Damnit!!! I just picked a flea off my arm!

[Madrone]

Since moving to WA in the fall of '98 I have never seen a flea. Life was good for me and the 3 kitties that relocated with me.

Since moving here I've aquired a dog, 3 ferrets, and 3 sugar gliders in the family.

I am currently in the process of moving to a new house, and moved the cats over last Saturday. I started sleeping here then as well - while still in the process of packing up and moving the rest of the stuff in the other house. (an aside - does moving EVER end? does anything ever really get accomplished?)

Anyway, as I've said I've been sleeping here since last Saturday. Tonight, I'm sitting on the couch and a flea jumps on me. I haven't seen a flea since I lived in MI, and even THEN, I haven't had any issues with them for years. A little while later I sat down on the couch with the laptop and I'll be damned - another flea on my arm.

I suspect, since I've never seen a flea in the 6 years I lived in the other house that the previous tenant that lived here may have had a flea problem. Now I'm not sure what to do - there are a LOT of animals in this house with me now - a flea infestation would NOT be good!!

I do not want to bomb the house, or any other toxic, nasty alternative. The ferrets run around on the floor, the dog lays on the couch and the floor, as do the cats.

Anyone have any flea remedies they wish to share? I'm so unhappy about this. As if moving weren't my worst nightmare in and of itself.

:(

[JohnnyRingo]

1. When I'm on the computer I just link 3 of thse Hartz-Mountain flea collars

...together and wear it.

I also keep my toenails long so I don't have to interupt my typing to scratch.

Good luck...My cat hasn't been in the house for a month, and I still find one now and then. (I suspect that's why he wants to stay out.)

Go to the pet store and buy an aerosol of flea spray and hit the area of infestation....Wont be good for the ferrets, but they'll tranport them anyway. Back to my original idea.

[Sparky McGruff]

2. I bought frontline as a spray...

the stuff that you are supposed to put on the nape of the cat's neck... I spray his kitty beds with a couple of sprays every month, not him... It works fairly well, and I don't think either he nor the rest of the family gets dosed with as much poison.

I also give him the monthly "program" flea egg stopper drug with his heartworm pills. We're in the southeast, and there's enough fleas and junk outside that it just doesn't seem smart to go without any medications...

[ladjf]

3. There's no way to exterminate the fleas in your house without

the dreaded bomb.

Further, you're going to have to treat each of your pets. The best stuff is the kind that is a liquid, applied behind the animals head on the neck. It stops the fleas from reproducing. For my pets it has been a Godsend.

[radfringe]

4. suggestions

flea bombing would be the way to go

but if you are adverse to that and don't mind doing some work you could try doing this a couple times a week

mix flea dip with water - mop the floors with it

if you have a carpet steamer -- mix flea dip in with the soap solution and wash carpets

if you don't have a carpet steamer - damp mop carpets with regular sponge mop - depending on carpet texture you may shred more than a few sponge heads

mix flea dip in spray bottle and spray all furniture

meanwhile - give the critters a flea dip (if possible) and use a flea control product such as frontline.

We use BIO-SPOT once a month on our critters. Best all around product we found -- repels, kills eggs, larve, adult fleas, ticks, repels biting insects (mosquitos/flys) They also sell it in a spray and formulas for dogs, cats, ferrets

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/NavResults.cfm?N=0&Np=1&Ntt=flea%20control&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntk=All

more info here on flea control -->http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?dept_id=0&siteid=12&acatid=176&aid=315

good luck

[AgadorSparticus]

5. i give my dogs garlic pills--the kind with the smell intact.

it helps them with not just fleas, but with all pests.

[patdem]

6. There is a product you can put between your blades...

I guess it would work for humans, can you lick yourself between your blades???