Fleas can reproduce with amazing speed–in one month 10 females can
generate a population of over 267,000 offspring. Since they have
been doing this for millions of years without our interference,
fleas are tough to fight. The "war on fleas" must be approached with
the idea that the fight is ongoing; fleas will come back unless you
adopt a maintenance system, all season long.
The secret to flea survival and to our control tactics is in the
flea life cycle:
EGG ----> LARVA ----> PUPA ----> ADULT ----> EGG ----> LARVA ---->
The adult flea spends almost all of its time on your dog or cat, but
remember those hundreds of thousands of offspring? The female lays
her eggs in warm dark places (like your carpet and sofa), and they
are the reason that the strongest part of your flea defense must
involve the house and yard. The real problem is in the pupa stage;
it is resistant to just about everything, so that even when you kill
all the adults, eggs and larvae with conventional insecticides and
growth regulators, you will have fleas again in about 2 weeks when
the pupae hatch.
The basic protocol for flea control might look something like this:
Pet:
The cornerstone of flea control is good overall health for the
animal, and a natural, complete diet is absolutely essential.
When the animal is healthy, s/he does not "taste" or "smell" as
good to the fleas. A supplement of fresh garlic or the odorless
garlic capsules may also be helpful, but please do not use
brewers yeast. It has no specific activity against pests and, in
addition, is likely to be allergenic to many pets, thereby
compounding the skin problems.
Bathe and dip weekly as needed. One good natural shampoo is
Natural Animal. Dips are usually pyrethrin or limonene based,
which are both derived from natural sources - just read the
label. Another option involves the herbal extract oils . It
can be diluted in water like a dip (15-20 drops in a gallon of
water, then left on the animal to dry), or apply directly to the
fur over the tail, feet and between shoulder blades every 2-3
days as needed (this method has rarely caused skin irritation,
so do a test patch first).
Between baths, which serve mainly to clean up flea dirt and
decimate at least a part of the adult population, you should
treat your pet with a powder or spray. Diatomaceous earth and
pyrethrum dust , or the herbal sprays work well, but only if used often, since they begin to break down within hours. You may need to apply these
coat treatments every day or two during flea season! Remember
that herbal repellants don't last long once exposed to air, but
they are also safe to use frequently. This is not always true of
the conventional sprays, dips, etc. which almost never live up
to their promises of 7-14 day protection! Don't forget that old
standby--the flea comb.
House:
Recall that the secret to flea control is in the FREQUENCY of
your flea treatments. The conventional sprays and foggers, and
especially those of commercial pest control services, are not
safe to use more than about once a month, yet you should be
attacking the new adult fleas every 2 weeks or so - this is why
the conventional treatments, even with a growth regulator, may
fail. If you use a conventional spray (no foggers please), use
one with pyrethrins AND methoprene, and use as often as the
label allows, up to every 2 weeks.
The more natural alternatives include using diatomaceous earth
or borax in your carpets, but these treatments are fairly messy
for the frequency with which you will have to use them. The one
best natural flea treatment is Rx for Fleas, also known as
Fleabusters. This is a form of borax that lasts for up to one
year in your carpet/upholstery, which is tantamount to treating
for fleas EVERY DAY. This product will lighten your work load
considerably.
Remember to pay special attention to areas where your pet hangs
out or sleeps. For dogs, cedar beds may help a great deal.
Some people have had some luck with flea traps, but these only
address the small proportion of fleas that happen to be adult,
and I do not believe that they will make a difference if used
alone.
Yard:
Control in the yard is sometimes the most difficult and
expensive, especially if your animal roams a great deal. Just
remember that the areas where s/he spends the most time are the
most important. Natural treatments that have been used include
diatomaceous earth, pyrethrum dust and a new method that has
gotten good initial reviews.
Recently, beneficial organisms called nematodes were introduced;
individual brand names include Interrupt, Lawn Patrol and
Guardian. Apparently these nematodes attack and kill the larvae
of fleas, as well as those of over 250 other harmful insects
like peach tree borers, roaches and possibly termites. These
nematodes are said to be harmless to beneficial insects, birds
and mammals.
Summary:
Flea control is season long, coordinated attack that must be
maintained whether you use conventional or natural products. The
advantage to natural flea products is that they are safer to use
in the frequent manner required. Keeping adults off the animal
with baths AND frequent powdering or spraying, together with the
new approaches to environmental control, you will find that
natural flea control works very well and have a happier pet by
the end of the season!