No fleas please

[jinman]

Is anyone else in North Texas experiencing an infestation of fleas? Suddenly, a walk through our yard, garden, and everywhere outdoors gets us covered in fleas. We've sprayed and dusted the garage and barn at least twice. We don't have any house pets, but we see fleas in the house too.

I guess the mild spring is responsible, but it sure seems out of the ordinary to walk across the edge of our yard to go to work and find fleas jumping around on me when I drive away from the house.

Anybody else seeing anything similar? Any good solutions?

 

[rosietheriviter]

Is anyone else in North Texas experiencing an infestation of fleas? Suddenly, a walk through our yard, garden, and everywhere outdoors gets us covered in fleas. We've sprayed and dusted the garage and barn at least twice. We don't have any house pets, but we see fleas in the house too.

I guess the mild spring is responsible, but it sure seems out of the ordinary to walk across the edge of our yard to go to work and find fleas jumping around on me when I drive away from the house.

Anybody else seeing anything similar? Any good solutions?

Hi jinman,
Do a search for "food-grade diatomaceous earth" for most any crawlies. It cuts their outer skeleton and they dehydrate to death. Very safe around kids and animals, don't breath the dust directly, but don't even be concerned about ingesting it. As a matter of fact, it is used as a storage medium for grains and is quite often eaten by humans and fed to animals to control internal parasites.

Rose is Rose

 

[ducati996]

Not sure how much land you would need to cover, but I have found Talstar (Dont now the chenical name) mixed with fertilzer works very well (in the northeast at least) in removing fleas,ticks, most grubs, and others....product is readily available from Lesco outlets and others. Just use a broadcast speader and your done...

Just a suggestion

Duc

 

[Unclebuck257]

Hey my friend,

Yes we've got them too here, but not quite as bad as you do apparently. We never have experienced a flea problem in years past, but this year we can definitely see them around the place, and we have 5 dogs too.

I figure it's due to all the rain we've had, causing the grass to grow like it has. I just keep the front and back yard grass mowed as short as possible and keep it all sprayed. That's helped tremendously. The chiggers are out in force too, out in the pastures!

 

[jinman]

Thanks UncleBuck, Ducati, and Rosie. I am aware of using DE and beneficial nematodes to treat pests. As a matter of fact, I mentioned that to my wife this morning. I'll check on the Talstar too. Using DE and Talstar might even be an option.

UncleBuck, we don't have any animals or pets around our house except for the ones mother nature sends over. However, at our big barn and and around our garden, we have two old dogs and a donkey. We've treated all the animals with normal flea treatments and also 5% Sevin dust plus we've sprayed insecticide into the barn. The only animals in the barn are the dogs that come and go through a doggie-door into a 10' x 10' area and the normal quantity of barn mice. The barn and animals are actually down the road over 1/4 mile from our house.

I always thought fleas only stayed around if there were host animals. Perhaps this will all pass as the weather drys up some and I start rough cutting more of the fields. I sure hope so. In all the years I've been at my place, we've never had any problem with fleas. Oh well....

 

[RedRocker]

Oh No!! We're just getting over the scars from the buffalo gnats and now it's gonna be fleas? Man, these wet springs have their downside too.

 

[pennwalk]

We used to feed the dogs brewers yeast. Must taste good to a dog. They seemed to like it. It kept the fleas away from the dogs. I wonder if it would work on people. They sell it in the health store.

Chris

 

[Harvster]

We used to feed the dogs brewers yeast. Must taste good to a dog. They seemed to like it. It kept the fleas away from the dogs. I wonder if it would work on people. They sell it in the health store.

I've used a mixture of brewer's yest, malted barley, and fermented hops in a water based solution for years. I have no problems with fleas. The only side effect is occasionally waking up holding on to the carpet.

 

[BTDT]

I was trying to hold off posting for fear of jinxing myself. So far this year, no fleas. We have had them at times in the past, but it seems cyclical, they seem to go about as fast as they showed up. I have noticed the dreaded grasshoppers already