We are infested with fleas, I guess lots of other people are having this problem this year. It's "very" frustrating and driving us nuts. We've got more flea bites than the cat! I guess they're called "sand fleas" or something like that. They come in from the grass outdoors on our clothes and such.
Anyway, I've seen posts about 20 Mule Team Borax and also about salt. We've tried the diatomaceous earth, it works a little bit, but the fleas are still here.
We have a very old house with pine wood floors as well as area rugs. Do you recommend borax or salt and how should we use it?
Thanks so much in advance for a prompt reply from anyone who knows.
SQCO
Grind 1 box of salt in your blender until powdery. Sprinkle all over carpets and under all furniture cushions. Do not vacuum for 10 days. Don't go barefoot as it may burn your skin.
Vacuum up all salt on the 10th day and you will be bug free. (09/22/2005)
By Annie
We had the same problem a few years back. We used a tip on borax from my aunt's long-time bug man out of Florida. Anyway, he had said to spread the borax in the house and let it sit as this will suffocate the fleas. Then, after about 20-60 minutes to vacuum it up. I believe I did this treatment twice. He had also
By Belinda
I got a "recipe" to rid fleas from the internet using both borax and salt:
By Yvonne
One year we went crazy with sand fleas! We tried flea bombs, sprays, etc., but nothing got rid of them. Finally, I asked my vet, and he sold me a product. I forget the name of it, but it was a "time released" spray and it worked great! He explained to us, that we were only treating the adult fleas, but not the eggs
As far as the borax and salt, I've heard it suggested before, but I would imagine that you would need to do the treatments over a period of time, to also rid yourself of the egg hatching fleas!
Also, after you vacuum, immediately throw your vacuum bags away, if not the fleas escape out of the bag and you still have the problem, this is a little costly, but certainly worth it in the end.
Hope this helps!
(09/24/2005)
By Debbie from New Jersey
My advice is to try Advantage, available from either your vet or online at 1800petmeds.com, or at any one of the other online petstores like drsfostersmith.com, etc. Weigh your cat and then buy the appropriate dosage for her/his size. Be sure to read the directions thoroughly, but basically you just open the small tube and place the contents on the back of their head (spread the hair away first for best contact) and your flea problems will immediately begin to be history. This stuff works remarkably fast and is safe, too. 98% of the fleas should be killed within 24 hours.
We have two large house dogs and several indoor cats and we once were literally infested one summer and the situation seemed hopeless. Then our vet suggested that we give Advantage a try
and we have been a believer ever since! We now only treat in May, then August, and sometimes in October and we have not had a problem with fleas since we began using this stuff about 6 years ago. Good luck! (09/25/2005)
By Cindy
Put banana peels around in your rooms for a couple of weeks I know you will find this works. Hard to believe, but the first
time I tried it I was stunned. (09/29/2005)
By Janneba
Please, Do NOT use Advantage for flea treatment on your cat! It damages their nervous system. You should try Fleatreat; it's a supplement you give to your cat according to the body weight,
By Ingrid
Someone wrote about vinegar and fleas. Vinegar and alcohol work, but can be drying. Peroxide also works and no burning. My vet recommended Deflea Natural Chemistry, look up
defleanaturalchemistry.com, halo cloud nine, and fleabusters.com. I've tried Halo, a bit greasy and am now on
Deflea Natural Chemistry. Also, will use borax and salt. Each has its own job; so you must use combinations. (11/19/2006)
By Ellen
Plain ol' baking soda sprinkled everywhere will work, too. I
leave it on the floor for several days then vacuum, but it's up to you. Baking soda, like salt mentioned in other posts, isn't
toxic to pets. (12/04/2006)
By gator
Frontline medicines works best for cats! I had 3 kittens, a cat, and two dogs. For the dogs, K9 Advantix works pretty good. (12/30/2006)
By Susan
Visit the local feed store and buy a bottle of iodine. They sell it in large bottles to treat cattle and horse wounds. Put a few
drops in the pets drinking water each time you refresh their water. They will never know it is there and the fleas on the pet will disappear.
Place pie tins of water under lamps, fleas are attracted to the light and when they jump for the light, they fall into the
water and drown, I'd suggest both inside and outside. The sand fleas can be quite annoying, but not impossible to get rid of
with the right combination of treatments.
Good luck! (12/30/2006)
By Tina Brown
For old hardwood floors, I did this, because I think they live in the grooves, I swear. I mopped the floor with bleach and mint oil, bugs don't like mint oil (even flies) and certainly can't deal with caustic properties of bleach.
Then if you like, remop with Old English wood soap or something. (07/30/2007)
By Kelsey
Also, you can use plug in night lights, a pie pan, and regular syrup. The fleas jump towards the light and land in the syrup. Unlike using water of which most jump back out of, they get stuck to the syrup automatically and die. I killed over 300
fleas in one night just using this method in one room. (08/27/2007)
By Lynn
I love the borax and salt ideas, can't afford the commercial products, not too sure I want to put the chemicals on my 4 cats and 1 dog. I am wondering if the borax and salt will hurt 'my kids' before I am able to vacuum? Thanks, Kathy
Editor's Note: Keep the animals out of the room until it is vacuumed. Then it should be fine. I usually put mine either outside or in another room until it gets done. (10/17/2007)
By Kathy
My mother always used brewer's yeast on our dogs. I'm not sure about using it to get rid of fleas, but I do know that it is a preventative, and especially if you have gotten rid of your problem in the house, but not in the yard (or neighbor's yards, which is our problem), put the brewer's yeast on your dog's belly and legs. It keeps the fleas from jumping on your pet when you let it out.
(11/11/2007)
By Shauna
A great idea for those who don't like the smell of chemicals is to buy a bunch of flea collars and cut off the metal. Then use a meat grinder or whatever you can to grind up the collars into small pellets or pieces and spread them around the area for whatever amount of time you like 2-4 weeks is good. Then vacuum. (03/30/2008)
By Charles
Please do not use Bio Spot on your cats. My pet store recommended this product to me. I bought it and put it on my cats. It did nothing to keep the fleas away or kill them. One of my cats almost died. He was so infested with fleas after using the Bio Spot that he became severely anemic. I had to rush him to the hospital where they almost had to give him a blood transfusion. (06/24/2008)
By Grace
Someone mentioned tea tree oil as a prevention for pets. I am not sure if this is true, but I have read that tea tree oil is very poisonous to cats. You might want to do some research before trying it.
Also, about borax, I used it in my house and it seemed to work (fingers crossed) however, I wish I had read these articles first: http://ptcl.chem.ox.ac.uk/~hmc/hsci/chemicals/borax.html
http://chemistry.about.com/od/howthingsworkfaqs/a/howboraxworks.htm. I would NOT use borax if pregnant, or else consult a physician first.
Also, if your pets are severely anemic or have white gums or
look very ill from the fleas, take them to the vet and don't let them back into the house until the infestation is taken care of. (07/06/2008)
By Allison
I used the borax/salt last year and I had excellent results. Every morning I filled one of those sifters (the kind of sifter you use when sifting ingredients together to make cookies) with 1/2 borax and 1/2 salt, sifted it around the rooms and hours later before anyone went upstairs, I vacuumed it up. I did this for 3 days in a row and within a week I had no more fleas. A guy working for us told us his family would put medicated foot powder on their socks and walk around. The fleas hated it and it killed them off. (08/09/2008)
By Cindy
I have always used a 50/50 mixture of borax and salt, sprinkle it around, give it a good brushing into the carpet and leave it for a few days. I vacuum in about 3 to 4 days and within a week, no more fleas. It lasts about a year and always works. The borax kills the adult fleas and the salt dries up the larva and eggs. (08/28/2008)
By Jackie
Have used borax for years in California and here in Florida. It works like a charm. Just make sure you let it set long enough and vacuum a few times afterward. Never tried adding salt to
it, but might give it a try next time if we get another hot/wet spell. (09/13/2008)
By Fred
OH gosh! Please read up on borax. Prolonged exposure can cause kidney failure, red peeling skin, respiratory problems, impair fertility and can cause birth defects to the unborn. Salt seems
the best way to solve a flea problem. Also minced garlic mixed in your pets food is also helpful. 1 clove for every 20 lb. your animal weighs. If you want to skip the whole pop the garlic clove and mince yourself, you can get a jar of already minced garlic and it lasts forever! 1/2 teaspoon of already minced
garlic = 1 clove! (09/24/2008)
By oh gosh
The borax is a great tip. I was surprised no one mentioned using old fashioned pet flea dip. It works great and works for a while too and is way cheaper than the spot treatments. Look for it at pet supply stores by shampoos. (10/20/2008)
By glo
Feeding pets garlic, brewer's yeast, or B vitamins has not been shown to be effective against fleas. Also, pennyroyal, eucalyptus, rosemary, tea leaves, and citronella have not provided effective control. In fact, overdosing of garlic or onion can be irritating or toxic to pets. This was on a site from the Ohio state university.
Please check out posts before doing them.
I didn't realize this and gave my dog some minced garlic this morning, now I just pray she won't become ill while I am at work. (10/20/2008)
By suzanne
I don't have a solution per se, but a veterinarian and an exterminator told me that flea eggs hatch every 2 weeks, so the treatment must be followed every 2 weeks so the new eggs don't hatch. That is, of course, once you find a treatment that works. Good luck. I hope you find one and when you do, please post it.
I don't have a pet, yet I've gotten them in my house because the same vet and exterminator said they come in on your clothes and shoes.
(10/20/2008)
By metroplex
I use Frontline Plus on my two dogs. It poisons the dogs skin, when the fleas bite it kills them. My two little dogs run all over the house exterminating fleas. I will try the salt and borax in the yard; I know that's where the dogs get the fleas
from. (12/10/2008)
By Michael
If you use salt, be careful. Salt attracts moisture. If you treat in the summer your carpets will be drenched in a day or
two. And when you vacuum, well we all know what salt does to the outside of a car in winter. I already ruined one Kirby vac. Use a good shop vac with a floor attachment.
By JOEPA
I recently took my cats to the vet because I found fleas on them. I had another cat for 20 years [who had to put him down], but I never had a flea problem in all the 20 years I had him. I
was new to fleas! My two new cats were adopted, and I recently discovered the world of fleas, and they are very annoying. My cats [past and present] are strictly indoor cats.
The vet recommended a new [good] flea treatment called "Revolution," which is applied like Advantage. Not only does it kill adult fleas, but also the babies and eggs. It also kills any worms that the cat may ingest due to grooming. Revolution
must be applied every 30 days, and it costs approximately $18 per cat. To me, a small price to pay to be without fleas!
The vet also suggested a flea spray called "Knockout ES" to finish the job. It is an area treatment, and it kills fleas fast and effectively. It keeps you flea free for up to 7 months. I have a big yard. So I think we may have brought them in on our shoes/pants, etc. My cats stay indoors, so I was upset. It isn't
cheap. It was $25 for a 16 oz can at my vets office, but you can get it on Amazon.com for $9.99, well worth it! I couldn't wait. It takes about 10 days through Amazon.
Knockout ES treats an entire house [2100 square feet]. If you have cats, put them in a separate room while you treat the rest of the house. Seal the room the cats are in by shutting the door securely so they can't get out, opening all windows in that room, and putting a towel along the bottom of the door so they can't breathe any fumes. Make sure their litter box is in the same room with them. I would hold off on the food and water for a few hours. Maybe feed them first.
Spray everywhere throughout the rest of the house. Think like a flea. Spray everything. Your whole carpet, under your mattresses, under sofa cushions, corners, under your fridge, etc. Spray good, then leave for a few hours leaving all windows open. Vacuum good afterward then take vacuum bag out to the trash! Don't leave the vacuum bag in the vacuum, or in the house afterward.
Once you're done with the house, do the room the cats were in. Spray the room, then shut the door leaving all windows open, and leave the towel along bottom of door. One can covers 2100
square feet, and it really works! I'd give this treatment a 10 out of 10. Don't waste your time on cheap treatments, and flea collars, they don't work! It may cost you at first, but you'll save in the long run, and you'll be flea free. Read all about Revolution online--do your research!
Thanks for listening, and I hope you get rid of any fleas you have. Best of luck to you! Have a great day, and please take care!
(08/06/2009)
By Raven
Skip the chemicals. Even a flea collar is noxious! Imagine it under "your" nose. And animals noses are how many times more sensitive? Use the natural stuff, mints, cinnamon, salt, and borax. Keep kids and pets, they lick their paws/fingers, off the salt and borax, and vacuum or mop. Use caution on young and old pets. They are not able to be bathed and chemicaled over and over again. (05/28/2010)
By Linda
I have never tried borax before, but I have used salt and I know it works. If you aren't using your air or heat, I suggest keeping at least the fan on [if you have that option, I know my thermostat does] to control moisture. Yes, do put borax and salt or a flea collar [cut up] inside your vacuum/vacuum bag. You need to vacuum often and reapply the salt every week or two for
a while to be on the safe side.
As for those who who are worried about the salt getting on your pet. It is harmless, you can even put it directly on them for a bit, though you should rinse it off. People worried about the salt getting in scratching wounds on a cat, I say to watch your cat, from what I've seen it does not bother them, unless a cat is being violent, their scratches are pretty superficial.
Extra: For flea bites on humans, buy a bottle of shampoo and bathe with it after you use your normal soap. It does help to cut down the itching. When the itching returns clean the bites with alcohol and apply lotion. Sleep fully clothed head to toe, wear a headscarf to cover your hair, a hoodie works too. (09/10/2010)
By Kaori
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I am sitting here at my desk, eating my lunch and reading the posts about fleas.... (No comments please) While I was living in Houston I learned that even the cleanest among us had to deal with all sorts of crawly things.... even roaches, because it never gets cold enough to freeze them out. I started, as a nightly ritual, wiping all my surfaces down with undiluted pine oil. I was able to get up to a clean kitchen next morning. You might want to try that.
If you use water and a light as a flea trap, you must put a drop or two of liquid dish soap in the water and mix. This way the fleas will drop to the bottom of the bowl and not float and hop out.
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