In our area, flea season goes from February to December. We are now seven months into flea season, and have four more months to go. That leaves one month, January, flea-free. Sheesh!
Ten days ago I was very discouraged and frustrated about the flea infestation in our home. The fleas seemed to be immune to the flea shampoos and Frontline Plus I'd used on our cats, as well as the sprays and foggers I'd used. The flea collars I put on the cats were worthless. My daughter was going around with a little cup of soapy water, and anytime she found a flea crawling on her she'd snatch it and drop it into the cup where it would drown. There was "flea dirt" on the cats and in various places where it had fallen off the cats. Wherever it had come in contact with moisture, it had broken down and become surrounded by a small reddish-brown halo. When I researched this online, I discovered that flea dirt is the feces deposited on the animal's skin and hair by the adult fleas after they feast on the animal's blood. It resembles black pepper or dirt, is hard and crackly, and is left behind to feed the flea larvae when they hatch out of their eggs. When the flea dirt gets wet, it disintegrates, leaving reddish-brown spots. (I'm not trying to gross anyone out, just inform them.)
The cats wouldn't stop their incessant biting, licking, and scratching in reaction to the fleas biting them, and one of them had licked his haunches raw. Then I read somewhere that so much licking can not only irritate the animal's skin and lead to skin infections, but it can also rub the roof of the animal's mouth raw and cause it to bleed. I still don't know if that was why we found bloody vomit on the floor, but I haven't seen anymore of that in over a week. It could also have been caused by intestinal parasites causing stomach irritation. I think I should probably take the cats to the Richmond SPCA's Clinic for Compassionate Care to see if any of them has feline distemper or something else that could cause them to vomit blood, even though they haven't done it for several days.
My daughter reminded me that we had trouble with fleas last summer, too, but not as bad as this summer. I guess the fleas had laid eggs in the rugs and furniture and under the baseboards before cold weather hit last winter, and those eggs were hatching out all over the house. So that's why the infestation was so bad this year. Out of total desperation, I'd even considered getting rid of the cats. My daughter said I could do whatever I wanted with my two cats, but the other two were hers and she wasn't parting with them. I didn't want to part with mine, either, but I didn't know what else to do.
I knew that in order to be completely rid of fleas, we had to treat the cats and their environment at the same time. Then I remembered doing research online last summer, and coming across something called "diatomaceous earth." That's when the "light bulb" came on over my head. I went online and researched it again, and knew I was onto something.
Diatomaceous earth (DE) consists of fossilized remains of diatoms, a type of hard-shelled algae and comes in two forms: the kind used in pool filters and food-grade. The form of DE used in pool filters has been treated with high heat (calcinated) and a fluxing agent (soda ash) which causes the silicon dioxide in it to resume its crystalline form. This type of DE is about 70% crystalline silica and is not safe to ingest.
In food-grade DE the diatoms are ground into a fine, white powder resembling flour. This form is predominantly made up of amorphous silica and little or no (less than 1%) crystalline silica. This form of DE must be uncalcinated (meaning it must not be heat-treated prior to application). It is safe for ingestion, and farmers add it to grain to keep it insect-free. When fed to animals, it rids them of any parasites such as tapeworms, which our cats had as a result of ingesting fleas that were infected with them. Humans can also consume food-grade DE, as it is non-toxic and can help with bone formation, colon cleansing, parasite control, and detox. It is also used in toothpaste and facial cleansers.
Food-grade DE absorbs lipids from the waxy outer layer of insects' exoskeletons, while at the same time working under the shell and puncturing the body, and causes them to dehydrate. It will kill any arthropod (anything that has an exoskeleton; i.e., fleas, ticks, ants, beetles, bedbugs, cockroaches, house dust mites, etc.) in this manner. It will also kill gastropods such as slugs and snails. If you want to use DE to eliminate pests in your garden, it should say "food grade" on the package.
It's not uncommon for fleas to become immune to the pesticides in sprays, foggers, and flea collars. An exterminator would have cost too much and used chemicals that could be harmful to the cats. Diatomaceous earth kills pests by dehydrating them. They can't become immune to it. Convinced that DE would kill the fleas when nothing else would, I searched for it in several stores in my area and found out that most people have never heard of it. I went to Lowe's and asked one of the employees in the gardening section for diatomaceous earth. He knew exactly what I was talking about and said he'd just sold the last bag. He said the store didn't order it very often and he didn't know when it would be ordered again. Bummer. Next I went to Home Depot's gardening section and couldn't find any diatomaceous earth there either. So a helpful employee assisted me in finding it on the store's website, and I ordered it. The brand I ordered is called St. Gabriel Organics Insect Dust, which comes in a 4.4 lb. bag. I ordered two bags, not knowing how much I would need. I found out that a little goes a long way, and I still have 1 1/4 bags left! It'll keep for next summer.
When I brought home my diatomaceous earth last Thursday, the first thing I did was rub it into each cat's fur to kill the fleas. Within minutes the cats seemed calmer, less irritated by the little critters crawling around on their skin. The next thing I did was mix it into their food to kill the tapeworms. Since DE is odorless and tasteless, the cats didn't know any different. I still put up to a tablespoon in their food twice a day. I also mixed it into their cat litter to kill any fleas and/or tapeworms in there. Then I dusted all the furniture, rugs, and wood floors with DE, working it under the baseboards, around the fireplace, and in between the floorboards. I let it set for 48 hours to kill the fleas.
After 48 hours I put moth balls in the vacuum cleaner bag to kill any live fleas that the vacuum cleaner sucked up, and enlisted my daughter and her fiancé to help me vacuum the furniture and floors. Because DE is a dust, it formed a cloud in the air both when I was putting it down and when I was vacuuming it up. (I soon learned that when using DE it's a good idea to wear a hat so your hair won't look prematurely gray, and rubber gloves so your skin won't dehydrate, and a dust mask to prevent inhaling the dust. If you wear contact lenses, remove them before using DE. If you wear glasses, you'll have to wipe them off every few minutes. It sounds like a lot of trouble to go through, but it's worth it if you want to get rid of the fleas and nothing else has worked.) We vacuumed everything one day, let the dust settle, and vacuumed again the next day. After vacuuming each time, I removed the bag and placed it in the garbage can outside. And of course all the furniture that wasn't upholstered had to be dusted twice. DE can dehydrate wood furniture, so we used Pledge to rehydrate it. For our wood floors, which are already in need of refinishing since they're over 50 years old, we just used a Swiffer Wet Jet and the cleaning solution for wood floors. Later on we might use floor polish, but that's the least of my concerns right now.
I have to tell you, diatomaceous earth did the trick and I am ecstatic! We are so happy with the results! We can now walk through the house without getting attacked by fleas or having to drown them in a cup of soapy water. The cats started scratching again today, so I dusted them once more with DE, and the scratching stopped almost immediately. The cats are more contented after being dusted with DE. I don't mind the dusty paw prints on my vanity and desk as long as the fleas are controlled. I can wipe the dust off the furniture and tolerate the rougher texture of the cats' fur a lot easier than I can part with my cats. Later on I might bathe them again to remove the DE and flea dirt, but if they start scratching again they're going to get dusted again. I think I should also look into using Beneficial Nematodes in the front and back yards to kill the fleas there, even though our cats never go outside. That way the fleas won't be able to hitch a ride on our clothes and invade our house again. Beneficial Nematodes will also kill the mosquitoes that keep us from enjoying summer nights outdoors. I can't remember the last time we were able to cook out without being practically eaten alive by mosquitoes.
I believe in being informed, and I do a lot of research online. Below are a few of the websites I've visited. Check them out and do your own research as well. Knowledge is power. I hope my experience will be helpful to others in the fight against fleas and other insects.
http://vetmedicine.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=vetmedicine&cdn=homegarden&tm=232&gps=333_101_1366_651&f=00&su=p504.6.342.ip_&tt=2&bt=9&bts=21&zu=http%3A//www.dr-dan.com/flea.htm
http://vetmedicine.about.com/cs/diseasesall/a/befreeoffleas.htm
http://vetmedicine.about.com/cs/diseasesall/a/befreeoffleas_2.htm
http://vetmedicine.about.com/od/veterinaryqa/f/fleadirt.htm
http://vetmedicine.about.com/od/parasites/a/Diatomaceous-Earth-For-Flea-Control.htm
http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/degen.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth
http://www.richsoil.com/diatomaceous-earth.jsp
http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/food-grade-diatomaceous-earth-p-2692.html?zmam=70093104&zmas=1&zmac=2&zmap=2692&gclid=CMfQyPmYi7kCFUlp7AodtxYAJQ
http://www.nematodes.com/
http://www.arbico-organics.com/category/pest-solver-guide-fleas-ticks/26
http://www.pesches.com/gardenrx/summer/pestcontrol.php
http://pets.webmd.com/cats/guide/cat-vomiting-causes-and-treatments
Ten days ago I was very discouraged and frustrated about the flea infestation in our home. The fleas seemed to be immune to the flea shampoos and Frontline Plus I'd used on our cats, as well as the sprays and foggers I'd used. The flea collars I put on the cats were worthless. My daughter was going around with a little cup of soapy water, and anytime she found a flea crawling on her she'd snatch it and drop it into the cup where it would drown. There was "flea dirt" on the cats and in various places where it had fallen off the cats. Wherever it had come in contact with moisture, it had broken down and become surrounded by a small reddish-brown halo. When I researched this online, I discovered that flea dirt is the feces deposited on the animal's skin and hair by the adult fleas after they feast on the animal's blood. It resembles black pepper or dirt, is hard and crackly, and is left behind to feed the flea larvae when they hatch out of their eggs. When the flea dirt gets wet, it disintegrates, leaving reddish-brown spots. (I'm not trying to gross anyone out, just inform them.)
The cats wouldn't stop their incessant biting, licking, and scratching in reaction to the fleas biting them, and one of them had licked his haunches raw. Then I read somewhere that so much licking can not only irritate the animal's skin and lead to skin infections, but it can also rub the roof of the animal's mouth raw and cause it to bleed. I still don't know if that was why we found bloody vomit on the floor, but I haven't seen anymore of that in over a week. It could also have been caused by intestinal parasites causing stomach irritation. I think I should probably take the cats to the Richmond SPCA's Clinic for Compassionate Care to see if any of them has feline distemper or something else that could cause them to vomit blood, even though they haven't done it for several days.
My daughter reminded me that we had trouble with fleas last summer, too, but not as bad as this summer. I guess the fleas had laid eggs in the rugs and furniture and under the baseboards before cold weather hit last winter, and those eggs were hatching out all over the house. So that's why the infestation was so bad this year. Out of total desperation, I'd even considered getting rid of the cats. My daughter said I could do whatever I wanted with my two cats, but the other two were hers and she wasn't parting with them. I didn't want to part with mine, either, but I didn't know what else to do.
I knew that in order to be completely rid of fleas, we had to treat the cats and their environment at the same time. Then I remembered doing research online last summer, and coming across something called "diatomaceous earth." That's when the "light bulb" came on over my head. I went online and researched it again, and knew I was onto something.
Diatomaceous earth (DE) consists of fossilized remains of diatoms, a type of hard-shelled algae and comes in two forms: the kind used in pool filters and food-grade. The form of DE used in pool filters has been treated with high heat (calcinated) and a fluxing agent (soda ash) which causes the silicon dioxide in it to resume its crystalline form. This type of DE is about 70% crystalline silica and is not safe to ingest.
In food-grade DE the diatoms are ground into a fine, white powder resembling flour. This form is predominantly made up of amorphous silica and little or no (less than 1%) crystalline silica. This form of DE must be uncalcinated (meaning it must not be heat-treated prior to application). It is safe for ingestion, and farmers add it to grain to keep it insect-free. When fed to animals, it rids them of any parasites such as tapeworms, which our cats had as a result of ingesting fleas that were infected with them. Humans can also consume food-grade DE, as it is non-toxic and can help with bone formation, colon cleansing, parasite control, and detox. It is also used in toothpaste and facial cleansers.
Food-grade DE absorbs lipids from the waxy outer layer of insects' exoskeletons, while at the same time working under the shell and puncturing the body, and causes them to dehydrate. It will kill any arthropod (anything that has an exoskeleton; i.e., fleas, ticks, ants, beetles, bedbugs, cockroaches, house dust mites, etc.) in this manner. It will also kill gastropods such as slugs and snails. If you want to use DE to eliminate pests in your garden, it should say "food grade" on the package.
It's not uncommon for fleas to become immune to the pesticides in sprays, foggers, and flea collars. An exterminator would have cost too much and used chemicals that could be harmful to the cats. Diatomaceous earth kills pests by dehydrating them. They can't become immune to it. Convinced that DE would kill the fleas when nothing else would, I searched for it in several stores in my area and found out that most people have never heard of it. I went to Lowe's and asked one of the employees in the gardening section for diatomaceous earth. He knew exactly what I was talking about and said he'd just sold the last bag. He said the store didn't order it very often and he didn't know when it would be ordered again. Bummer. Next I went to Home Depot's gardening section and couldn't find any diatomaceous earth there either. So a helpful employee assisted me in finding it on the store's website, and I ordered it. The brand I ordered is called St. Gabriel Organics Insect Dust, which comes in a 4.4 lb. bag. I ordered two bags, not knowing how much I would need. I found out that a little goes a long way, and I still have 1 1/4 bags left! It'll keep for next summer.
When I brought home my diatomaceous earth last Thursday, the first thing I did was rub it into each cat's fur to kill the fleas. Within minutes the cats seemed calmer, less irritated by the little critters crawling around on their skin. The next thing I did was mix it into their food to kill the tapeworms. Since DE is odorless and tasteless, the cats didn't know any different. I still put up to a tablespoon in their food twice a day. I also mixed it into their cat litter to kill any fleas and/or tapeworms in there. Then I dusted all the furniture, rugs, and wood floors with DE, working it under the baseboards, around the fireplace, and in between the floorboards. I let it set for 48 hours to kill the fleas.
After 48 hours I put moth balls in the vacuum cleaner bag to kill any live fleas that the vacuum cleaner sucked up, and enlisted my daughter and her fiancé to help me vacuum the furniture and floors. Because DE is a dust, it formed a cloud in the air both when I was putting it down and when I was vacuuming it up. (I soon learned that when using DE it's a good idea to wear a hat so your hair won't look prematurely gray, and rubber gloves so your skin won't dehydrate, and a dust mask to prevent inhaling the dust. If you wear contact lenses, remove them before using DE. If you wear glasses, you'll have to wipe them off every few minutes. It sounds like a lot of trouble to go through, but it's worth it if you want to get rid of the fleas and nothing else has worked.) We vacuumed everything one day, let the dust settle, and vacuumed again the next day. After vacuuming each time, I removed the bag and placed it in the garbage can outside. And of course all the furniture that wasn't upholstered had to be dusted twice. DE can dehydrate wood furniture, so we used Pledge to rehydrate it. For our wood floors, which are already in need of refinishing since they're over 50 years old, we just used a Swiffer Wet Jet and the cleaning solution for wood floors. Later on we might use floor polish, but that's the least of my concerns right now.
I have to tell you, diatomaceous earth did the trick and I am ecstatic! We are so happy with the results! We can now walk through the house without getting attacked by fleas or having to drown them in a cup of soapy water. The cats started scratching again today, so I dusted them once more with DE, and the scratching stopped almost immediately. The cats are more contented after being dusted with DE. I don't mind the dusty paw prints on my vanity and desk as long as the fleas are controlled. I can wipe the dust off the furniture and tolerate the rougher texture of the cats' fur a lot easier than I can part with my cats. Later on I might bathe them again to remove the DE and flea dirt, but if they start scratching again they're going to get dusted again. I think I should also look into using Beneficial Nematodes in the front and back yards to kill the fleas there, even though our cats never go outside. That way the fleas won't be able to hitch a ride on our clothes and invade our house again. Beneficial Nematodes will also kill the mosquitoes that keep us from enjoying summer nights outdoors. I can't remember the last time we were able to cook out without being practically eaten alive by mosquitoes.
I believe in being informed, and I do a lot of research online. Below are a few of the websites I've visited. Check them out and do your own research as well. Knowledge is power. I hope my experience will be helpful to others in the fight against fleas and other insects.
http://vetmedicine.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=vetmedicine&cdn=homegarden&tm=232&gps=333_101_1366_651&f=00&su=p504.6.342.ip_&tt=2&bt=9&bts=21&zu=http%3A//www.dr-dan.com/flea.htm
http://vetmedicine.about.com/cs/diseasesall/a/befreeoffleas.htm
http://vetmedicine.about.com/cs/diseasesall/a/befreeoffleas_2.htm
http://vetmedicine.about.com/od/veterinaryqa/f/fleadirt.htm
http://vetmedicine.about.com/od/parasites/a/Diatomaceous-Earth-For-Flea-Control.htm
http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/degen.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth
http://www.richsoil.com/diatomaceous-earth.jsp
http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/food-grade-diatomaceous-earth-p-2692.html?zmam=70093104&zmas=1&zmac=2&zmap=2692&gclid=CMfQyPmYi7kCFUlp7AodtxYAJQ
http://www.nematodes.com/
http://www.arbico-organics.com/category/pest-solver-guide-fleas-ticks/26
http://www.pesches.com/gardenrx/summer/pestcontrol.php
http://pets.webmd.com/cats/guide/cat-vomiting-causes-and-treatments
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