Flea season is here

Yes, it is that time. you start seeing your four-legged kids scratch, then you start to scratch. and if you don't put on flea medication or do a regular flea maintenance, it doesn't take long before there are those ugly little blood suckers in your home and it can take up to 6 months to stop the cycle of the many flea parents who drop thousands of eggs all over your home. Even though fleas don't live very long, because they drop so many eggs, you are also getting rid of the seven generations of off spring that are in your house too.

There are 4 stages of fleas. That is why you may think the things you are using are not effective. Yes you probably killed the adult fleas, but not the other stages including the pupae (which are very hard to kill because of the hard shell they have) and the eggs. So depending on how many eggs were laid, you have to be patient until you get rid of the many generations in your home.

There are many methods you can use. Many people use flea sprays or powder which can be sprayed or sprinkled on the carpets and upholstery. Some can only be used on the carpet but not pet bedding or furniture or the pet. Some sprays can only be used on dogs, not cats. and if you have a rabbit or other small pet, they are generally not safe to use on them. Read the labels.

Please remember it is a pesticide and even if it says the pesticide comes from flowers-remember some flowers such as oleander and herbs like hemlock are poisonous. So it doesn't mean they are safe if ingested. There are things on the market that that become inert when they dry. But you have to wait until it totally dries.

There are also Flea bombs. But they may not always be effective because they go up in a mushroom cloud and will do their job on the things the mist can fall on. If you have anything that is covered like a coffee table or couch, it will get those things but not the things underneath. That is why it may not be the only way to go to treat your home.

So ask the sales person for clarification when deciding which ones you want to use. Because I used to work for a pet food store called Pet Food Express. (www.petfodexpress.com)I learned a great deal about flea remedies and methods for the war on Flea terrorism.

Then there are the topical remedies like Frontline and Advantage. They have Nero-toxins that works on the fleas nervous system. But even some will only work on the adult fleas and the hatched fleas, not the pupae. Although Frontline Plus has a growth inhibitor. So for many pets these products may be the best way to go. They can put a stop to the journey to have your home become flea-free And they can work great for many animals, but there are some animals like our cat Oski who gets an allergic reaction from any of these products.

What can you do, pray to the gods, try to make a bargain with those little invaders to leave your home? It can be very daunting and distressing to have these insects in your homes, but with persistence and patience, there are natural things you can do to get rid of the infestation.

We are going a more natural route. We vacuum to get rid of any fleas in the environment and we got a great recommendation from a friend who is a homeopath-Margo Adams. she recommended to use Diatomaceous Earth-the kind that is human grade. It actually smothers the fleas and kills them. However you have to get in the habit of treating anywhere your 4-leggeds go. You can use it in their bedding, the carpets. and yes on your animals too.

It is a little dusty, but it is not overwhelming. I was totally amazed. We had started using a flea comb on Oski and the cats, but it didn't seem to be effective. he was having such a hard time, he was actually losing his fur. So when our friend suggested the Diatomaceous Earth. The first time David put it on him, I noticed Oski wasn't scratching so much. and much to my surprise his fur is growing back. I am so relived and but also grateful that it is body safe and won't cause a reaction like the Advantage or Frontline did.

According to Margo, "Many Homeopaths believe it is a slow poisoning as the insecticide/pesticide is usually fat soluble and enters the cell walls quite easily. Whatever the case - I know how we as humans respond to pesticides and the breathing in or application to the skin- so I am trying to promote a different way."
Now don't get me wrong, when I worked at Pet Food Express, I recommended it to our customers and we also used to use it on our kids, but as Oski got older, I started to notice that the application seemed to make him itch more and he started to get scabs from the flea bites. My only intention of this blog entry is to give you a different stream of consciousness to think about. I prefer to go the natural route when it is applicable. I go to the doctor and get a mammogram, even though I have heard the horror stories. I am on flonaise for my allergies, because the natural route was not effective on it's own.

But it is up to us to do the best we can for our 4-legged kids. If we can find more alternative methods to keep our 4-legged happy and healthy, I feel it is our responsibility to do so. If you have any questions or comments, please shoot me an email. I want to hear from you.