Fi-Fi has Fleas!!!

Our 2 hairiest family members.

(Actually, Max has now been adopted by my sister-in-law.)

We kept Jennabeth.  ; )

Proverbs 12:10 ~ The righteous man reguardeth the life of his beast.  Have you ever considered your "beast", or pet?  First, poor little Fi-Fi gets munched on by a hungry heard of blood sucking fleas.  Then we, the pet owners come along and douse them with synthetic chemicals.

News flash:  not only are you poisoning fleas, you are also poisoning flea bitten Fi-Fi!

Did you know that fleas have become stronger and increasingly more  resistant to the synthetic chemicals?  Because of this, pesticide manufacturers are making their products stronger and stronger, which is more dangerous for Fi-Fi.  The 2 most common chemicals found in these pesticides were developed for chemical warfare. - It's not looking good for Fi-Fi!!   Not, only that, but these chemicals only kill the adult fleas.  So, in a matter of time you will have a whole new crop of blood sucking vampires on your hands. 

I could give you all kinds of facts about fleas.  Like, a single female flea can lay 200,000 eggs in her life time. A single adult flea eats the flesh of it's victim until it draws the blood.  Then it sucks the blood until it can't suck anymore.  The flea can then live off that meal for up to 2 months.

Are you ready to get rid of them yet??  

First we must determine if we have them and just how bad they are.  If you search through Fi-Fi's hair and you find them easily, then you know that you have a pretty bad case.  If you don't find any at all, but Fi-Fi is still scratching, you should search the base of the tail and around the ears.  If you see black specks in those 2 places you can assume that you're looking at flea feces.  To be sure, you can put some of the black specks on a damp paper towel.  If they turn red, they are flea feces.  (EWW!)  :O

OK, so we've determined that we do have fleas.

Diatomaceousearth (yeah, say that 3 times fast!)  is a natural pesticide that is specific for insects and is safe.  It can be found on the shelves with the synthetic chemical pesticides.  This pesticide is made up of fine particles that attach themselves to the fleas and dehydrate them causing them to die.

So, now you know what to buy.  Before using it, you must clean your house thoroughly.  Clean all bedding and don't forget your pet's bedding and favorite spots.  I keep plastic mattress protectors on all of my beds, so I don't have to worry about cleaning mine.  Vacuum all carpets, woodwork, furniture, nooks and crannies.  When you are sure that you have vacuumed the house as well as possible take the vacuum out of the house and dispose of the dust and fleas in the canister or bag.  (I have a rainbow vacuum and I LOVE It!.  I don't have to worry about any bugs escaping my vacuum- EVER!) 

Sprinkle your Diatomaceousearth powder (you should be able to ask your vet if you can't find it at the store) on all carpets, floors and pet bedding.  Work it into the carpet or cracks in the floors using a broom or a brush.  Follow directions on container.

If you have a serious case fleas, it may still be necessary to use a fogger.  If this is the case it should be done before cleaning and diatomaceousearth powder is used.  Get one with pyrethrins or resmethrin as the active ingredients.  These are the less dangerous synthetics found in "foggers".  be very careful to follow the directions and don't allow pets or children to be anywhere around the house while it's being fogged.  Be sure to ventilate the house before you go back in.  Then you can start the process of cleaning and killing the eggs and larva with the diatomaceousearth powder. 

For more information on how to keep those fleas away click here.

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