Flea Fogging

[amwilliams]

So, my dog has had a problem bringing home fleas from my parents' house. In the past we've been good at catching things before they go too far, but we switched flea preventative and I don't think it's doing the job (as dog was covered in flea dirt).

We've done (for months) the runaround of the vacuuming and the intense laundering and the spot treatments and the flea baths and unfortunately, I believe we are now at the point of fogging. I have been avoiding it like the plague but this is the point we have come to. The vet has recommended Siphotrol Plus and I think we are gonna give that a go this weekend (as it's our only free weekend for over a month).

The problem? One: tank is very heavy and we have no place to keep it out of our apartment, so moving is out of the question. Two: I've got some underground, of course, so switching containers probably also out of the question.

So my understanding is that I need to get the tank sealed. Wrapped in plastic and duct-taped to kingdom come. Has anyone had to resort to this before? And how long can they be safely sealed (in case we want to do this overnight and stay at a hotel)?

[GotButterflies]

Okay...first of all...very sorry to hear of your flea problem! Fogging is not the way to go!! I am a vet tech. Walmart carries that product...had to look it up because I had never heard of it. Flea dirt is flea poop (as I'm sure you are aware). Several products you could do instead of fogging the apartment, and causing stress for all of you. I need to know animals involved, and if there are any health issues with those animals.

Products off of the top of the head that are "safe"

washing animal with dawn will kill fleas on them.
using mule team borax (cheap detergent) - sprinkle in the the carpet - leave - wait about 30 minutes, then vacuum up.
wash all bedding that the animal has laid in in mule team borax and hot water.

Diatamacious earth (I know I am probably not spelling that right) can also be used. There is a food grade of this product. It is organic too. I think its plankton, or something like that. You don't want to breathe it in, can cause breathing issues, if you inhaled it into your lungs (or if your pets did) but it kills fleas. You could use it like the borax but this would be more for yard if needed. (Just figured I'd tell incase anyone else has this issue).

[Crabber85]

I agree fogging is really not the way to go, most of the commercially available foggers don't really do much except make a mess and depending on the species of flea can prompt them into crazy breeding which would only serve to magnify your issue.

Diatomaceous earth is actually a silica based mineral powder and works by penetrating the exoskeleton of the fleas and sucking up all the aviable moisture in their bodies effectively dehydrating and killing them so no it's not good to breath and will kill hermit crabs if they come into contact with it but carpet application shouldn't pose any kind of risk to your crabbies.

You'll need to leave the powder down for several hours and then vacuum it up which should eliminate the majority of the adult fleas and their eggs.

Dawn dish detergent is an effective way of removing fleas from the bodies of dogs and cats as the soap plugs the breathing holes in the fleas exoskeleton suffocating them.

In my experience this typically needs to be done three times over the course of a week to kill all fleas and remove their eggs.

[soilentgringa]

I see that DE has been covered in above comments.

Treating your animals for fleas is also very important. Revolution is a good treatment that you can get from a vet.

Foggers aren't really reliable.

Is there any way you can avoid taking the dog to your parents? T

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[GotButterflies]

Revolution is also considered a heartworm medication. It should not be given unless your dog has tested negative for heartworm, unless otherwise directed by your veterinarian


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