I have 3 cats and a dog. The fleas are in the house everywhere and everytime we get the fleas off of one animal the dog brings them back in from our huge front yard.
By Brad
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Depending on where you live, you probably have an infestation of sand fleas in your yard.
The only way to keep the fleas off your pets and out of the house is to treat yard, house, and pets on a regular basis - usually once every three-four weeks.
You can buy a mixer-spray (look for one that holds two gallons of water because it will save you time and the hassle of reloading too often during the spraying session), and a large bottle of concentrated Liquid-Sevin at most of the big-box discount stores or feed ' seeds. Also at Tractor Supply.
Follow the pesticide labelled directions to the letter for best results and to avoid killing off beneficial insects like bees.
Or you can contract with a pest control firm to come out once a month. I have done it myself for so long (since the late 80s) that I have no idea what the current cost is but if you are not comfortable doing the spraying yourself, the companies are a very good deal considering.
Either way it can seem a little expensive (the sprayer and concentrate will set you back around $75USD, with the concentrate lasting about three months and then needing replacement at about $25 a bottle) but then so are the vet bills from flea induced worms in your pets and family members.
I will tell you three things to do to get a hold of this situation:
First: Vacuum the carpet and then empty the bag or plasic bowl out somewhere outside into a bag and tie it so the critters don't get out.
Second: Get plain old table salt in the cylinder. Pour some in your hands and sprinkle everywhere with it. (Not the pet)
I always put it under cushions all on the floor, and even brush it down into the rug even though I don't brush it in it falls in by itself. Leave it for a day or two and then vacuum up and do it again until your fleas are gone.
Third: If you have a vacuum with a plastic pull out bucket like I do, put a flea collar in the vacuum bag or bucket.
Fourth Change the food your cats are eating. If you are feeding them cheap food with fillers in them they will attract fleas like crazy. It is because the animals immune system is compromised when given corn and by products.
I am feeding, right now, One Smartblend Chicken and Rice formula but there are lots of great cat foods with great ingredients at farm supply stores like Tractor Supply.
Also look on amazon.com and look cat flea treatments, and you will find a bunch of things you can try.
Mainly try to keep the floor vacuumed up, and a bad infestation would mean vacuuming and then sprinkling the salt again letting the salt stay for a day each time.
Don't forget to sprinkle under your sheets, on the mattress and around the bed.
I have read about putting bowls of water with a little soap on them and having a flashlight or nightlight shine on the water.
Let me know how it goes. I am actually giving this product a try. I got it in the mail today.
www.amazon.com/
First and foremost, all the pets, bedding, house, and yard need to be treated at the same time. It's the only way to completely get rid of the fleas. I would do the yard with diatomaceous earth, be sure it is food grade not the swimming pool stuff, last time I bought some at the feed store it was about $12 for a 20# bag. You can use a seed spreader, but this is like a powder so don't do it on a windy day.
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