Monday, May 11, 2009

They're Freakin' Everywhere!

Fleas!

Apparently, the flea meds I was using on Panther weren't doing their job. I can't walk around in the house without having a flea jump on me. Of course, there are two dogs in this house, so it's not just Panther. Also, the cop's house has fleas too, as well as his mom's house.

So it's a never-ending cycle of fleadom. No matter where I take him, there are fleas. And I'm pretty sure that there is a flea bed somewhere in the backyard, but you can only tell someone so many times that the backyard will have to be sprayed to end the problem.

cat

I changed Panther's flea meds this past week, and right away I could tell the difference. Mostly because the fleas started falling off him like drunken frat boys at a house party. And man, those things are impossible to kill! You can catch one, but you can't smoosh him! And you basically have to decapitate him with your fingernail to make him die!

So hopefully that will take care of the problem... you know, just in time for the love bugs to hit Georgia. And make my car disgusting...

Note to Self: ...you know, because the pine trees don't already do enough damage to my car...

9 comments:

Sornie said...

The only way I can think of getting rid of fleas is to burn your house down. Or maybe get a second opinion as I believe some would see my option as arson.

RoeH said...

I've never had them in a house or on an animals. And I never want them. Yuk!

Anonymous said...

What meds are you using now...you know...just in case I ever have this problem...?

Anonymous said...

Awesome trick is to give your little furry loved one a bath in DAWN dishliquid. It works, I swear.

Molly had two baths in Dawn and never complained again. I also started her on a strict flea medication monthly, but the Dawn triggered it.

the Grit said...

Hi MJ,

Good luck with that. On the other hand, if the cycle of fleas bitting and dying isn't fast enough to kill them all off, you may have to fumigate. You can, or so I hope, still by aerosol cans of insect killing stuff that are designed to press the cap and spray until empty.

They work quite well, although you have to abandon your home for several hours. So, if you have to resort to such chemical warfare:

1. seal the cabinets where you store dishes/cookware with tape.

2. put all exposed food in the fridge or your oven.

3. make absolutely certain that you extinguish all exposed flames, like gas water heaters and such.

4. prop your furniture cushions, bedding, and open all your storage up, and such up so that the fumes can reach all of it.

5. remember that fleas, or so I seem to recall, have a 2 week breeding cycle, so that, if you notice a flea in 14 days after you do the fumigation, you need to immediately do it again.

On the bright side, be thankful you don't have bed bugs!

the Grit

DEL said...

Speaking of which, my dogs are due for their monthly topical meds. I'm not convinced the meds due much other than empty out my wallet. The dogs still get fleas, the fleas just can't procreate on them and cause a home invasion. For that I am thankful and will continue to throw money at the problem.

writer chick said...

Hey MJ,
The thing is you have to call the exterminator dude to get them outta your house and yard - even though you have the pet's meds changed - those little buggers and their eggs are everywhere. Believe me,I speak from experience. Sorry hon, I don't envy you this adventure.
Annie

Danielle said...

Ugh. I remember when Shane's cats had fleas... it turns out, fleas like to chew on me as much as they like to chew on cats... I was not a happy camper. I've got Mia on flea meds, so hopefully we won't run into that problem. *Knocks on wood*

monica said...

once my cat gave birth to 4 adorable kittens under a tree - when we finally got them inside I could see fleas crawling on their tiny little tummies... they were too small for chemistry drugs, so I gave them bitsy chunks of garlic with some cod's roe and the fleas disappeared! the kittens smelled like Turks, but no fleas :o)