Flea and Tick Control
(Page 2 of 6)
August/September 2002
By Lynn Keiley
Collars infused with pesticides emit a constant stream of vapors into the air whether or not there are fleas present, and both you and your pet constantly breathe these vapors. According to one study, using pesticides in the home, including flea collars, may increase the risk of childhood cancer. In addition, pesticides can irritate your pet's skin.
RELATED CONTENT
Use tape to catch and dispose of fleas before they can bite you. ...
Garden & Yard October/November 2003 By Nancy Smith Any bird with a call like "Buckwheat!" and a hea...
If you’re looking for organic pest control methods, take a look at poultry. Chickens, ducks and gui...
Many common pesticides are associated with a variety of health problems, especially for children. R...
Advice from MOTHER's readers on getting rid of house fleas and ticks....
Herbal remedies aren't necessarily the solution either, says Michael Dryden, professor of veterinary parasitology at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas. Considered a leading expert on flea control, Dryden says natural flea preventives, such as adding garlic to the pet's food or using the aromatic oils of cedar, lavender, mint and rosemary, are ineffective. Some herbal treatments, such as citrus extracts or pennyroyal, can be toxic to pets and humans.
"Both dogs and cats have died as the result of accidental ingestion of pennyroyal oil," Dryden says. "Pets can ingest the oil while grooming themselves, and the oil is toxic to their liver and kidneys." And feeding animals brewer's yeast, another popular folk remedy, may have opposite the intended effect. "We actually use brewer's yeast to feed fleas when we're raising them for experiments," Dryden says. "They love it. The yeast increases their numbers by 40 to 50 percent."
Light traps
Ever go away on vacation and return to find your home infested with fleas? While your pet was away, the fleas were at play, still laying eggs, eating organic debris on the carpet, multiplying exponentially and waiting eagerly for their next blood meal. But you can put flea control on autopilot while you're away with a simple light trap.
Hang a lightbulb 6 to 12 inches above a pan of soapy water or a board covered with sticky paper (like duct tape) on the floor. In the absence of a warm body, fleas will be attracted to the heat of the bulb and hop to their soapy or sticky grave.
PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE
The good news is prevention is the best approach to flea control. The bad news is you'll have to vacuum and vacuum and vacuum.
"You can eliminate up to 50 percent of flea eggs in a single pass with a vacuum," Dryden says. His experiments done on nylon carpets have shown vacuuming provides the same level of control at the pupal stage as permethfin, a widely used synthetic pesticide. Dryden recommends vacuuming carpets at least once a week or as often as every day during peak flea season, usually middle to late summer. Pay special attention to any areas where your pets may lie and remember to clean underneath sofas and chairs. Wash pet bedding regularly and vacuum cushions, pillows and between crevices on upholstered furniture. Dryden suggests removing the vacuum bag weekly and tossing it in an outdoor trash container.
Page:
<< Previous 1 | 2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
Next >>
