have more research on it, do you want me to get it?

I also have some other home remedies if you're interested?

[Pointy Tale]

Only Natural Pet All-in-One Flea Remedy:

999012 All-in-One 8 oz. Powder $14.99

Ingredients: Diatomaceous Earth, Sage, Eucalyptus, Yellowdock Root, Fennel Seed, Rosemary Leaf

Our All-In-One Flea Remedy is the ultimate natural weapon against fleas. Named "All-In-One" because it kills fleas in all three zones of flea control (on pets, in the home, and in your yard), this non-toxic, natural compound has been used to kill insects for centuries. It is widely used for pest control in agriculture and gardening, and it’s even used in livestock feed and in storage of grain used for human consumption, since it’s harmless when ingested.

http://www.dog-health-care-information.com/fleas

Sorry, I don't link very well, but the site information is above. If it is not right let me know and I will try again. Again, sorry I am not the best linker.


ZONE 1 - On Your Pet

How to apply to a dog or cat:Sprinkle a small amount of Only Natural Pet All-in-One Flea Remedy along your pet's spine and rub it into their fur against the direction of hair growth. Get the powder close to the skin, but do not rub it into the skin. Apply to all other areas of the body, especially the belly, legs, and feet. The powder must come into contact with the fleas to be effective, so working it through the fur thoroughly is important. Shake the bottle gently and avoid creating billows of dust that may be inhaled by you and your pet (see caution below).

How much and how often to use:

As a general guide, use approximately:
1-2 teaspoons for an average size cat
1-6 tablespoons for a dog, depending on size

For mild to moderate infestations, re-apply every 3-10 days
In case of severe infestations, apply frequently in the beginning - even daily if needed

As the problem begins to improve, you may decrease the frequency of application. Always reapply after bathing, but wait until the fur is dry. It is recommended that you thoroughly bathe your pet before the first application, especially with moderate to severe infestations. With severe infestations is is also helpful to groom daily with a flea comb in the beginning. If you find fleas with the flea comb, put them in soapy water to drown them.

ZONE 2 - In Your Home
How to apply to carpeting:First vacuum the carpet thoroughly and make sure it is dry. If fleas are already present, be sure to discard the vacuum cleaner bag immediately after vacuuming, or else sprinkle and vacuum up approximately 2 tablespoons of All-In-One powder to kill fleas, larvae and eggs in the bag. Sprinkle a light coating of All-In-One Flea Remedy over an area (approximately 2 tablespoons per 10 sq. ft.) and using a broom or carpet rake, work it as deeply into the carpet pile as possible until it does not show. Hold the bottle low and shake gently when applying to minimize the dust created (see caution below). Use a broom to sweep up excess visible in surrounding non-carpeted areas.

Leave the powder in place for 3 days and then do a light vacuuming to pull out the dead fleas. It is important that powder deep in the pile remains in place for several weeks so that larvae hatching from eggs and new adults coming out of cocoons during this time will be killed as well. If you must vacuum thoroughly within the first 3 weeks after applying, re-apply 3 weeks after the date of first application, and again let the powder sit for 3 days and then vacuum.

One bottle of Only Natural Pet All-in-One Flea Remedy treats approximately 3,000 square feet of carpet. In parts of the country with flea problems, repeat the application during flea season every one or two months as needed. Be sure to do one application early, just before the season starts.

How to apply to furniture or bedding:
Sprinkle a light coating and work it into cracks and crevices, then vacuum or sweep away excess visible powder. Be sure to apply under small area rugs, bedding, and furniture, as this is where the eggs and larvae will accumulate.

How to apply to flooring and baseboards:
Sprinkle lightly and work into cracks and crevices with a broom, then sweep up excess visible powder.

How much and how often to use:
Use about 2 T (tablespoons) for every 10 feet of area. You may need to re-apply, depending on the severity of your flea infestation:

If there is still flea activity after two weeks, re-apply 3 weeks from date of original application.
If you have vacuumed deeply within in the first 3 weeks of application, re-apply 3 weeks from original application date
If you have a moderate to severe infestation (i.e., more than 1-2 fleas seen on the pet, itching or fleas present for more than a week), or live in an area with an extended or multiple flea seasons, plan to re-apply in areas your pet frequents every 3-8 weeks, as adult fleas and pupae in cocoons can remain dormant for extended periods of time - be ready for the second wave!

ZONE 3 - In Your Yard and Outdoor Pet Areas

To apply in your yard or garden:
Sprinkle Only Natural Pet All-in-One Flea Remedy in outdoor areas where your pet spends time. Use approximately one bottle per 1,500 square feet of yard. In areas close to the house try to get it into cracks and crevices. The powder can be mixed water and applied using a sprayer - use approximately two tablespoons per gallon of water. Fleas like shady, sandy, and moist areas, so be sure to remove yard debris, and keep grass mowed short in shady spots. Re-apply every 2-3 weeks in target areas if flea infestation is severe, or if you live in an area with a long flea season.

Other Pests:Only Natural Pet All-in-One Flea Remedy is also effective against ticks, cockroaches, ants, bedbugs, carpet beetles, centipedes, crickets, earwigs, grasshoppers, millipedes, slugs, and silverfish.

Cautions:
As with any fine powder, overexposure may cause respiratory discomfort, so remove pets and small children to other areas when applying in the home or yard, and avoid inhaling the dust during application. It is a good idea to wear a mask if you are applying it over a large area and billows of dust may be created. If you have a compromised respiratory system, consider having a friend or family member apply the powder at a time when you are out of the house.

Diatomaceous earth is a drying agent, and may cause moderate eye irritation, so avoid contact with the eyes. Flush liberally with water if contact with the eyes occurs.

Only Natural Pet All-in-One Flea Remedy is non-toxic and safe for your pet and family members. It will not harm pets if they lick their fur. Ingestion of or skin contact with Only Natural Pet All-in-One Flea Remedy will not harm pets or people. It is safe to allow children, cats, dogs, and other pets to sit, lie, crawl, and play in areas that have been treated after excess visible powder has been swept up or removed.

Complementary Approaches:
When fighting fleas, especially a severe infestation, it is always more effective to approach the problem from more than one angle. Our All-In-One Flea Remedy works well as part of a holistic flea prevention or treatment plan. If you are preparing for flea season or already involved in a battle with fleas, please see our article, The Natural Approach to Flea Control, for helpful tips and suggestions.

We've also grouped our natural flea remedies into convenient kits based on the severity of your flea situation to save you time and money in gathering your weapons to win the war on fleas, safely and naturally. Please click here to see our Flea Care Kits for Cats and for Dogs.

Here are some other strategies that you may want to consider along with Only Natural Pet All-in-One Flea Remedy:

If your pets go outside, consider using our Only Natural Pet Herbal Defense Spray to repel parasites.
Use our Herbal Defense Shampoo and Conditioner to keep your pet's skin and coat clean and shiny while also repelling unwanted insects - a must for treating pets with moderate to severe flea infestations.
Many people find our Brewer's Yeast & Garlic tablets to be helpful in making their pets less attractive to fleas.
The quality of your pet's food is an important determinant in their ability to fight fleas. A poor diet means a weaker immune system and greater attractiveness to fleas. If you are not feeding your pet a high quality, natural food, you might want to consider changing. Any of the brands sold at Only Natural Pet Store for dogs and for cats would qualify as high quality and natural.
In general the difficulty and length of time required to win a battle against a flea infestation depends on the severity of the problem and the environment in which you live. Please keep in mind that fleas can remain in a dormant state for extensive periods of time, and natural flea remedies may need to be re-applied at regular intervals through the flea season to eliminate fleas completely.

100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
We are pleased to offer a 100% money-back guarantee on Only Natural Pet All-in-One Flea Remedy. We are so convinced that your flea problems will be eliminated that we will gladly refund your cost for the product if you are not completely satisfied with the results. We ask only that you follow the instructions for use for the initial three-week treatment period. If your flea problem has not been resolved to your satisfaction, just call us or send us an email, and we will issue you a refund for the full purchase price

Does this help?

[Peaches]

Diatomaceous Earth sounds very interesting and promising, my only concern with powders is that pets roam around sniffing everything and inhaling any kind of powder is bad for their respiratory tract. I'm guessing that putting it down for an hour and then vacuuming it up would reduce its efficiency dramatically.
There really is no easy solution to flea's when you have small free roaming pets.
I caught my spider this morning, he is in a potted plant outside my window. I can send him to you if you like lol.

[Lucky's Mom]

L
Does this help?

It sounds promising. I'm not sure about leaving dust in place for 3 days with Lucky roaming around and inhaling everything. But it would have to be better than chemicals. Thank you for sending such detailed information on it!

I have a call into a professional carpet cleaner. I may have to just bite the bullet and pay to have the entire house done. Doesn't help that I've been out of work for the last year. AY YI YI.

[Lucky's Mom]

Diatomaceous Earth sounds very interesting and promising, my only concern with powders is that pets roam around sniffing everything and inhaling any kind of powder is bad for their respiratory tract. I'm guessing that putting it down for an hour and then vacuuming it up would reduce its efficiency dramatically.
There really is no easy solution to flea's when you have small free roaming pets.
I caught my spider this morning, he is in a potted plant outside my window. I can send him to you if you like lol.
Get a picture of him! I'd love to see what he looks like!

[mindy65]

Sevin Dust 5% is also very good, I put it on my dogs, cats, birds. Just make sure you get the 5% and NOT 10%. Its cheap, and available at most farm and families and walmart. I swear by it, and its my new best friend. Fleas really suck and you may have to do it more than once but it will definitely won't hurt you baby or yourself. mindy

[jfischer]

If you decide to go with the 5% Seven Dust, use only the Otrho Max. It is the only dust that says you can use it on cats and dogs.

Ortho used to make the seven dust use by many farmers years ago. They have changed their label. I tried to find it so I could use it in my Barn for fleas. We have many Ferro Cats.

I finally found it at: doitbest.com for $4.99. I have used it in my bathroom for ants, and it knocked them out for sure. I have used it for Webb worms that get into trees. I sprinkled it at the bottom of the trees and when they came down or up the trunk. It took care of them. I also used it around my slab of the house. I use to put it on my dogs and cats before Frontline. I also springle it outside where my dogs lay.

I have also use the Zodac Flea Spray in my house when I had a flea problem years ago, but I noticed that PetMat does not have it any more. I used it on my furniture also. But, I did not have a squirrel back then.

I bet you if you vaccummed and cleaned your carpet it will help for sure. I would also mop your garage out with clorex, dawn dish detergent and water. I do this weekly, it will also keep the spiders under control. Even it you could mop you kitchen and bathroom floores with bleach and water it will help kill the flea eggs. (do not use on hardwood or carpet floors)

Good luck

[Lucky's Mom]

Sevin Dust 5% is also very good, I put it on my dogs, cats, birds. Just make sure you get the 5% and NOT 10%. Its cheap, and available at most farm and families and walmart. I swear by it, and its my new best friend. Fleas really suck and you may have to do it more than once but it will definitely won't hurt you baby or yourself. mindy
Thanks Mindy!

I will definitely check this out.

[Lucky's Mom]

I bet you if you vaccummed and cleaned your carpet it will help for sure. I would also mop your garage out with clorex, dawn dish detergent and water. I do this weekly, it will also keep the spiders under control. Even it you could mop you kitchen and bathroom floores with bleach and water it will help kill the flea eggs. (do not use on hardwood or carpet floors)

Good luck

I just finished vacuuming like a madwoman. It's after 3PM and I started at 8AM. I've had flea traps set up all week (which actually worked really well), and I've been vacuuming, spraying and powdering all week as well. Today was the day for the industrial vacuum.

I've put the flea traps back with new sticky paper. If they stay clean, that means I may have gotten ahead of them.

I'm going to flea bomb the garage tomorrow since everyone will be outside in release cages and hope that gets every flea out there. I feel bad killing my spiders, but...I don't have a choice.

[mouse_oh]

Ants outside and in my mud room, I've used food grade diatomaceous earth (DE) mixed with 100% pure peppermint essential oil. This has seemed to work for the past two years. I've read, it's good for eliminating fleas, lice, ticks, mites and can be used as a natural de-wormer for dogs.

I use essential oils at home and have a large collection. Some offer a great smell, have healing properties and are antiseptic.

The thing about essential oils- even though it is natural doesn't mean it can be used topically at full strength. In fact, some are dangerous at full strength on the skin. I believe lemon and orange oil are two of them. Pennyroyal is a highly toxic oil at full strength on skin (2 oz. indigested can be fatal.) This same concept is also the reason why squirrels should not live in houses made of cedar.

According to The Complete Book of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy by Valerie Ann Worwood, natural insect repellents essential oils for fleas are Lemongrass, Citronella, Pennyroyal, Rue, Tansy and Lavender. Garlic capsules too. Lice: Spearmint, Peppermint, Cedarwood, Rue and Pennyroyal.

I'm trying to figure out how to pre-treat the new squirrel house I have with oils, etc to prevent fleas, bugs, etc before replacing out the old ones.

[Pointy Tale]

I'm trying to figure out how to pre-treat the new squirrel house I have with oils, etc to prevent fleas, bugs, etc before replacing out the old ones.

mouse_oh— Have you considered TheraNeem Neem Oil for the Garden—LINK (http://organixsouth.com/theraneem/outdoor/neem-oil-for-the-garden.html) to pre-treat your new squirrel house to prevent fleas, bugs? I would check with one of the experts here first to make sure Neem is OK for squirrels.

Ingredients: Azadirachta indica (Neem) seed oil. 100% pure and certified organic.

Directions: Usage rate is one teaspoon Neem Oil per quart or four teaspoons Neem Oil per gallon of water. Add 1 teaspoon of an ecologically friendly dish detergent to a small portion of the water as an emulsifier. Add the Neem Oil and mix well. Add remaining water, stir well and use immediately. For outdoor gardens, we recommend spraying at dusk to allow the oils to soak into to the plant and soil. Do not spray in full sun. Use as a foliar spray and soil drench, spraying both the top and underside of the foliage. Repeat spraying once a week for 5 weeks.

Your garden will be safe for immediate use after spraying. Wash fruits and vegetables prior to consumption. TheraNeem Organix Neem Oil for the Garden may also be used on pets and livestock.