venturabananas

Interesting observations. Thanks Nick.

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bananas101

If it is fleas, then you must treat the source. The best solution is to buy Frontline for your neighbors dogs. Rub the solution on the back of the dogs neck. Chemicals wont kill the egss, but as the adults bite the dogs, they will die shortly after. This works for ticks and other pest insects associated with dogs and cats. It usually takes 2-3 months to get the problem under control. The reason why it takes so long is because eggs and go dormant and hatch when environmental conditions improve.

Summer is the worst time for fleas because their population grows. Winter is a good time to nip it in the bud because their numbers are low. Treat the dogs once or twice. If not, then you will be reinfested time after time.

trebor

Yes in the sand fleas can lay eggs or even worst die with eggs in them and the moisture drains through the sand allowing the eggs to be moist and then dry lasting for long periods of time . Just guessing but muck has less chance to drain off the water and might also have some natural repellent present in the soil..

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If ya can't eat it, it ain't growing in my back yard !

momoese

This will also poison the dog.

bananas101

I've used it for years and my oldest dog is 14....

fmu65

I used to be a veterinary technician, and I'm not going to argue about this, but I just want to let you know what I have seen as far as flea control. The times animals would come in with adverse reactions to flea products would almost always be due to the over the counter products people would buy at pet stores or grocery stores. Frontline overall seems to be one of the safest choices for dogs, along with Revolution. Even the herbal treatments you can find, which are generally less effective, are in question to me. Their doses are not regulated or even tested by any outside sources other than the companies who manufacture them. The studies I have read regarding other herbal supplements have shown that actual amounts of active ingredients present in these products can vary widely from what is printed on the label, making me think herbal or "natural" flea products for animals are generally a waste of money. The only exception to this would be specific animals who have sensitivities or allergies, just like people can have. I personally use Revolution on my cats, which has never given an adverse reaction, and is a regulated product. I know the pharmaceutical companies are shady, but I would rather pick something that has been heavily analyzed and I have seen to work without adverse reactions. Frontline specifically includes a growth regulating hormone that, when the fleas ingest the pet's blood, will be passed along into any eggs that flea may lay, rendering them unable to hatch, so you are controlling multiple stages of the flea's life cycle. That, along with thorough vacuuming and cleaning of the house, will control the infestation. For an active infestation, veterinarians usually recommend no less than three months of treatment to be sure to catch all stages of the life cycle. I think most veterinarians do not explain this out well enough, so many people leave the vet clinic feeling like they can buy something just as effective for cheaper elsewhere. The products should also not just be used during the warm months for the reasons many people have brought up here- the fleas can lay dormant as pupae for months, so if your pet goes outside at all, year round control is necessary to keep your house and pet flea-free. Good luck with your fleas! I hope you are able to get your neighbours to be on board with keeping fleas out of your yard. Remember, if you see one flea, there are most likely one hundred you don't see.

bananas101

"Frontline overall seems to be one of the safest choices for dogs, along with Revolution for cats."

For the amount of chemical used, its the least impact on the total environment.

momoese

I haven't used any top spots on my dogs for 6 years now. Guess how many fleas they have? None! It's not needed in suburbia. There are safer ways to deal with the issue.

blownz281

I agree they will never disappear an we can't spend the whole year hiding in the house. Dogs next door an two stray cats cutting through the yard the cycle will never end.

Richard

Well, at least in your suburbia. It's a different story down here. I'm jealous.

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momoese

Well between the IGR, the DE, the constant washing of bedding and couch covers, constant hardwood floor vacuuming, organic dog diet (healthy dogs), semi weekly baths, trying to keep the top of soil on the dry side (deep watering) and the use of an organic neem spray on the dogs feet legs and undersides before park visits or hiking it's under control now. Having neighbors doing the same has helped too. Actually It's been over two years since I applied IGR. We were infested before taking action.

One odd thing about my neighborhood is that it's never had cockroaches. I've talked to residents who live in family owned homes from the late 1920's that tell me we have never had a problem here. Yet just a few miles up the road it's a huge problem.

Richard

Mitchel, we have zero problems indoors from fleas. The fleas are outdoors and would only come in on our dog, then transfer to the cat. They don't inhabit furniture, linens, clothing, etc. nor do they have an appetite for humans that we have noticed. However, we were having to remove several daily from both animals with flea combs until finally we resorted to drops. Now we are back to combing weekly and never find fleas.

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blownz281

thats not correct,they like clothing,carpets etc. some people have a reaction to bites others dont.

momoese

We had them both outdoors and in, mostly outdoors though. They like shady moist areas in the garden. Not good for tropical gardens! I could bath the dog, vacuum the whole house, clean the bedding and they'd have fleas within hours. Our dogs have double coats that are thick so flea combs are useless. I think there were also some fleas under the house from the Racoons that forced a vent screen off and played house down there. I sprayed IGR as far as I could under there from a pump sprayer using the stream tip. The Archer brand IGR is UV resistant and one application lasts 7 months.

sunfish

Good commercial though

Richard

It is correct for the species of fleas here that hang out with the coyotes, et al.

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fmu65

I would not recommend Advantix for a household with cats, though. I have seen cats get reactions when an owner mistakenly applied it to their cat, or the cat groomed a dog who was recently treated with it. It contains a chemical that is toxic for cats but not for dogs.

Also, fleas are opportunistic, and will bite any species (humans included) they can. They prefer their own host species the best (due to the average body temperature). However, if you don't get bites, like it was mentioned above, you may not be as sensitive to their saliva (or you are lucky and they haven't found you yet because they are happy on your dog and/or cat). They won't leave a host to bite you, but if they are not near your pets when they come out of their pupa, they will go after anything warm.

Richard

There are several species of fleas around San Diego county. There are the very small sand fleas on the coast and coastal bluffs. When I go hiking in Torrey Pines I will get bit by these unless I've remembered to put repellent on my lower legs. Far inland there are large brown woodland fleas that are almost the size of a tick. They'll come get you at night when you're camping if you're not wearing repellent. In the intracoastal chaparral where I reside there are medium size brown fleas that hang out on the sumac and seasonal grasses waiting for passing rabbits, coyotes, rats, etc. I rarely wear repellent but they don't jump on me when I move through the brush. However, they will definitely be on my dog (spaniel x retriever) unless we've been using flea drops.

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