We have four dogs and have gone through two bouts of serious flea infestations this year. Short of getting rid of the dogs, we don't have a permanent solution. We bath, shampoo, give pills, put on chemicals, bomb the house, etc, the fleas come back.
I tried to put flea collars on, but the fleas only laughed at them. I think I saw a couple of fleas unbuckle the collar from one of the dogs and use it as a toy.
Any advice would be helpful.
Bob & Karen,
ReplyDeleteYou should try a "three-prong" attack. Treat your dogs, your house, and your yard all at the same time. You can use the topical flea meds (Frontline, Advantage, etc) to kill adult fleas. If you use an oral med, such as Program, in conjunction with the topical, this will help prevent eggs from hatching. (Program prevents viability of the eggs.) Use a premise spray in your house (such as Ovitrol) and either a premise spray in the yard or diatomaceous earth, which can be sprinkled in the yard. The diatomaceous earth is natural and can also be sprinkled onto the dogs. (It also gets rid of a myriad of other pesky bugs.) If you don't get all three areas at the same time, you'll get re-infestation due to hatching eggs. The flea's life cycle (egg to larvae to pupa to adult) can vary from a couple of weeks to several months, so unless you eliminate the adults, larvae, pupae, and eggs in all areas, they'll be the guests who just won't leave. The diatomaceous earth isn't too costly, but the premise sprays are a little more, and the topical/oral meds are going to be your biggest expense. Hope this helps. Good luck!
A. Phillips