Fleas, Fleas everywhere

[SeaCat]

God but I hate Fleas.

It is now Flea Season in Southern Florida. Walking outside means I get attacked in a major fashion. (I'm one of those people Fleas seem to love.) Today was the day to fight back.

Last night I went out and picked up what we would need.

This morning the battle was joined.

All of the cats were does with Flea Drops even though they are all indoor cats. (They haven't been showing any Fleas on them but they got dosed anyways.)

The entire inside of the trailer was sprayed with a pleasant smelling Flea Spray. It's safe once it dries so no worries there.

While this was going on inside I was outside.

A heavy duty Bug Killer was sprayed in a four foot wide stretch around the entire ourside of the trailer as well as under the trailer and on the lower walls and skirting. I even hit the Patio with this. (This is a Bug Killer from concentrate, 6 Tablespoons per gallon of water in a pump sprayer.)

The rest of the lot was hit with granules. These granules not only kill Fleas but damn near every pain in the butt bug we have including the bane of the South, the Fire Ant. I have a hand spreader for this and it does the job nicely. Just set the dispersal rate, dump the granules in and walk lanes in the yard cranking the little handle.

My lot at least should be Flea free for a few months.

Cat

 

[Katyusha]

Ugh I HATE fleas!!!! I don't blame you for dosing the cats...if fleas love you then they can hitch a ride on you into the house and jump onto them. Better safe than sorry.

We had a flea infestation in our house years back and it was hell on earth to get rid of. We dose our cats now too if there's even the TINIEST possibility that one of the cats will attract a flea or two. Kudos to you for striking now before it gets really bad out there.

 

[JackLuis]

Fleas are worse than Communists!

 

[bronzeage]

In a previous lifetime and a previous life, I had a house and a couple cats. The cats came and went as they pleased. Fleas were a problem, but I kept it under control with Sevan dust, insecticide. The label said it was safe for cats, dogs and cattle. The cats hated it.

One nice Sunday morning, I got up and brought the newspaper inside. I sat down on the living room floor and spread the paper out in front of me. I felt a sting and looked down to find a big black flea, gnawing on my thigh. "Okay, you little parasite. You just fucked with the top of the food chain."

I quickly formed a plan of attack. I sprinkled Sevan dust lightly on the carpet and spread it around with a broom. In a few minutes, I could see several fleas hopping across the carpet. I took the vacuum cleaner from the closet and went to work, sucking up Sevan dust intoxicated fleas.

I quickly saw a small problem with my plan. Sevan dust is a very fine powder. It goes right through a vacuum cleaner bag and forms a toxic cloud. I knew fleas can't go through a vacuum cleaner, so I kept working until the carpet was de-dusted.

The kitchen and dining room were pretty dusty by then. The Sevan was settling on every surface. I wiped the kitchen counter down with a damp cloth and discovered something else about Sevan dust. It does not like water. You can't pick it up with a damp cloth. It forms a sticky mess, that sticks to everything except wet cloth.

It doesn't stick to wet mops, either. I was pushing a mass of Sevan putty across the kitchen floor with a sponge mop, when my wife appeared.

"Did I hear the vacuum or did I dream it?"

"Go back to bed. I have this handled."

"What's handled?" she said as she realized the entire house was coated in a layer of Sevan dust. She turned around and went back to bed. She was not a morning person.

I spent the rest of the morning, collecting as much Sevan dust as possible. The kitchen floor was a no wax, textured floor covering. I was supposed to look like Parquet wood tiles, complete with fake wood grain. The Sevan dust settled into the woodgrain texture and hardened. It took a stiff bristle brush to dislodge it. It was a about a year before the last of it was scrubbed clean.

I lived in that house another eighteen years and one more wife. I never saw another flea.

 

[SeaCat]

Never used Sevan.

The spray I use is a concentrate of a rather nasty E.P.A. banned for private use insecticide. (No not DDT.) I use it sparingly and it works quite well although you do have to be carefull with it. (I wear a mask and respirator as well as long sleeves and long pants while spraying it.) I can only get it through friends of mine who work in the agricultural society down here and are licensed to use it.

The Granules I use are a general use mix that is available in any Hardware or Home Improvement Store. Unfortunately for the bugs I tend to use three or four times the recomended amount for my square yardage of lawn. I don't have to worry about and bugs surviving this.

This is about the worst Flea Infestation I have seen since I moved down here. Even walking in areas Fleas don't usualy exist like Parking Lots causes me to find them on me. (Then again Fleas do love me. I can be used as a Human Flea Detector. If a flea is anywhere in the area they will come looking for me.)

Cat